Kerala, in southwestern India, played a crucial role in the ancient spice trade. On a return visit to his ancestral home, one writer finds a place both changed and eternal.

Whenever I think of Kerala, the faces of my grandmothers appear before me. These two women, centers of goodness and strength in our family, frame how I see the land of my parents' birth. I close my eyes and I'm once again seated in my maternal grandmother's kitchen, the pampered grandchild back for the holidays, watching clay pots simmer over wood fires and inhaling the aroma of roasted cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, red chilis, and pepper. It is a soothing and quintessentially Kerala daydream, because spices are at the heart of this one state that feels so different from India's other states, almost like another country.

The “Spice Coast,” as it has been known since the days of ancient Greece, is a ribbon of territory on the southwestern edge of India. Just 360 miles long and 75 miles at its widest, the state sits sandwiched between the Western Ghats — a mountain range that runs parallel to the coast — and the Arabian Sea. A wonderful alchemy of geography, temperature, rainfall, wind, and soil composition allows pepper, cloves, cardamom, and other spices to grow wild on the mountains' lower slopes. Roman soldiers brought that pepper home from the Spice Coast; later, Arab and Indian sailors made small fortunes selling the seasoning in Venice and Genoa. By the 13th and 14th centuries, the craze for spices — not only pepper but also ginger, cloves, and cinnamon — was sweeping Europe.

Astonishing medical claims fueled the frenzy, including the assertion that ginger smeared on flagging body parts could restore virility. For all that, no one in Europe seemed to consider dry-roasting and powdering the spice, then frying it with mustard seeds, shallots, and perhaps cumin, turmeric, and coriander, to make a masala, the first step in so many Indian dishes.

What made these spices so valuable was not so much their flavor as the difficulty in procuring them. The urgent desire to find their source (which the Arabs naturally kept secret) eventually brought the Portuguese, French, Dutch, and British to India. England enslaved and plundered the country for two centuries, first through the East India Company and then through crown rule. So many of the magnificent edifices of government and education in Britain were built on this loot. (Even the word loot is stolen from the Indian vernacular.)

My older brother and I were born in Ethiopia, where my parents were hired to work as teachers. Our holiday visits to their ancestral homes in Kerala felt like a return to a land that existed before time. At dusk, in the years before electricity arrived, the gentle glow of oil lamps enhanced the night. The unforgettable meals were all sourced from our family's properties and nearby streams, prepared and consumed that day. During my medical-school years in Madras (now Chennai) I visited regularly, but after my grandparents' passing and the sale of their homes, there was little reason to return. Still, over the course of the past 10 years, while I was researching and writing a novel set in Kerala, I went back multiple times. Soon after The Covenant of Water was released in May 2023, I set off on one more visit, this time to fulfill a vow.

My partner, Cari, and I landed at Kerala's southern end, in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum), and planned to travel north through the length of the state. It was Cari's third trip to India, but her first to Kerala. She grew up in Hawaii, a place whose lush green foliage, coconut palms, and beaches I find so reminiscent of Kerala.

Despite major growth and development, Thiruvananthapuram retains a sleepy, small-town feel. For centuries, maharajahs from one lineage ruled from here over “Travancore” — present-day central and southern Kerala. They worshipped at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, an awe-inspiring and beautiful shrine, making lavish offerings to the temple's deity, especially when invaders from the north threatened. In 2011, a court-ordered inventory of the temple vaults revealed hillocks of gold jewelry, precious stones, gold coins, and stone-encrusted idols weighed down with diamonds and gold chains. The value of the temple's treasures is estimated to be in the trillions of dollars.

We chose to stay two nights outside the city in Kovalam, a popular beach town, at the splendid Leela Kovalam, a Raviz Hotel. This sprawling property is perched on a cliff, with panoramic views of the ocean and a private beach below. Upon our arrival, the Leela's chef took us to the hotel' organic garden to pick produce for our thali lunch. A thali is a complete meal: rice with many small dishes, including dessert, served on a single dish or banana leaf. Ours came in a round stainless-steel tray embracing an inner circle of stainless-steel cups. These held bitter gourd in a coconut curry; red spinach and green chiles in a fiery red curry; okra fried with onions — which we had picked that morning — along with yogurt, lobster curry, fish curry, and pickle.

