Kerala
India is a treat to the senses, not an assault. We were surrounded by colour from tea plantations to festival, fishing boats to ornate tuktuks and trucks. There was shouting and traffic noise, then stillness and quiet in the rice boat. Kerala was my first taste if India, and I’ll be back. I’ve always loved Indian food, and the real deal didn’t disappoint. I ate local food three meals a day, but all the chefs everywhere were more than happy to adapt their cooking for those with more sensitive palates!
My itinerary:
2 nights at Brunton Boatyard in Kerala, sunset cruise and dinner at Malabar House.
2 nights at the Spice Village Periyar, dinner at Shalimar Spice Garden. Hike and boat trip in Periyar National Park, visit to a spice plantation.
1 night Coconut Lagoon, Kumarkom, lunch and afternoon cruise on a rice boat (usually overnight cruise). 1 night Marari Beach Resort Resort.
In addition to the hotels above, I visited many more so that I really got a feel for the options that travellers have:
Periyar, The Cardamom Club was in a really secret location, out of town you really felt as if you were in the jungle, almost feeling as if you were in a tree house – beautiful food, friendly service and the pool should be completed later this year.
Periyar, Lake Palace was a small hotel in a special place, only accessible by boat. If you are lucky in the evenings the elephants will come to the waters’ edge to drink.
Marari Beach, A Beach Symphony – of all the places we visited, this is top of my list to return to: It is run by a chef form Belgium, and he has a couple of other properties in the area. The cottages are perfect for couples, families or small groups. Each day the chef will chat with you about your food choices – relax, recharge and soak up Kerala. I’d love to chat to you more about my trip, just get in touch!
Top tip –If the locals stare at you, smile and say ‘hello’ – it’s such a friendly place.
