Manaltheeram Ayurveda Beach Village

We've been here in Chowara for quite some time now. Being south of Kovalam means it's a bit quieter than the main beach area. People find us by heading through Balaramapuram. The place is right by the water, which helps with the breeze. We have several people working here who grew up nearby. Most days are spent looking after the grounds and making sure the ayurveda side of things runs okay. It’s a lot of work keeping up with the salt air because it wears things down fast. We have these small cottages and paths that wind around. Sometimes the internet is a bit spotty because of the trees and the wind, but that’s just how it is here. We aren't a big fancy hotel with glass walls; it's more about the sand and the local plants. We grow some of our own herbs for the treatments. The kitchen staff stays busy making meals that fit the diets people are on. If you walk down to the beach early in the morning, you can see the fishermen out. It’s a steady rhythm. We just try to keep the place clean and functional. The staff here knows the names of most people who stay longer than a few days. We usually have tea ready in the afternoons. The sound of the waves is pretty much the background music for everything we do. We keep the paths swept of leaves, which is a never-ending job with all these palms.