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| Boutique
Kerala – 13 nights |
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 About
this holiday:
This is a two-week tour that provides you with an opportunity
to enjoy the main highlights of Kerala – the serene backwaters,
tea-growing hills, spice plantations, national parks with elephant
herds and tigers, and palm-tree lined golden beaches –
at a leisurely pace. We have selected our favourite hotels in
Kerala, all of which are small, personal and indulgent. This
is a very special trip and we recommend traveling between December
and April. But don’t be afraid to travel outside of the
peak season either when the hotels offer some very good-value
rates.
Holiday highlights
• Wander around historic Fort Kochi
• Visit St. Francis Church, Mattancherry Palace
& medieval synagogue
• Watch a traditional Kathakali dance performance
• Explore Kerala’s serene backwaters and village
life
• Munnar’s tea-growing hills and Thekkady’s
spice plantations
• Two-night stay on exclusive Kettuvallam style houseboat
• Watch elephant herds bathing in Periyar National Park
• Relax on Kerala’s golden beaches
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Depart: Leave London
to Cochin via Colombo on Srilankan Airlines.
Day 1 & 2:
Arrive at Kochi Airport and be met by a Red Dot Tours
representative and transferred in one of our comfortable Ambassador
cars to For t Kochi, an ancient trading port since at least
Roman times that provided a safe port of call for sailors on
the main trade route from Europe to China. The journey from
the airport will take approximately one hour before you check-in
to Trinity. After resting at the hotel, dipping into the cool
courtyard swimming pool and enjoying you first taste of Kerela’s
distinctive, spicy cuisine, we suggest you wander around the
fort in the late afternoon. Walk along the fort promontory and
see the unique Chinese Fishing Nets and generally soak up the
atmosphere of the town. During the evening you may wish to watch
a Kathakali dance performance – a noisy, colourful and
spellbinding 400-year dance-drama that is usually staged outdoors
and lasts for approximately 3-4 hours. The following day, hopefully
after a refreshing night’s sleep, we will show you around
the fort, the highlights of which include Mattancherry Palace,
a gift to the Raja of Kochi back in 1557, St. Francis Church,
first built in 1510 and the resting place of Vasco de Gama,
and a magnificent synagogue dating back to 1568.
Accommodation profile: Trinity,
a small sister to The Malabar House, is situated in the heart
of Fort Kochi on a peaceful and picturesque green where adults
and children play seemingly incessant games of cricket. Trinity
is a contemporary three-bedroom boutique property developed
by the owners of The Malabar House. Designed by Soumitro Ghosh,
it is a more contemporary building with three suites clustered
around a common hall. There is an intimate pool and private
decking on the lower floor, which also includes a fascinating
boutique shop showcasing beautiful furniture, art, jewellery
and clothes.
Day 3 & 4:
Today you journey east to Munnar, the major centre
of Kerala’s tea-growing hills. The spectacular drive will
take four hours. The town itself is not particularly charming,
but the surrounding countryside is beautiful with its soaring
peaks in the distance and neatly-clipped tea estates in the
foreground. We have recommended staying at The Tea Sanctuary,
a cluster of bungalows in the tea growing country. Rest during
the afternoon after the long drive. The following morning you
have several options: laze on your veranda with a good novel;
go walking in the tea estates or hiking at the Top Station,
an idyllic spot 41km from Munnar which offers fine views over
Tamil Nadu, or in the Eraikulam National Park, a 100 sq km park
of moist evergreen forest and grassy hilltops that is home to
the Nilgiri Tahr, one of the world’s rarest goats, and
also the starting point for a climb up Anaimudi, at 2,695m the
highest peak in South India; go off-road cycling; play golf;
or visit a nearby tea factory.
Accommodation profile: The Windermere Estate is small planter's bungalow-style hotel that offers breathtaking views, spacious and comfortable rooms, attentive service and accomplished food. It is a property for peaceful contemplation, a natural hideaway for those wishing to escape the modern world for a few days. The plantation grows cardamom, pepper, tea and coffee. Recent investment has meant the construction of new rooms with thrilling views and a new restaurant for the 2005/06 season. Windermere Estate started as a small and simple three-roomed farmhouse but its success has led to the development of several more luxurious cottages in the gardens, all with scenic locations and all tasteful furnishings made from local wood.