The second night, the chef set a table for us near the beach. The water lapped close by as he plied us with delicacies including karimeen, or pearl spot fish, a great Kerala favorite, which he prepared by marinating it in a paste of onions, chiles, and spices, then steaming it wrapped in a banana leaf.

We drove north from Kovalam to my father's hometown of Mannar, and the nearby Parumala church, a famous pilgrimage destination for the Christian community in Kerala — my community. Dad was an altar boy at Parumala; his father, who is buried there along with my grandmother, was a deacon. Legend has it that Christianity came to India in A.D. 52 with the arrival in Kerala of Saint Thomas, “Doubting Thomas” of the 12 apostles. He converted a few Brahmin families. Today that community, the Saint Thomas Christians, has grown to 6 million, though they make up just 18 percent of Kerala's population. Parumala holds the tomb of the first saint of our church, Mar Gregorios (1848-1902).

Christians from Kerala put great store in prayers to Mar Gregorios, and visiting the saint's tomb was the main reason for this trip. At one point during the 10 years I spent writing The Covenant of Water, I broke my contract with my original publisher — I felt they didn't get the story. It was a scary time, with the fate of my manuscript uncertain, and an advance to repay. I took a vow then that I'd come to this tomb if the novel ever got published. It did. Indeed, it succeeded beyond anything I could have hoped for — a miracle, as far as I was concerned. And so now, as I stood at the saint's tomb, shoulder to shoulder with Cari and so many others, all of whom had their own reasons for being there, I was overwhelmed with gratitude, and the tears welled up. I felt one with the faith of my forefathers; the spirit of my late mother, so instrumental to the genesis of my novel, was present. My prayers had been answered. My vow was fulfilled.

We drove on to Kottayam, a town in central Kerala that is the epicenter of the state's Christian community. Kottayam has many churches, some so close together that the sermon in one could serve both congregations. It is also the home of my college friend Jacob Mathew, or “Chacko,” who is part of the fourth generation of the family that has published Kerala's Manorama newspaper since 1890. The Manorama, a daily staple of my grandparents' lives, now has 17 million readers. Chacko's late mother published 27 cookbooks; it's a rare Keralan house that doesn't have at least one of them. Chacko's wife, Ammu, continues the great culinary tradition. At her table we feasted on my favorites: appam (a pancake made from rice flour) and fish curry; erechi olarthiyathu (a beef dish); and some dishes that were new to me, such as a dessert of tapioca and coconut milk crowned with tender toasted coconut.

Chacko had generously arranged — indeed insisted — on having his car and driver meet us when we arrived in Kerala and stay with us on every leg of our journey. It was a huge help. Saying our goodbyes to Chacko and Ammu, we got on the road again. From Kottayam, we headed to the backwaters, hundreds of miles of natural and man-made canals, which in the pre-automobile era were Kerala's highways, transporting goods and people across the state. Our destination was Kumarakom, a village on the shore of the vast Lake Vembanad — India's longest and South India's largest lake. Homestays, small hotels, and vast resorts hug the shore; bird-watchers come to visit the Kumarakom sanctuary nearby.

We stayed at Kumarakom Lake Resort — or “KLR” — a Paul P. John property. John, a Christian from Kerala, is best known for his single-malt premium Indian whiskey, which shocked connoisseurs by winning medals internationally and capturing a sizable world market share. I think Paul John whiskey is better than any single malt (but I won't tell my Edinburgh friends).

KLR is a “heritage” resort, at the heart of which are two large, repurposed family homes that have been transported to the property; one houses KLR's signature restaurant, the other its superb ayurvedic spa. The buildings showcase the classic features of traditional Kerala architecture: peaked roofs with exquisitely carved and decorated wooden gables; inner and outer courtyards and broad verandas; windows, doors, and wall vents designed to maximize airflow. The guest villas are miniature versions of the two larger homes. Ours had teak walls polished to a beautiful finish, heavy wooden doors with ornate locks, and cement floors painted with red oxide. Each of these villas also has a private swimming pool. The interiors felt so familiar that on my first night I dreamed about my grandparents — their house was built by a skilled carpenter, or Ashari, following ancient Vedic principles in terms of the house's position on the plot, its orientation to the sun, and the prescribed ratios for the support beams and roof timbers.

