Sri Lanka -

'm lying stark naked, covered only by a strategically-placed towel. A bowl of warm oil slowly drips over my forehead. I'm prone on a slanted stone bed on the front porch of a simple single-storey house – for all to see. I'm perspiring and feeling very greasy. I want to get up, wash the stuff off, but I can't. I'm undergoing an Ayurvedic treatment, in the simmering Sri Lankan heat.

Soon the young assistant will bathe my entire body from head to foot with specially brewed oils. Cloistered in the hot, stuffy room, I convince myself this is good for me. Not exactly a 'Banyan Tree' experience. But nobody said it was going to be that way. This is Sri Lanka and Ayurveda.

Don't expect air-conditioning, or even ceiling fans, at the Ayurvedic centres in up-market hotels and resorts across the tourist frequented parts of Sri Lanka. Pretty maidens in co-ordinated uniforms and genial smiles will be as close as you get to the popular notion of a spa.

Sri Lanka's resorts are cashing in on the reappearance of foreign tourists, with all their health hang ups, by offering Ayurvedic programmes based on a 4,000 year-old method of healing, as well as the obligatory pool and gym. The resorts are at a decent standard, but some treatment centres have not quite attained the sought after level of sophistication. Most try to create a rustic ambience, recreating the atmosphere of an Ayurvedic hospital of old. But fake mud-coloured walls aside; the treatments are true and authentic, complete with qualified Ayurvedic doctor.

The Ayurveda focus is two-fold – curative and preventive. The idea is to cleanse the body both externally and internally and to rid it of toxins by special diets and herbal decoctions. Ideally, you should take a full programme that can last anything from three days to three weeks, depending on time and budget. This includes the relevant daily Ayurvedic treatments prescribed by a qualified doctor, as well as the appropriate diet. Some resorts also conduct yoga and meditation classes to complement the programme.

The procedures are pretty standard at any Ayurvedic centre. A chat with the physician for a diagnosis of your general well-being begins the visit. Your blood pressure is checked, and the customary finger on the pulse for any telling signs of ailments or imbalances. Expect to be grilled with a series of odd questions: Do you walk fast or slow? What time of day are you most energetic? Do you crave sweet or salty foods? Are you quick-tempered?

This line of questioning may seem peculiar to the uninformed, but it is essential for the proper diagnosis of your specific dosha, or body constitution. In Ayurvedic philosophy, it is believed that each individual is made up of one of the three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha) or a combination of them. Each dosha has specific characteristics. A vata person has dry skin and hair, hates the cold, walks and talks fast, and loves travelling. A pitta person on the other hand has a strong appetite, a pointed nose and tapering chin, soft oily skin and hair, and does not like deep-fried food. Kapha people have large body frames and a soft, pleasing look and gentle, calm nature.

It is believed that these doshas govern the biological and psychological processes of our body, mind and consciousness, including our emotions. Not only would an imbalance of the doshas mean disease and illness, they can also give rise to negative emotions such as anger, fear and greed.

Establishing your specific dosha is crucial prior to any Ayurvedic programme because it determines the types of herbs and oils necessary to restore your balance. Depending on the length of stay, your programme could include body and head massages, herbal and steam baths, facials or even an eye treatment. Once the physician has determined the appropriate course, instructions are given to uniformed assistants who carry them out. The doctor will also inform the kitchen of your special dietary requirements to complement your specific dosha.

At some health centres, physicians and their assistants can only speak a smattering of English, just enough to get by. If this is worrisome, I recommend a large dose of trust and a sense of humour before starting a prolonged programme.

A sense of adventure comes in handy too, for some of the traditional Ayurvedic contraptions used. The steam bath for example, requires you to lie over a platform with holes, in a coffin-like structure. Your head sticks out of the wooden box while the rest of your body is trapped under the cover. Steam from the special herbal concoction below fills the box. It is said that the steam is good for weight-loss.

But working toward perfect Ayurvedic health is not a 24-hour commitment. You can still escape after the day's treatment session to take in the culture, history, and beaches of Sri Lanka. There is sure to be somewhere worth visiting nearby, and if not that close, the excellent network of roads across the island make it easy to reach further flung tourist spots.

The west and southern coasts have wonderful sandy white beaches, and the west coast is also laden with history. Make a trip to Galle, once a major city, which seems to be still living its history thanks to well-planned preservation and development. The Portuguese, the Dutch and finally the British used it as a major port until the harbour in Colombo was built in the late 19th century. Galle Fort, built in 1663 by the Dutch, still stands and is now a World Heritage Site.

The ancient city of Anuradhapura is Sir Lanka's first capital dating back to the year four BC. This is also where the sacred Bo Tree stands, "the oldest historically authenticated tree in the world, tended by an uninterrupted succession of guardians for over 2,000 years". Polonnaruwa is the younger city, by 700 years, and has a better-preserved set of ruins and Buddhist statues.

Sigiriya Rock is a stunning outcrop rising 200 metres from the surrounding plain. High on the rocky plinth there once sat a majestic palace that housed 3,000 servants and one king, whose engineers somehow managed to pump water all the way up there. The palace grounds below the rock include water fountains, rock gardens, and murals of topless maidens.

Just an hour's drive away from Colombo, the temperature dips as you climb up to the hill country. Kandy is Sri Lanka's second largest city and home to the Temple of the Tooth, Dalada Maligawa. It is highly unlikely that you will see Buddha's tooth, but the temple itself is beautiful.

If you have a last minute to spare, carry on up to Nuwara Eliya, sitting pretty at 1,889 metres. On your drive up, you'll see rows upon rows of tea bushes lining the road, with tea pickers hard at work. The British turned the town into a model English retreat, with post office, racetrack and an imposing Hill Club, where the tea planters and colonial officers used to practice their own form of treatment for stress and physical ailments, large pink gins on the terrace. If your partner has remembered to bring a jacket and tie, and promises not to tell your Ayurvedic doctor, you could try this other not so ancient remedy yourself.