Ayurgamaya

Reviews

• ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  Pancha..what??? Salila and AYURGAMAYA ... the perfect answer for a much needed reboot, reset, in my life. Feeling physically and mentally sluggish, foggy brain so to speak. "...if I could just be taken care of for a couple of weeks...unplug, no one to answer to, focus on my inner self to re-balance my body and my mind......." AND enjoy an incredibly interesting part of the world ??? Salila was stellar in organizing a 2 week ayurvedic retreat and beyond. Totally safe, seamless ( stress free) and enjoyable !!!!! First, her close connection with Dr. Vignesh Devraj, the ayurvedic trained doctor at Sitaram , made it possible to have a one-on-one Skype conversation to get first-hand information about Ayurvedic treatments, what to expect, any concerns...so easy to talk to, so knowledgeable. Being trained in clinical pharmacy, everything made perfect sense to me. Next...the magical 2 weeks at Sitaram Ayurvedic Retreat began..with herbal hot oil massages every day, special herbal drinks for immunity boosts, meals to die for, specifically geared for each individual per their treatment regimen....and as I had dreamed of...nothing to do but rest, walk on the beach, do yoga, meditate.....( yes, they have internet..but, really,... UNPLUG..its worth it) After the retreat the journey was SEAMLESS. Salila arranged for transportation, drivers who were great guides with local information and found us AWESOME Homestays (per our request) , cozy, friendly, with fantastic food (instead of high cost hotels ) throughout the rest of the trip. Met incredible locals who treated us like friends, experienced genuine local life feeling completely safe and at ease. I would do it again in a heartbeat!!!!
  By Sonja Kaubisch, February 14, 2018
• ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  I just retired! So I wanted to treat myself to a self-love/self-care trip of the highest order. Salila came through with flying colors! Her trip she set up for us went way beyond my expectations!! The Panchakarma at Sitaram Beach Retreat was almost decadently caring with double masseuses doing my hot oil massage every day complete with a head oil massage, back massage, facial, pounding with soft cotton medicine powder pouches, and other treatments depending on what the Ayurvedic doctors prescribed. I loved loved the ‘magic box’, a hot steam box where only your head sticks out the top, and when the sweat pours down your back like a water fall, then you are done!! Transition to the cooler air was so exhilarating! I loved the peaceful introspective spiritual aspects of the panchakarma guided by Salila with questions, journals, and group gatherings. After leaving Sitaram Beach Retreat, at the ocean, where we had 17 days of self-care, wonderful food (I even lost 8 pounds!), then, per Salila’s selections and recommendations, we were next treated to a multitude of varying experiences. We next moved on to Kayal Island Retreat in the back waters where we had our own private chef, and the owner Maneesha led us on a guided walk to the local temple and town. Kayal Island Retreat was a slice of heaven, one of the best stays in the world per some travel adventurers. We had fresh coconut water upon arrival and fresh coconut ice cream that was divine. We sat looking out over the water, watching ‘Barney’ the Bat above us eating local fruit from the tree and nearly dropping it on our heads! We even had our National Geographic moment when the boatman took us out on the water to the tiny little islands with only vegetation and coconut trees, where woodpeckers had built nests in the dead trees and a huge lizard had crawled up the tree to feed on the babies/eggs in the nests. The fight was on between the birds and the lizard. The lizard won. The cycle of life before our very eyes. We also met other fishermen on the water and bought crabs from boat to boat to cook for dinner. Every meal had fish since we were surrounded by waters filled with them. We then visited the mountains where the hills are covered by tea plantations and met the tea ladies who harvest the leaves, saw the black peppercorn trees, saw how rubber was harvested from rubber trees, saw monkeys and other animals always on the road, waterfalls, a stunning view of the river from our mountain cabin, and our driver/tour guide was the best we could have hoped for, who built us a campfire, took us to the local Toddy bar (that mostly only locals know about) and introduced us to his family at his home where his wife made us a full Kerala Indian style lunch! The people were so warm and loving there! What a great place to be from! And Salila is!! Which is why her love of Kerala shows in the experiences she provided for us. We also had a city experience at a homestay in Ft. Cochin where La Linda gave us cooking classes, fed us the most amazing food, walked us to town and showed us the shops, the beach, and took care of us like we were family! She was a delightful lady with so much energy! What a wonderful memorable trip Salila! Thank you so much from our hearts to yours!! xoxo
  By Teresa M, August 02, 2017

Photos