India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (133 page)

As much as this all sounds like we’re describing the restrictive lifestyle of an ashram, you are in fact staying in a full-blown Keralite palace. Stepping over the threshold is like stepping into a beautiful film set, only all the big, splendidly decorated and authentically furnished rooms are real—and they come with modern luxuries (including air-conditioning, and handsome modern bathrooms). Kalari Kovilakom was built in the traditional Keralite style by the Rani (queen) of Kollengode in 1810. Attached to the main palace, where the royal family lived, is a Victorian-style guesthouse designed to accommodate Western guests (who, because they were deemed to be larger, were thought to require more space). Today, you can choose between the sumptuous Kovalikom suites, or the even more spectacular (and costlier) Venganad suites, not that it matters too much since just about everywhere you turn there’s something beautiful to look at, be it a fantastic statue or a delicately decorated column.

The minimum stay here is 14 days, and because there are so few distractions (no TV, no shops, no bars—and you’re encouraged to switch off your mobile phone) you start to feel and understand the passage of time; these will feel like the most precious and meaningful 2 weeks of your life. This is a program sought after by high-profile businesspeople and world leaders in need of the ultimate detox, destress, and rewiring. From the time you arrive, you’re on a strict program of Ayurvedic treatments—starting with deep cleansing treatments that involve taking medicated ghee that purges toxins from your body, not to mention bringing all kinds of emotions to the fore. Meals are individually prescribed by your Ayurvedic physician—and there’s none of the muck that might slip into the daily diet, even by accident, in the outside world. At mealtimes—after your hands are ceremoniously washed—each dish is explained to you, and you’re encouraged to maintain silence as you dine, helping you focus on the food, the nourishment it provides, and the energetic properties contained within. On top of that, you’ll be drinking nothing but medicated or ginger-infused water—for some junkies, giving up caffeine may be the first step in a string of achievements here, but the effects are quickly visible, which does encourage you to push through. It’s comforting, too, knowing that fellow guests have also given up the outside world.

This is not an ashram, but neither is it a place for any run-of-the-mill lazy vacation—there is plenty of hard work and even some unpleasant moments (especially during the initial phase when your body is sloughing off the worst of what your normal life has done to it). Getting the balance right can be a very difficult adjustment for anyone grown too attached to everyday life (and that means all of us). But if you have the will and the money and feel the time is right to change your world forever, then this could well be the most rewarding time you ever spent away from home. The minimum 2-week manashanthy (stress relief) program costs 5,000€ to 6,800€ for a single person (7,450€–9,200€ double; rates depend on the type of suite you occupy), while the pancha karma (rejuvenation) and sthanlyakina chikitsa (weight reduction) programs start at 6,900€ per person, or 10,550€ double, for 21 days. Various other packages, including the 28-day antiaging (rasayam chikitsa), are available, or you can have the doctors design a completely individual set of treatments for you. Rates include everything from airport transfers to daily Ayurvedic treatments, and you have the attention of your Ayurvedic doctor and yoga instructor throughout your stay.

2 Lakshadweep

Between 200km (124 miles) and 450km (279 miles) W of Kerala’s coast

Ask any globe-trotting island-hopper if the world still holds any undiscovered gems, and Lakshadweep will be among the first names to crop up. One of India’s best-kept secrets, the 36 atolls and coral reefs making up the remote Union Territory of Lakshadweep are an extension of the better-known Maldives island group. Only three Lakshadweep islands—Agatti, Kadmat, and Bangaram—are open to foreign tourists, and the Indian government employs a strictly enforced entry-permit system. All the islands are “owned” by the indigenous people, and land is unavailable for purchase by nonnatives—even a man marrying a local woman may not buy land here.

Ten islands in the archipelago are populated, almost exclusively by Malayalam-speaking Sunni Muslims who make their living from fishing and harvesting coconuts. Only Minicoy Island, which is closest to the nearby Maldives, shares aspects of its neighbor’s culture, including a Maldivian dialect known as Mahl.

