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An idyll by the backwaters

USP: A great place to welcome the monsoon

After a wobbly ride through the dark green backwaters, we come into a wide open space with traditional Kerala style architecture under the violet skies. The group with me slowly takes in the breathtaking beauty of the Radisson Plaza Resort and Spa by Phoenix Group Global at Kumarakom.

Coconut and palm trees sway in the wind, the artificial lagoon gently laps and yonder, houseboats bob up and down on Lake Vembanad’s grey waves. Women in Onam saris, with a decorated elephant in tow, welcome us to the accompaniment of drumbeats. We pause to feed the elephant a banana before entering the cool, high-ceilinged lobby. The décor is contemporary chic with miniature Keralite temples on the floor and a Kettuvallam (houseboat) as the reception desk.

I get a glimpse of the bright, indoor-outdoor 24-hour restaurant The Lime Tree, and the independent cottages and villas that dot the periphery of the 18-acre property. A golf buggy zooms in and whisks the guests to the rooms, avoiding young kids riding bicycles on the paths. In my lagoon-view twin cottage, I open the curtains and open the doors to take in the balmy air and view the placid lagoon. The bathroom beckons with its bathtub and bay window, leading to a small open shower in an enclosed space outside.

I emerge for the buffet lunch at The Lime Tree and dig into some Malayalee culinary delights: appams, avial, stew, parotas, boiled rice and fish curry. I sit back to chat enjoy the meal.

The next day, on a bright, sunny morning, after a relaxing Ayurvedic massage at the Maya Spa leaves me gleaming like an oil-slick seal, we go for a boat ride on Lake Vembanad and enjoy an afternoon by the backwaters. The evening descends on Kumarakom in a riot of colours and it’s time to watch some fancy Kalaripayattu moves at the stone amphitheatre, Natya, facing the lagoon. Before you know it, the idyll is over. As we leave the skies open up to deluge us with the monsoon rains.

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