Chacko and his family keep a motorboat on Vembanad Lake, and he had made arrangements for us to get a backwater tour. The next morning, just before the sun rose, we met the boatman on the KLR jetty. Vembanad was as smooth as glass, and would have seemed endless had we kept going north. But we soon steered away from its center, toward a shore that unfolded to reveal the entrance to a broad channel. There were raised mud embankments on either side of this passage, beyond which flooded fields stretched away in the distance. These are the rice paddies of Kuttanad, where, for more than two centuries, rice has been cultivated below sea level, making use of ponds, reclaimed swamp, and lagoons and using an elaborate system of irrigation and drainage.

We were lucky to spot a toddy tapper climbing down from a tall palm tree, his tools hanging from his belt. Toddy is the sap from the palm's flowering top. Each day the tapper “taps” on the fruiting body to soften it, makes a few incisions, then inverts a clay pot to collect the sap. The next day he empties the receptacle, and repeats. We purchased his fresh toddy, which ferments at once, its taste for now sweet and tangy. By lunchtime it would have the potency of an IPA. Toddy shops abound all over Kerala, housed in nondescript shacks. They famously serve a fiery cuisine — which requires you to drink more to douse the flames.

We passed several houseboats during our excursion. These converted rice barges are air-conditioned floating suites, complete with pilot and chef. We would have loved to have spent a week on a houseboat, exploring the far reaches of the backwater, and a second week relaxing at KLR. But we didn't have enough time, and Cochin (or Kochi, its new name) beckoned.

Kochi — “The Queen of the Arabian Sea,” as it is called — is a congregation of islands where backwaters and ocean meet that, once a modern harbor was built in 1920, anchored the spice trade. Most visitors will choose, as we did, to spend their time exploring Mattancherry and Fort Cochin, neighborhoods where the city's rich history is most evident.

Negotiating the gridded streets of Fort Kochi, we arrived at Brunton Boatyard. As the name implies, this classic colonial building, with its tall arches and pillars, was once a prosperous boatyard owned by an Englishman. It has been beautifully transformed into a hotel, its hallways and walls decorated with colonial artifacts. On the broad veranda you can close your eyes and imagine the privileged life of a British expatriate as you stretch out on a teak-framed recliner, sip a gin and tonic, and let yourself be cooled by the shore breeze.

Brunton Boatyard is steps from the seawalk; from there we watched the ferries shuttling between the surrounding islands. Stalls selling fresh fish offered an education on the species that abound in the Arabian Sea: sardine, mackerel, pomfret, mullet, seer fish, prawns, and mussels. In the early mornings you might see fishermen bringing in a fresh catch, including crabs, lobster, and tuna. Our stroll brought us to the iconic “Chinese” fishing nets, cantilevered over the water by wooden beams like giant cranes; no tourist leaves Kochi without photographing these structures.

The St. Francis Church was also on our walking route. Built in 1503, it was the first European church in India. We stood alongside other tourists and stared numbly at the vault where Vasco da Gama is not buried. (He was, briefly, entombed here, but then his body was taken back to Portugal.) This Catholic church became Protestant in the Dutch era, and Anglican when the British came.

Our last stop was Mattancherry, once home to the large spice markets where traders came to bid and barter. Now this quaint part of Kochi is famous for its antiques shops, many of them selling wonderful artifacts recovered from old ancestral homes, such as doors, arches, decorative panels, and locks. Mattancherry once had a large Jewish community, but most left after the creation of Israel. The neighborhood of Jew Town remains — its label is not derogatory, but a designation given over time as more Jewish people arrived in the area. The synagogue is the main attraction. On a visit I made in 2000, a congregation of fewer than five people remained. Now the congregation is nonexistent; its members have all either died or emigrated to Israel.

Once the sun set, we were back in Fort Kochi, which now took on a different character, the returning sea breeze having brought about a revival. The foreign backpackers who had been tucked away in hotels in the side streets emerged, looking pleased, as though they might stay forever. Families came out to stroll, teens to meet friends. Kochi is host to the popular Kochi-Muziris Biennale, which began in 2012. It has had an effect on the city that lasts all year: art galleries buzz with visitors, and coffee shops and elegant restaurants light up the street. The ocean was dark and invisible, illuminated only by the lights of ferries crisscrossing between islands like fireflies.

