Top 4 ayurvedic massage centres and spas in Thekkady
Here you can read about the top 5 ayurvedic massage centres and spa in Thekkady. Find out rates and types of ayurvedic treatments available there.
Even though I have visited Thekkady during my childhood, as a travel blogger, this was my first visit to this popular tourist destination in Kerala. This time, the purpose of the visit was to review a couple of hotels and resorts. As part of our hotel and resort reviews, we visited the Periyar House, which is a hotel located within the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
During our meet, we were fortunate to meet one of the KTDC officers, who was very keen on explaining the current state of Tourism here. According to him, the commission business is spoiling the tourism industry here. There are numerous massage parlours, Ayurvedic massage centres, Western Spas etc. Most of them are either operating without a license or the same license is being reused for multiple parlours. According to the KTDC officer, there are only a few authentic Spas in Thekkady. But the drivers, local guides and tour operators always guide the tourists to the small, private spas which offer 50% of the massaging fee back to them as commission. The authentic massage centres and ayurvedic clinics never offer huge commission and for the same reason, the tourist guides and drivers are never interested in bringing tourists to such authentic places.
WARNING: If you are visiting Thekkady and want to try the Ayurvedic Spa or massage, never trust your driver and travel agent. Most of the private ayurvedic centres do not have qualified professionals on the site to do the massaging and other ayurvedic treatment. Many private massage parlours and spas re-use the oil used for other people to save money. Also, they buy used oil from various places and add perfumes to make them smell "ayurvedic". Private parlours rarely use pure ayurvedic oils which have medicinal value.
Instead of getting cheated at cheap private massage parlours, make an appointment with one of the best and authentic spas mentioned below.
Read more on how to select the best ayurvedic spa in Kerala.Chempenkulam Ayurvedic Hospital
Chempenkulam Ayurvedic Hospital, owned by a traditional "vaidyar" (ayurvedic doctor) family who has been doing ayurvedic treatments for generations, is one of the best ayurvedic facility in Kumily - Thekkady area. With a brand new retreat-cum-hospital, they are a bit commercialised now but do still offer the most authentic ayurvedic treatments. They have built an excellent retreat centre with modern facilities for the tourists and foreign guests to comfortably take the massaging and use other facilities in the Spa. There are several rooms for stay, multiple massage centres, treatment rooms etc. At their treatment centre, 12 people can use the massaging facility at the same time. Treatment is carried out under the supervision of qualified Ayurvedic doctors and massaging is done by experienced and qualified staff.
Read more on the official website ayurvedapharma.com
By looking at the infrastructure, ambience and facilities, Chempenkulam is one of the best ayurvedic facilities in Kerala.Ayurvedic Spa in The Elephant Court
The Elephant Court is a 5-star resort in Thekkady and if you can afford such a place, then it is worth trying their Spa. They have a big facility which offers Ayurvedic spa, regular spa, steam bath etc. They do have bathrooms and rest area after you take an ayurvedic massaging. The Spa facility is available only for the guests staying in the resort.
Spa in The Elephant Court
Steam bath facility in The Elephant Court
Readf more at Elephant court website.Aranya Nivas by KTDC in the Periyar Tiger Reserve
Aranya Nivas is a premium hotel by KTDC, located inside the Periyar Tiger Reserver in the restricted forest area. They have a great Spa in the hotel, which is operated by Santhigiri Ayurvedic Ashram, which is also mentioned in our list of top ayurvedic spas in Thekkady.
For tourists, I would recommend Aranya Nivas by KTDC since you can enjoy your stay in Aranya Nivas and use the Ayurvedic spa without leaving the comfort of your hotel/resort. The massaging is handled by the same team of doctors and staff from Santhigiri Ayurvedic hospital. Drivers and tour operators will not usually recommend this place since KTDC doesn't offer any commission to them.
Spa facility in Aranya Nivas by KTDCSanthigiri Ayurveda & Siddha Hospital
We asked many local experts about the best Ayurvedic Spa near Thekkady and one of the two places recommended by everyone was, Santhigiri Ayurvedic Hospital at Kumily, which is just 4 km from Thekkady town. (The other place recommend was Chempenkulam, which is mentioned first in our list) The price here is very reasonable and lower than most of the other private spas. One of our team members took a full body relaxing massage and he certified that it is one of the best ayurvedic spa he has ever experienced.
One word of caution: Santhigiri has good doctors, staff and they do use genuine oils and medicines. They do provide authentic ayurvedic treatment and massaging. However, their hospital is too small and is meant for local visiotrs. They do not have the proper facility to handle tourists. They don't even have a proper bathroom for the guests to take a shower and wash off all the oil after the massage. I would strongly recommend you use the ayurvedic packages offered by Santhigiry but not in their hospital. Instead, go to KTDC Aranya Nivas and get the massage from the same team from Santhigiri but at a much more convenient place. However, be aware that the cost for the ayurvedic massage is about 50% higher when you use the facility at KTDC Aranya Nivas.
Spa facility in Santhigiri HospitalBest Ayurvedic Spa in Thekkady
It is difficult to call one of the below as the best. I have mentioned a few authentic and reliable ayurvedic massage centres, but not in any particular order.
Please note that I haven't visited all the spas in Thekkady. Instead, I asked a few people including some KTDC executives about the various spas in town and I visited only a few places based on their recommendation. I have included the spas which I found to be authentic places.
Is there any overnight stay facility in Shanthigiri or Chembankulam ayurvedic centres? How much is the room rent? Out of these two, which hospital is better for "sukha chikilsa"?