Tel: 91-467-228-7510

Not surprisingly, given its location on the northern coast of Kerala, in a traditional thatched-roof dwelling at the Neeleshwar Hermitage Hotel, Priya focuses primarily on Ayurveda, although reflexology, Thai, Swedish, and aromatherapy massages and scrubs and beauty treatments are also available. After leaving your shoes at the entrance, which is adorned with bowls of floating blossoms, statues of Hindu gods, and traditional brass oil lamps, you enter the inviting shaded cool of pillared and roofed verandas around a central courtyard with a flowering frangipani tree. Consult with the Ayurveda doctor on a tailored treatment package that can include yoga, meditation, and a special diet and can last up to 15 days, or simply opt for a manicure. It would be a shame, though, to come all this way and miss trying at least one Ayurvedic treatment, such as the effective sajooya, or jet lag reviver, based on botanicals gathered nearby and administered by an expert staffer with memorable delicacy and gentleness.