Being Muslim, the islands are officially dry, and alcohol is only available on Bangaram, which is technically uninhabited by locals; avoid carrying any liquor with you. You are strongly advised to bring insect repellent since the mosquitoes become alarmingly active once the sun descends.

ESSENTIALS

PERMITS
Foreigners can only visit the islands with prebooked accommodations and an entry permit. Visitors intending to stay at the Bangaram Island Resort (the best of the two options available to foreign travelers) can have all permit arrangements made through the
CGH Earth central reservations
(Casino Building, Willingdon Island, Cochin 682 003;
0484/301-1711;
fax 0484/266-8001;
www.cghearth.com
). Foreigners must supply their name and address, as well as nationality, place and date of birth, passport number, place and date of issue, and expiration date, and also give their Indian visa number and expiration date. Permits usually take 2 full working days to be processed; they cost Rs 200 for adults over 18, and Rs 100 for children. The CGH Group will also book your flight to and from Kochi (or Bangalore) for you.

To make your own permit arrangements (a laborious process; best avoided), contact the
Society for Nature, Tourism and Sports (SPORTS)
run by Lakshadweep Tourism (
0484/266-8387
) in Kochi. Or contact their Delhi office (
011/2338-6807
).

VISITOR INFORMATION
See “Permits,” above. For details about Lakshadweep, contact the Assistant Manager, SPORTS, Lakshadweep Administrative Office, Willingdon Island, Kochi (
0484/266-8387;
10am–1pm and 2–5pm; closed Sun and second Sat of the month).

GETTING THERE
Unless you fancy a time-munching trip from Kochi by ship (14–20 hr.), you’ll have to get to Bangaram by air: Kingfisher (
www.flykingfisher.com
) flies daily from Cochin (and Bengaluru) to the tiny airfield on Agatti (Agathi) Island; the private airline usually offers a better deal than state-owned Indian Airlines, but do check for deals. You can also leave all the travel arrangements in the hands of CGH Earth when you book your accommodation; at press time they were getting return tickets for Rs 12,000. At Agatti you’ll be met by a resort representative who’ll usher you to a waiting boat anchored near the shore not far from the airport for a memorable 90-minute journey to nearby Bangaram Island (Rs 1,400). Alternatively, you could shell out for a transfer via helicopter (Rs 6,000), which is the only way of transferring if you visit during the monsoon season (mid-May through mid-Sept).

DIVING THE REEFS

Experienced divers rank the reefs of Lakshadweep among the best diving destinations in Asia, particularly the coral islands of Bangaram, Tinakara, Pirelli 1, and Pirelli 2. Bangaram Island Resort hosts
Lacadives,
a small dive center that was the first CMAS (an international underwater-sports federation) dive organization in India, with its headquarters on the island of Kadmat. Bangaram is known in particular for unique dives to spots such as Manta Point, where manta rays are a seasonal attraction; the Grand Canyon around the isle itself offers magical underwater viewing, as does Perumal Par, a submerged bank with world class diving (Rs 3,000 per dive, excluding equipment hire). Lacadives offers diving courses, rents out equipment, and conducts up to three dives a day, as well as night diving. If you’re not a qualified diver, you can rent a mask and go on one of the resort’s snorkeling trips to a nearby wreck where an assortment of marine fauna will have you begging for more; alternatively, bring a doctor’s certificate indicating that you’re fit to dive and you can have your first scuba experience here (Rs 24,000 for a 4-day course, including four open-water dives; Rs 7,500 for the 1-day resort course). For details, contact the
Lacadives Diving Centre
(at Bangaram:
93-8861-9494;
in Mumbai: E-20, Everest Bldg., Tardeo Rd.;
022/6662-7381
or -7382;
www.lacadives.com
; [email protected]). Note that there is no diving during the monsoons (mid-May through Sept).