Our time in Kerala had run out. There was so much more to see: the wildlife sanctuaries in the jungle preserves of the Western Ghats; the cities of Kozhikode (formerly Calicut) and Kananur (formerly Cannanore) farther north; visits to the estate regions of Wayanad, or Munnar, where tea and rubber are grown on mist-shrouded slopes; perhaps a stay in one of the many individual estates —properties that encompass thousands of acres — where the original planter's home has transformed itself into luxury lodge or hotel, far from the crowds of Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. We planned to come back again, next time for a longer, more leisurely stay. Cari, an anthropologist, had loved learning about the history and culture of Kerala, and meeting my friends and extended family, seeing my roots.

When Vasco da Gama landed in Kerala in 1498, he claimed he was there to bring Christian salvation to the heathens. Little did he know that Christianity had been extant there since A.D. 52. And here I was, a descendant of those first Indian Christians, returning to fulfill my vow. It felt good.

Where to Stay Kumarakom Lake Resort

This luxurious heritage resort on the shores of Lake Vembanad has a number of villas modeled after manas, the traditional homes of the region — as well as larger pavilions and even houseboats.

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At Kumarakom Lake Resort, we prioritize your health and safety above all else. We are proud to announce that we have received an excellent rating for hygiene from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). This prestigious recognition underscores our unwavering commitment to maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and sanitation across our resort.

Our meticulous efforts ensure a safe and pristine environment, emphasizing the well-being of all who visit. From gourmet dining to spa treatments, every aspect of the resort adheres to stringent hygiene protocols, providing peace of mind and a luxurious experience in a safe setting.

Kumarakom, Kerala - September 12, 2023 - Kumarakom Lake Resort, a five star heritage resort set by the backwaters of Kerala, is honoured to announce that has been decleared winner of the prestigious "Kerala's Leading Resort of 2023 award" by the renowned World Travel Awards

The World Travel Awards are globally recognized for acknowledging excellence in the travel and tourism industry, and this recognition is a testament to Kumarakom Lake Resort's commitment to providing unparalleled hospitality and an unforgettable guest experience.

Kumarakom Lake Resort has long been celebrated for its luxurious offerings, authentic Kerala cuisine, and world-class wellness facilities and this award reaffirms the resort as a destination of choice for travellers seeking luxury and relaxation in God's Own Country.

Sanjay Varma, General Manager of Kumarakom Lake Resort, expressed his gratitude, "We are truly honoured to be recognized as Kerala's Leading Resort 2023 by the World Travel Awards. This achievement reflects the dedication of our entire team in providing exceptional service and creating memorable experiences for our guests. We are committed to continuing our tradition of excellence in hospitality."

Guests who visit Kumarakom Lake Resort can expect to immerse themselves in the natural beauty of Kerala while enjoying top-tier amenities, including private pool villas, Ayurvedic treatments, and a variety of activities including houseboat cruises, sunset cruises and traditional fishing experiences as well as cultural activities that embrace Kerala's traditions and culture.

This recognition not only highlights Kumarakom Lake Resort's commitment to excellence but also reinforces Kerala's status as a premier global travel destination.

For more information about Kumarakom Lake Resort and to book your stay, please visit (www.kumarakomlakeresort.in).

Forte Kochi sits on the popular Princess Street in Fort Kochi - one of the world's oldest cosmopolitan port cities, and a melting pot of cultures from across the world, and offers a glimpse into the colonial heritage of Kerala.

Believed to be built by the Dutch, in the 1860s, the structure of Forte Kochi was once a part of the palatial home of an eminent Jewish family of Kochi. The architecture and the heritage aesthetics are a seamless blend of Portuguese, Dutch and British influences.

Now restored to its past glory, the hotel enchants visitors with glimpses of life once known and lived, centuries ago.

The 27 heritage rooms at Forte Kochi have been painstakingly restored to present every style favoured during the colonial age while ensuring every modern comfort and luxury is proffered. The choice of room categories vary from Classic, Imperial, and Sovereign. All rooms are equipped with modern and convenient amenities including a well-stocked minibar, electronic safe, organic toiletries and more, offering a fascinating fusion of the past and the contemporary.

The rooms overlook a central courtyard where, beside the swimming pool, is an ancient Mikwah, a natural spring used for Jewish rituals and the last known to exist in Kerala today - augmenting the hotel's old-world charm.

The hotel is within strolling distance of the sea, the beach and many historical buildings - including the Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, St Francis church, Vasco Da Gama Squareetc as well as antique shops, Jew street and many more attractions.