Day 5 & 6:
Leave the hills, travelling south across dramatic ridges and
through thick forests to the spice-growing foothills of the
Western Ghats, an area dubbed Cardamom Hills after its most
important crop. Your first destination is the picturesque Periyar
National Park, the leading wildlife park in South India, which
was designated as part of Project Tiger in 1972. The lakeside
sanctuary, best explored by boat or on foot with a trekking
guide, is home to a relatively small population of game but,
encouragingly, thanks to enlightened anti-poaching policies
of the Kerala Forest Department, the game numbers are increasing
fast. The forest department have successfully co-opted the support
of the indigenous Mannan community who now conserve the reserve
in exchange for money from eco-tourism. You are likely to see
elephant grazing by the lakeside and bison, sambar, wild boar
and barking deer are also commonly spotted. But the tigers are
shy and are usually heard not seen, especially during the nights
as they prowl the jungle for their prey. |
After exploring the park we recommend
staying at Serenity, a sister hotel to The Malabar House, located
on Kannan rubber estate. Spend two nights here.
Accommodation profile: Serenity, a refurbished 1920's plantation mansion, is an exotic and peaceful getaway. The beautiful restoration of the property is entirely in keeping with its historic roots, the peach and turquoise colors blending well with the dark-wooded colonial furniture and paneling. The property is perfect for quiet relaxation and contemplation, whether lolling in the shady pool, swaying in a garden hammock or reclining on the cool verandas. The staff is disarmingly friendly and the kitchen, which prides itself on its homegrown ingredients, produces some delicious feasts.
Day 7 & 8:
From Kannan you travel south to Kumarakom, an island on the
large Lake Vembanad that is blessed with an idyllic location.
The area has attracted several exotic hotels offering backwater
and Ayurveda holidays. There is also a wonderful bird sanctuary.
We head straight for Privacy, one of Red Dot’s favourite
private retreats in Kerala for a relaxing two-night stay.
Accommodation profile: Privacy, a delightful old two-bedroom backwater villa on the shores of Lake Vembanad. Privacy is another wonderful private hideaway that has been developed by the owner of Malabar House in Fort Kochi. The stylish 2-bedroom bungalow looks out over the serene Lake Vembanad. The property is only rented to one party at a time, even if you are taking just one room. It is an ideal destination for families, although vigilance is required with children who cannot swim. A small heritage bungalow, painstakingly constructed from an ancient Kerala home, is being built at the back of the property. The bedrooms are tiled and tastefully decorated. The bungalow has an excellent chef that specializes in Indian and Mediterranean cuisine.
Day 9: Relax during the morning at Privacy and wait for the arrival of your traditional Kettuvallum houseboat (reconverted rice barges) around noon for one of the highlights of your holiday - a journey through Kuttanad country to Kollam, a land of shimmering waterways, dense tropical greenery and age-old village livelihoods so vividly described in Arundhati Roy's remarkable novel The God of Small Things. Your houseboat, fully staffed with a friendly and attentive crew, will chug slowly through canals and creeks allowing you to relax and unwind. Hours slip by easily as you gaze ashore, soaking up a myriad of views as you pass homes, farms, paddy fields, playful children, fisher folk in traditional dugouts and bathing buffaloes. See fish eagles circling for prey and wise cormorants perched on the riverbank. At 6pm the houseboat will moor up and the staff will cook a sumptuous traditional feast. Sleep contentedly in your air-conditioned cabin.
Day 10 to 13: After breakfast on the houseboat
you will soon arrive in Kollam and then travel overland to towards
Kovalum, the most popular stretch of coastline in Kerala. We
skip Kovalum's more developed areas and instead seek out Surya
Samudra, Red Dot's favourite beach hotel in Kerala, a delightful
boutique-style heritage property blessed with a prime cliff
top location above a beautiful bay. Spend four nights relaxing
at the hotel. We recommend trying out the Ayurvedya and 'wellness'
centre which will ensure you travel back home in the pink of
good health.
Accommodation profile: Surya Samudra is a delightful
boutique-style small hotel with 22 heritage cottages, all reconstructed
from 300-year-old Kerala and Tamil Nadu village homes, spread
over a 21-acre site. The large area means that all the villas
have private gardens, verandas and amazing views from the sea.
The bathrooms are open-air with sunrays cutting through the
canopy of trees overhead. The blue-green infinity pool, hewn
out of solid rock and decorated by the temple sculptures of
Malmallapuram, has a magnetic appeal but there is also an excellent
beach for swimming and sun-bathing. There is also spa offering
a wide range of Ayurvedic and wellness treatments and massages.
Day 14: Leave in good time for your flight
home. The drive to Trivandrum International Airport will take
one hour. |
| Cost: TBC |
Package price includes:
• 11 night’s BB hotel accommodation
on twin-sharing basis
• 2 night’s full-board accommodation
on houseboat
• Air-conditioned car and English-speaking
driver for transfers and tour
• Entrance fees: St. Francis Church, Mattancherry
Palace, Synagogue, Kathakali
dance performance, spice plantation tour, one guided
trek in Periyar
National Park, unlimited boat rides in Periyar |
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