Watch the sunset from a houseboat, check managed to strike off two must-do's on her recent trip to Kerala

Watch the sunset from a houseboat, check

managed to strike off two must-do's on her recent trip to Kerala

A lakeside “village” in Kerala with traditional homesteads interspaced with canals meandering around the green landscape and small wooden bridges interlinking the sprawling lawns. That’s what struck me as I entered the Kumarakom Lake Resort, located on a tiny island, 16km west off the bustling town of Kottayam, near Kochi. The ethnic touch, with ancient Kerala-style architecture, prevails on the 25-acre property nestled on the banks of Vembanad lake. Some building structures, in fact, have been transported in their entirety from villages to the resort. As I reached the Heritage Lakeview villa, the first thing that caught my eye was the traditional brass latch fixed on the heavy wooden door. And as we entered the villa, what stood out amid the wood-panelled walls, was a large colourful mural created with vegetable dye depicting Lord Shiva and Parvati’s wedding. After admiring the authentic latticed roof and heritage furniture, I was pleasantly surprised with the bathroom, which was open-air with a private plunge pool. It was a blend of the bygone era with amenities of the modern world. I had two agendas to fulfill on this trip: watch the sun set on a houseboat cruise in the backwaters and indulge in an ayurvedic massage. My husband and I set sail on the hyacinth-covered lake at noon on the kettuvallam (traditional houseboat) with two skippers and cook. The kettuvallams are made from locally-sourced materials such as wood and bamboo, and held together by coir ropes, without a single nail. As the engine chugged along, we soaked in the sights — stretches of paddy fields on tiny islands fringed with coconut and mango trees, women washing clothes, men fishing with Chinese nets, and children excitedly waving at us. Finally, I got my first wish fulfilled. I watched the sun set as I sipped my coffee on the deck. By the time the stars were out, we reached the shores for a candlelight dinner on the open deck at the Vembanad Seafood Bar & Restaurant. We decided to indulge in the local cuisine — scampi cooked in exotic Kerala spices, pearl spot fish braised in banana leaves with coconut milk and local vegetables, also cooked in banana leaves with coconut milk. For the main course we had a north Kerala specialty, Malabari Konju biryani, which uses small grain rice. Each course was accompanied by a glass of the delicious in-house wine. The next morning, it was time for my rejuvenation massage at the Ayurmana. As we entered the premises, the aromas of scented oils put us at ease. After the traditional lighting of the lamp and offering of prayers, my two female masseuses started with the head massage with brahmi oil. Then they slathered various kinds of oils all over my body and did a synchronised rub-down, easing out all the knots. An hour later, I was refreshed and rejuvenated. After spending the afternoon fishing by the canal outside our room, we strolled over to the thattukada (tea shop) in the lawns for the evening tea. I watched with rapt attention as the chaiwallah poured tea from about 3ft, without spilling, as classic Malayali film songs played on an old radio. In spite of it being a short trip, I was happy to strike off some must-dos when in “God’s own country”.