The Jetty restaurant at Forte Kochi, serves cuisines reflecting the various cultures that have influenced Kochi. Authentic local Kerala flavours, pan-Indian, pan-European, British favourites, and a signature lineup of sea food delicacies, are some of the many choices on the menu.

Forte Kochi is the third in line of luxury properties from The Paul Resorts and Hotels. The award winning five star heritage resort - Kumarakom Lake Resort in Kerala, and the luxurious, all-suite boutique hotel in Bangalore, The Paul Bangalore, are the other two properties owned by the group. Each property offers every luxury and assures impeccable service, thus creating exclusive niches for themselves in the world of hospitality.

Forte Kochi is open for bookings now. To book, visit www.fortekochi.in.

Kumarakom Lake Resort is delighted to be awarded as the Best Destination Spa in India and South Asia, by the renowned Travel + Leisure, at the India's Best Awards 2016. This achievement would not have been possible without the staunch support of our kind patrons and we take this opportunity to thank you all and to assure you that we shall continue to deliver the best of our services, ensuring the creation of experiences that lasting memories are made in.

Kumarakom Lake Resort, the luxury backwater resort of Kerala has won the State Tourism Award as the Best Five Star Hotel in Kerala, 2013-2014. The award was presented by the Honourable Chief Minister of the State, Shri. Oommen Chandy to Neelakantan D, Group General Manager and Sanjay Varma, Resident Manager of The Paul Resort & Hotels Ltd. Nestled on the serene backwaters of the Vembanad Lake, they have emerged as India's popular holiday spots boasting of numerous awards like India's Green Resort by the World Travel Awards for four consecutive years and India's Best 5 Star Category Hotel which was awarded at a ceremony held at the Vigyan Bhavan, Delhi. Winner of a multitude of awards, they have also gained International recognition. Having been voted as one of the top 500 Hotels & Resorts in the World by Travel & Leisure and also considered as one of Asia's Top 25 Resorts by Conde Nast Traveller, Kumarakom Lake Resort has definitely topped the list of Top Resorts.

Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab, holidays at Kumarakom Lake Resort

The Chief Minister of Punjab Parkash Singh Badal spent two nights on holiday at the award-winning Kumarakom Lake Resort with his daughter and son-in-law. The heritage-rich Kumarakom Lake Resort was particularly chosen because of Parkash Singh Badal's desire to experience a destination unique to Kerala and for the solitude the resort proffered, allowing him to relax and unwind at the serene backwaters of Kumarakom.

He and his daughter and son-in-law resided at the exclusive and luxurious Presidential Suites with Private Pool set on the banks of the Vembanad lake and bedecked with elaborate traditional, authentic mural arts and exquisite antiques.

The Chief Minister took a walk across the lawns of the resort every morning and enjoyed his meals at the Ettukettu, multi-cuisine restaurant. He tried the local Kerala cuisine and especially relished the Naadan Kozhi curry (chicken curry) with Kerala's famed appams and Kerala porottas. In the evenings he and his family would relax at the lawns and have local tea and coffee with popular Kerala snacks at the resort's tea shop, Thattukada.

Taking a special interest in Kerala's heritage and architecture, he had been greatly impressed by the centuries old mansion in which the Ettukettu restaurant is housed. The Chief Minister also enjoyed a relaxing Ayurveda massage at the resorts Ayurveda center, the Ayurmana and later commented that he had one of the most relaxing holidays ever in the outwardly ambience of Kumarakom Lake Resort.

Through his stay he expressed great interest in Kerala's agriculture and fisheries.Wishing to see a different feature of Kerala, the Chief Minister visited Munnar on his way from Kumarakom and before returning home.

Honoured as India's Leading Resort several times by the renowned World Travel Awards, and recently awarded as India's Best Hotel in the 5 Star Category, Kumarakom Lake Resort, ensures that your stay is a remarkable one.

The Royal Highnesses, Charles Prince of Wales, and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, chose to spend the 65th birthday of Prince Charles at Kumarakom Lake Resort. After a day spent traversing through the traditional and renowned spots of Kochi, the royal couple set off to unwind at the serene backwaters of Kumarakom.

The heritage-rich Kumarakom Lake Resort was particularly chosen for this special occasion primarily because of Prince Charles' love of traditional architecture and his desire to experience a destination unique to Kerala. Thirty cottages had been booked for the couple and their entourage, and the royal couple stayed at the regal Presidential Suite with Private Pool of the resort.

