Vythiri Resort in the unspoilt Wayanad district of northern Kerala offers Ayurvedic treatment and spa facilities in a pristine rainforest location, 2,600 feet above sea level.

The rustic feel of the 150-acre resort and the sounds of insects, birds and running water immediately forces one to relax. The rooms were mostly individual cottages sited on the sides of a narrow valley, putting you in the thick of the flora and fauna.

Manicured tea plantations carpet the hillsides and women can be seen clipping the top leaves from the tea bushes. Apart from tea, the tracks are lined with coffee, clove, cardamom, pepper and nutmeg trees.

The high altitude and frequent rain means that the air is clean and unpolluted and there is virtually no traffic. Wear walking boots outside the resort because if you wear open sandals, the leeches will find you.

This is not a 5-star resort, probably around 3-star if it had a rating. There are only 16 cottages, two honeymoon suites, six paadi rooms and eight tribal huts so the resort has a small and friendly atmosphere.

The rooms are fairly basic – no TV, no radio, no air conditioning (temperatures are comfortable all year round) and no room service, apart from having “bed tea/coffee” delivered to your room before breakfast.

The bed is rather hard but the sheets, towels and floors are clean. All meals, which are included in the room rate, are buffet-style Indian food and mostly vegetarian. The quality of food is excellent although westerners may not be accustomed to eating curry for breakfast.

Most hotel guests seemed to be Indian professionals and their families enjoying a break away from the bustle of Bangalore and other Indian cities.

There are limited recreational facilities in the resort. There is a pleasant swimming pool. The water appeared to be a radioactive green colour but this was more a reflection of the colour of the tiles used in the pool rather than an indication of water quality.

Indeed the water quality must have been good because some mornings monkeys could be seen drinking from the pool. The main attractions of the resort however, apart from its beautiful setting, have to be the Ayurvedic Centre and the Spa.

Ayurvedic Centre

Two types of programmes are available, Rejuvenation and Therapeutic. The three-day Rejuvenation package is intended to “add years to your life and life to your years”.

The main treatment is Abhayangam in which the therapist massages the whole body with medicated oil to “provide relaxation to the body and mind, improve blood circulation, vitality and texture of the skin”.

After undressing, you have to wrap myself in a langoti to protect your modesty. A langoti is a sort of nappy-like Kerala loin cloth. The oil, which is made up of 16 herbs and medications, is heated and applied with both hands working together in long pressing motions which get the veins flowing and the nerves stimulated.

The oil has a powerful and distinctive odour which lasts through several showers but the effect is magical. Stresses and worries melt away while your body feels unusually relaxed and fit.

The second session of the rejuvenation package is called Shirodhara. This involves the continuous application of medicated herbal oil over the forehead. It is said to be effective in treating diseases of the head, insomnia and lack of memory.

A wooden bowl is hung above your head. The bowl has a hole in the bottom and a few strands of string dangle from it like a wick.

The therapist continually pours warmed oil into the bowl and this runs down the wick and onto your forehead. The bowl is swung slowly from side to side so that the flow of oil moves back and fro gently across your forehead for about 40 minutes.

The delicious effect is wonderfully soothing and can relieve stress and help improve sleep disorders.

A range of other treatments are available. The centre’s Therapeutic programmes are supposed to be able to treat anything from rheumatism to obesity.

Spa

In contrast to the somewhat Spartan surroundings of the Ayurvedic Centre, Vythiri Resort’s Spa provides all the pampering expected of a luxury spa facility.

This includes exclusive use of a private courtyard with an outdoor shower and plunge pool and a herbal steam room.

Treatments include aromatherapy massage, herbal body scrubs, facials and skin fitness, honey sesame body glow and use of hot stones anointed with aromatic oil.

For the many romantics or honeymooners staying at the resort, the Adam & Eve serenity package must be tried. This is where couples are massaged simultaneously by two therapists accompanied by soothing music and sandalwood incense.

Apart from the Vythiri Resort itself, an alternative and unusual place to stay within hiking distance is The Green Magic Treehouse Resort. The star attraction of this hotel is a tree-house room perched in branches 30 metres above the ground.

Complete with plumbing and a lift operated by a running water pulley system, the room provides a 360-degree view of the rainforest and its wildlife inhabitants like monkeys, woodpeckers, herons, malabar giant squirrels and the odd snake.

Nearby attractions

Edakkul Caves, a 45-minute drive from the resort, is worth a visit. Two giant slabs of mountain leaning up against each other form a cave-like hollow in which pre-historic tribes once lived.

These tribes left their drawings and inscriptions on the walls of the caves which lay undiscovered until the 19th century. The summit of the steep mountain above the caves provides a magnificent view over three states – Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Other nearby beauty spots include Pookot Lake and Soochippari Waterfall.

The closest city to Vythiri is Calicut, or Kozhikode as it is now known and guide books find little of interest to say about it. This is surprising for a city of close to a million people and the first place in India to be visited by Europeans.

Vasco da Gama and 170 of his shipmates came ashore in 1498. That must have been the last time so many Europeans visited Calicut.

Finally

This is not a place to come if you need home luxuries or are squeamish about bugs. If however you are keen to reduce your stress levels in a jungle setting and enjoy some Ayurvedic treatment or spa pampering then this could be for you. You can visit the website: www.vythiriresort.com .

This article first appeared on thriftytraveller.wordpress.com