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A tranquil holiday

Enjoy an old fashioned Christmas at Tranquil in Wayanad

HOME AWAY FROM HOME `Tranquil' was selected as the `best home stay' in Kerala in 2005 by the State Tourism Department

Nestled deep within an old, private 400-acre coffee, vanilla and spice plantation in the remote and lush rainforests of Wayanad is `Tranquil,' a plantation hideaway - exquisitely picturesque and serene.

The brainchild of Victor and Ranjini Dey, `Tranquil' was selected as the `best home stay' in Kerala in 2005 by the Kerala State Department of Tourism, Kerala State and the resort also found place in The Tattler Travel Guide as one of the best 101 hotels worldwide.

Eight well-furnished and comfortable rooms (including two large suites and a luxury tree house) are named after spices found in the State.

Time to celebrate

It's Christmas time and as the Year draws to an end its celebration time once again at Tranquil. The traditional Christmas tree is decorated with holly and other ornaments. The decorations are heirlooms.

Even the table napkins and settings have shades of red, ochre and green to enhance the effect and tables are decorated with candles, cypress, pine cones and so on. "We also have a crib on the verandah at the entrance to the main house," says Victor. And while there is no Santa Claus, Victor and Jini, as Renjini is called, place gifts under the Christmas tree for the guests who have their children with them.

"For Christmas, as we have always done, we serve a special Christmas lunch and a candlelight dinner with traditional western Christmas fare, including roast turkey with stuffing, glazed ham, mince pies, Christmas cake... Lights are dimmed to a mellow glow when the Christmas pudding with brandy sauce is flambéed and brought out of Jini's kitchen. On Christmas eve, we have carol singing round the bonfire.

Immediately after the Christmas festivities, Tranquil gets ready to welcome the New Year. Says Victor, "New Year's Eve is celebrated outdoors, around a bonfire. We have a barbeque and invariably one of the guest plays the guitar or the piano and all of us accompany him. Just after midnight we have grand fireworks in the adjoining coffee yard. Dancing and singing continue into the wee hours. The lights are switched off at midnight and all the guests sing `Auld lang syne.' After this we go down to the coffee yard for the fireworks display." Gini, who personally supervises her kitchen, is particularly active during Christmas and New Year's celebrations to ensure that the guests get the best and remember Tranquil with fond memories long after they have left.

Christmas, the season of giving and joy, is truly a unique experience at Tranquil.

DEVAYANI MEDHEKAR

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