Also published here
First of all, those who tell you not to head to Kerala in
the monsoons, should be bound and gagged and thrown into the Periyar river!
Kerala has been on our list ever since my husband and I got
engaged, but it never happened, mostly because of our own apprehensions. And
now, 8 years later, we finally took the plunge – and I have absolutely no
regrets.
I went on my Kerala vacation in the first week of June –
against the wishes of all my, um, well-wishers! And I’m glad I did, because it
was so worth every penny! I mean, what’s not to like? The lush green
surroundings, the cool off-season discounts or the clean, sandy beaches? It’s a
win-win all the way, I promise you! I swear I haven’t had a more relaxing
holiday in ages! And that’s saying a lot, considering I had a 3 year old for
company.
Our itinerary consisted of 4 places – Marari Beach,
Thekkady, Munnar and Kumarakom – in that order. Be sure to plan ahead, because
it really helps in getting great deals on awesome properties. We stayed at CGH
Earth resorts in three places and we LOVED each of them! At Munnar, I highly
recommend the Spice Tree Resort, because it really is one of a kind. And we had
a room with a great view (See pic below) with a valley on one side and a pool
at the other.
Starting off, Marari beach is about 2.5 hours from Kochi
airport. Here I should probably mention, that we pre-booked a taxi for the trip
from www.kottayamtaxi.com, and had a
good experience overall with a clean A/C car and a decent driver, and well
within the budget. Suggest you negotiate the rate before you book. Anyway, the Marari Beach Resort is truly
exceptional – but there’s not much to do around, except laze around on the resort.
They have a few complimentary in-house programs that you can indulge in, which
was the case at all CGH properties. It is on the beach, but since the sea was
choppy, swimming was prohibited. Lounging in the hammocks, though was equally
rejuvenating, and my kiddo got to make her sand castles in any case! Two nights
was more than enough here.
Next stop, Spice
Village Resort at Thekkady, a 5 hour drive from Marari. There aren’t any
great rest stops on the way, but the drive is beautiful. Thekkady is a hill
station and is famous for the Periyar Tiger Reserve, which luckily was 15
minutes away from our property. The resort is decent, though smaller than the
one at Marari. Similar hut-style cottages, no TV (as was the case in all CGH
properties, because, duh, who needs TV on a holiday), and very hospitable
staff. Thekkady is more for adventure lovers, and the night trek by KTDC gives
a great adrenaline rush. There are similar day treks available too. The Elephant
ride is something kids would enjoy, and of course, don’t miss a tour of the
spice plantations. We also opted for the Periyar river boat ride – a ride on a
ferry around the forests of Periyar - which was decent, but we did spot a leopard
cub, so I have no complaints! There are morning as well as afternoon timings,
but the booking for this needs to be done 1.5 hours in advance. Not a minute
later, not a minute sooner! We learnt that the hard way!
After our 2 nights here, we headed to Munnar, a 4 hour hilly
drive. The weather was comfortably cool, with slight rain showers now and
again. The Spice Tree Resort, isn’t
actually in Munnar, its about 20-25 kms before the town. And while the approach
road may not be what you expected (nail-bitingly narrow and winding), the
resort itself is breathtakingly beautiful. The 300 BC café serves a delectable
range of teas and cookies on the house, and you can sip your cuppa while
enjoying the view. They have two pools – none of them indoor and none of them
heated, but that didn’t stop us, or our wild, pool-loving toddler from jumping
in! As for sightseeing, there’s not much, and the hotel offers in-house
activities like a trek around the property, towel origami for kids and tea tasting
at the cafe. They also have a spa, where we opted for the traditional massage,
which was good, but not awesome. We also visited the Lockhardt tea factory,
which was the only thing we did outside the resort.
Next, we headed to the Coconut Lagoon at Kumarakom,
after a 5 hour drive (again, no great rest stops). We did get a few
thundershowers on the way, but it didn’t dampen our spirit, pun intended!
Another CGH property, this one was pure bliss. It is situated right at the end
of the backwaters, and we were picked up from the dock by their boat, a ride
which all 3 of us enjoyed. Our cottage, room 104, had a beautiful view of the
entire lagoon. I must mention that the staff was exceptionally accommodating,
and the chef at the restaurant made it his personal mission to impress our
fussy daughter with his culinary skills! This resort, like its sister
properties, has complimentary in-house activities like classical dance
performances, bird watching, yoga and a must-do sunset boat ride. The latter
you need to book in advance, and it is definitely worth it. We were so glad to
have concluded our sojourn at Kumarakom as it was the best place to feel
completely at peace, and so much closer to God – a perfect end to a perfect
holiday!