SLOW HOLIDAYS

The increasing speed of modern life is one of those clichés that is unfortunately all too true. Our grandparents ambled, our parents strolled, we scurry around like wired up ants. The creed of speed was succinctly summed up a few years ago in the slogan promoting Blackberry: ‘Anything worth doing is worth doing quickly’. While speed is often sold as being synonymous with efficiency, in fact the opposite is more likely to be the case. Slow thinking often comes up with better decisions and attention is far more powerful when it is focussed than when it is scattered. The popular myth of multi-tasking has been exposed as a hype that gets several jobs done badly rather than one done well. We are living in the Age of Interruption, and it is not a good way to live as it erodes human values which require attentio0n, patience and understanding rather than just speed.  'There is more to life than increasing its speed' as Mahatma Gandhi once said..

But now the worm is beginning to turn  - slowly of course!. We are beginning to realise that whereas speed is good at destroying things, genuine creation takes time. In this the great artists are the shock troops of the slow -  they force us to stop, stare and contemplate. That is slow food for the spirit. Slow Food for the body started in Rome in 1989, now the movement that promotes local cuisines, traditional gastronomy and natural food production has over 100,000 member organisations in over 150 countries. At an individual level, stress-reduction is increasingly the name of the game. Neeleshwar Hermitage is joining this nourishing trend by offering Slow Holidays, with a special emphasis on families. Traditionally, many people have travelled India in package tours covering a lot of ground, which is fine for adults but not so great for kids.  Nowadays, the chance to slow things down when you travel could be exactly what you and your family need. This way you have the benefit of beautiful and unusual surroundings, with all the new experiences that implies, with none of the hassle of being on the move. At The Hermitage you will join the resident family who are there to nurture you in an attentive yet unobtrusive way. If adults wish to have some time for themselves, our staff will be more than happy to look after the kids.

Hermitage Slow Holidays are full of simple pleasures – walking on the best beach in India, swimming together, enjoying human rather than just electronic contact, cycling, a lazy cruise on the luxurious Lotus houseboat, interesting conversations in the course of unhurried, delicious meals. All these and more are part of what we offer here. In a nutshell: the benefits of the slow life. 

• Yoga classes for kids and adults

• Massage and stress-busting health treatments in our Ayurvedic spa 

• Cooking lessons with our expert chefs

• Beautiful, spacious rooms

• Relaxing by the infinity pool

• A serene garden atmosphere if you have to do some work