Ayurveda alongside your other medicines
Why we ask for a full list, why you should never stop prescribed medicines and how our doctors plan around them.
Staying in Thiruvananthapuram for a programme
Where to stay near Vazhuthacaud, how to get around and what to do with free afternoons between therapies.
About half the guests at Thanal come from outside Thiruvananthapuram, from Kochi, Bengaluru, Chennai or further away, and stay in the city for a week or two. Mornings are spent with us; afternoons are free. Here is what our regular visitors suggest.
Stay close. Vazhuthacaud is a quiet residential area near the centre, and there are several family-run guesthouses and serviced apartments within a kilometre of the clinic. Choose one with a kitchen or a small dining room that will cook plain food, because the doctor may ask you to eat simply for the whole programme. Expect to pay between ₹1,800 and ₹4,000 a night.
Getting around is easy. Auto-rickshaws are everywhere, and the airport and Thiruvananthapuram Central station are both about 20 minutes away by road. We send directions and a map on WhatsApp when you book.
Keep afternoons gentle. The doctor will usually advise against long drives, strong sun, swimming and cold drinks during therapy days. Good options are a slow walk in the Napier Museum gardens or the zoo grounds, which are shaded and green, a visit to the old streets around East Fort and the Padmanabhaswamy temple area in the early evening, or simply resting with a book. Kovalam and Shanghumugham beaches are lovely, but save sea bathing for after the programme. Bring cotton clothes you do not mind staining with oil, an umbrella for the rain at any season and slippers that are easy to slip off at the therapy room door.
