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TIME OUT

Verdant vistas

PHOTO: SOMA BASU

LUSH LANDSCAPE Breathe in the goodness of Nature

This property faces one of the most spectacular parts of the Vembanad Lake. The 30-acre resort is dazzlingly beautiful, with blue waterscapes and green landscapes.

Located on the coconut corridor, in the heart of the Kuttanad region known for its backwaters and granary, the place is soul-stirring.

Sitting pretty in the midst of vast old botanical treasures and emerald paddy fields, the resort’s 27 cottages face the frontage of the scenic backwaters that open into the Arabian sea.

I had a bit of adventure in locating the property not realising that only a boat could take me to the place. I drove on a three-km stretch of the narrowest path that I have ever let my car wheels on. On a track meant for two-wheelers perhaps, I somehow managed scratching and screeching through a stretch of trees, before hopping on to a private boat for a 10-minute ride.

I was welcomed with sweet tender coconut water by Bimal Mathews, who runs the resort with his wife. “I am always here with my guests, keeping an eye on everything. Guests mistake me as one of the employees and are surprised when I tell them I am the owner. But this strengthens the bond. Most of them call me after reaching their homes and even return for the next holiday,” he says as we walk on the pebbled path that criss-crosses the well-manicured landscape around the cottages.

Small wooden benches and thatched huts with traditional lanterns add to the ethnic touch. The place is a perfect mix of the heritage of a bygone era and modern elegance.

The best thing to do here is to do nothing. The rooms and all the spaces around are high on comfort and convenience. The food is a tasty mix of traditional Kerala, South Indian, North Indian, Chinese and Continental, given the influx of foreign tourists, mostly from France, Denmark, London and the U.S., from October to February.

Many items are also made to guests’ requests at “Ootusala”, the multi-cuisine restaurant. “I try to give an authentic taste of Kerala to all those who come to this traditional Christian home of my grandmother,” says Bimal. “I hold no degree in management. I was more interested in acting and scripting, and have lots of friends in Mollywood. But I realised that this beautiful property was going waste and took this decision,” he says.

I was in no mood to leave this haven and hoped to return soon.

SOMA BASU Getting there The resort is on the banks of Pampa and has multiple entry points on the National Waterway from Alleppey to Quilon. It is 90 km from Kochi airport.

Deluxe Rs.1500, Elegant Rs.2000, Royal Rs.2,500 plus taxes. Meals extra.

How to get there

Things to do

Go canoeing in country boats or go house and motorboat cruising.

Swim or go fishing with the local fisherman in the lake right at your doorstep.

Play basketball, table tennis or carrom.

Trek through paddy fields and backwater villages or watch Siberian migratory birds, kingfishers, flocks of ducklings and other water birds.

Enjoy cultural evenings or the campfire.

Enjoy a massage.

Catch up on your reading.

Do yoga or meditate.

Or, simply eat and sleep as the the gentle breeze from the lake and the swaying palms caress you.

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