The last thing I needed after working ridiculously long hours, six days in a row, was to catch a flight to anywhere. But I made it to the airport, not bright, but certainly early, to fly to Bangalore. I had successfully managed to avoid relaxation via massages all my life. The notion seemed to involve lots of oil, minor violence and just general discomfort.
I thought I’d go to Soukya and face my massage phobia. I came away in a blissful daze. At Soukya, they were just slightly amused that I had never had a massage. “The hot stone therapy and a session of reflexology should suit you,” said the in-house doctor. And they suited me just fine.
The setting is perfect. It manages to be spare and luxurious at the same time. Set in a 30-acre organic farm, Soukya grows a lot of its own fruits and vegetables. The food is vegetarian; drinking and smoking isn’t allowed; the rooms have telephones but no TVs (they have one in the common sitting area) and cell phones aren’t allowed in the therapy areas. They offer relaxation and wellness packages as well therapeutic packages for weight loss, smoking cessation etc.
Tariff: Single deluxe rooms go for Rs 11,900; doubles for Rs 8,900 and the suites for Rs 32,175. The seven-day wellness packages range from Rs 8,850 to Rs 20,540 Location: Soukya Road, Samethanahalli, Whitefield, Bangalore. Contact: www.soukya.com; 080/794 5001-4 or 080-797 0441.