Set by the banks of the lake, this exclusive suite is bedecked with elaborate traditional woodwork, authentic mural arts and exquisite antiques. A definition of Kerala's rich architectural brilliance and with a private view of the lake, the suite also has a private infinity swimming pool right on the lake. Of all the features of the Presidential Suite with Private Pool, the Prince admired, in particular, the rustic yet luxurious open-air bathroom!

The Duchess was high in praise as well and commented her rating for the resort was a 10 on 10.

Kumarakom Lake Resort was chosen for the solitude it proffered as the Prince wished to have a quiet and private stay. The royal couple spent an evening swimming in the resort's unique 250-meter long meandering swimming pool on which the Prince commented, "A brilliant idea, replicating the concept of the backwaters!"

On the morning of the 14th, Prince Charles kindly conceded to cut a birthday cake, especially made for him with portraits of the Prince and the Duchess atop it. This special occasion was shared by the Chairman of Kumarakom Lake Resort, Paul P John, his wife, Sneha Paul, the resort's Director Operations, Shelley Thayil and Chefs Deepak Sundaram and Chandrapradeep. The Prince then requested that the cake be given to the children of an orphanage.

"It's an honor to have the Royal family with us and every arrangement had been done to ensure they have a memorable stay with us," said Paul P John the Chairman and Managing Director of Kumarakom Lake Resort.

The Chief Minister of Kerala, Sri Oommen Chandy and the Chief Secretary also arrived at the resort on the 14th to wish the Prince and a gift was presented to the Prince by the Chief Minister.

The royal couple used the opportunity at the resort to relax, unwind and enjoy the scenic magnificence of Kerala's rich natural beauty after their hectic itinerary across India. Honoured as India's Leading Resort several times and awarded the title of India's leading Green Resort by the renowned World Travel Awards, the whole experience for the royal couple at Kumarakom Lake Resort, was an enthralling one.

Kumarakom Lake Resort bags India's Leading Resort title for the fourth time! Kumarakom Lake Resort has been declared India's Leading Resort, for the fourth time at the World Travel Awards ceremony hosted in Singapore on Thursday 18th October 2012.

The World Travel Awards is a prestigious event with trophies awarded in over 1000 different categories, making it perhaps the most comprehensive award ceremony in the world. The event was held at InterContinental Singapore, which was held in partnership with Singapore Tourism Board and TravelRave 2012, Asia's most influential travel trade festival.

A heritage luxury resort, Kumarakom Lake Resort is in the tiny island hamlet of Kumarakom, an area famous for its unique ecosystem. Set by the banks of the immense Lake Vembanad, Kumarakom Lake Resort has carefully recreated a bygone era by its timeless shores. Fifty-nine heritage villas and luxury rooms echo the grandeur of the past; being constructed using bits and parts of traditional Kerala homesteads, some dating back to over 2 centuries. Its Ayurveda spa, Ayurmana, is a green leaf certified spa housed in a 200 year old nalukettu and its multicuisine restaurant, is actually a palatial Ettukettu commissioned by the King Marthanda Varma.

Luxury has been given special emphasis all through the resort, as is obvious through two if its newest offerings - the Heritage villas with Private Pool, which offer a personal pool and Jacuzzi attached to each villa, enclosed in its own private courtyard for maximum seclusion. The Luxury Pavilion Rooms, tucked away amidst lush greenery offer an ambience that is at once cosy and imposing.

Being the winner of India's Leading Resort, 2006, 2007 and 2008, Kumarakom Lake Resort is no stranger to accolades. It has also won awards for architectural excellence and the Wall Street Journal once famously remarked it as the place for a holiday pamper.

The World Travel Awards were conceived in 1993 to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in the world's travel and tourism industry. Now in their fourteenth year, travel professionals and discerning travelers have come to regard the World Travel Awards as the very best endorsement that a travel product could hope to receive. These Awards are especially coveted as, uniquely, the votes are cast globally by fellow professionals.

Kumarakom Lake Resort on list of 500 best hotels in the world. The renowned New York based travel magazine, Travel + Leisure has adjudged Kumarakom Lake Resort as one of the best hotels in the world for 2010.

In a compilation that declares the world's top hotels from across all regions, Kumarakom Lake Resort is the only property from Kerala to be featured on the list which includes 14 Indian properties in all. The list, an annual feature published by the magazine since 1995, is based on reader votes.

