| Favoured by Bharti Vyas, the holistic beauty therapist and queen of Ayurveda whose clients are said to include Cherie Blair, Mariah Carey and Cher, the Somatheeram Ayurvedic Beach Resort (00 91 471 226 8101; www.somatheeram.com) is the place if you fancy a bargain spa break. Vyas brings a party of clients here each winter, who pay £2,00 each for a 10-day retreat. Book direct, however, and you can stay for just £40 per night for a two-person Mini Cottage (rising to £150 for the Sidharta Palace); treatments start from £2. The 50-room resort occupies a 15-acre site on the Malabar coast, and the nearest airport is Trivandrum, to which the best-value route is usually on Qatar Airways (020 7896 3636; www.qatarairways.com), via Doha. |