Kumarakom Lake Resort is a luxury heritage hideaway set by the famed backwaters of Kerala. A part of the unique ecosystem that thrives by the historic Lake Vembanad, Kumarakom Lake Resort is especially noted for its efforts in preserving a slice of history. The retreat's 59 luxury rooms and heritage villas have been assembled from age-old tenets of traditional architecture. Restoring several ancient homesteads in its originality, every part of the resort resonates with Kerala's ancient architecture. The resort's multi-cuisine restaurant, the Ettukettu, an eight sided mansion that once belonged to Kerala's nobility, had been dismantled from its original location and restored at the resort in all it's magnificence. The Ayurvedic Centre, Ayurmana, is of a similar vintage and was once the home of a family of Ayurveda practitioners. Vembanad, the seafood restaurant and bar is set on the sunset side of the resort, facing the lake's pristine waters. But what sets the resort apart is the touch of luxury spread across its entirety.

Travel + Leisure singles out the traditional details like “wooden gables, carved doors, massive brass locks” for praise as well as the “spicy curries” and recommends the resort's “Heritage lake-view villas with private pools”

As Travel + Leisure states, hotels are often the keys to a destination and Kumarakom Lake Resort undoubtedly embodies traditional Kerala in all its glory.

Launched in 1937, Travel + Leisure is published across the globe and is a leading travel magazine in America, Australia, South and Southeast Asia.

Kumarakom Lake Resort in Asia's top 25 resorts!

Kumarakom Lake Resort continues to make waves with travel enthusiasts. In the Conde Nast Reader Choice Awards 2008, it has been adjudged one of Asia's top 25 resorts. One of the most respected travel publications worldwide, Conde Nast Traveller's annual readers poll is highly anticipated and respected.

Kumarakom Lake Resort is the only Kerala resort to feature in the list, which includes premium properties in Bali, Maldives, Phuket, Chiang Mai and a handful of select names from Indian hospitality. The listed resorts are rated on Activities/Facilities, Food/Dining, Location, Overall Design, Rooms and Service.

A heritage luxury retreat set by the shores of the Lake Vembanad, Kumarakom Lake Resort showcases both the heritage and the natural beauty of the land in a harmonious manner. Ancient homesteads have been transplanted from all across Kerala to create the fifty-nine heritage villas and luxury rooms in the serene retreat.

Luxury has been given special emphasis all through the resort, as is obvious through two if its newest offerings - the Heritage Villas with Private Pool, which offer a personal plunge pool and Jacuzzi attached to each villa, enclosed in its own private courtyard for maximum seclusion. The Luxury Pavilion Rooms, tucked away amidst lush greenery offer an ambience that is at once cozy and imposing.

The Meandering Pool Villas arrayed by the banks of a 250 mtr long meandering pool, are a blend of heritage with luxury within while the luxurious Presidential Suites with Private Pool, each with its own private pool and a very personal view of the lake offer travelers the opportunity to be pampered beyond expectations.

The resort adheres to traditional, heritage aesthetics throughout its fifteen acres. The resort's main, multicuisine restaurant for instance, is a 200 year old 'Ettukettu' or 8 sided mansion. The Ayurveda centre, Ayurmana, is a four-sided mansion that once belonged to a noted family of Ayurvedic practitioners. Its seafood restaurant and bar, is stunningly positioned by the waterfront to make the most of each sunset.

Kumarakom Lake Resort is no stranger to awards, being the winner of the World Travel Award for India's Leading Resort 3 years in a row (2006, 2007 and 2008). The Conde Nast honour is especially significant as it is voted for by highly discerning end users - the travellers themselves.

PR & Communications,
Kumarakom North Post - Kottayam.
686 563, Kerala, India.
Tel: +91 481 2524900.
Web: www.pauljohnhotels.com
Email Address: [email protected]

Kumarakom Lake Resort wins India's Leading Resort third year in a row!

For the third year in a row, Kumarakom Lake Resort has been declared India's Leading Resort at the World Travel Awards 2008. At a glittering ceremony held on June 19th 2008 at Shanghai, China, the heritage luxury resort was handed out this accolade.

Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards is a prestigious event with trophies awarded in 919 different categories, making it the most comprehensive travel award ceremony in the world and the fifteenth year of the event was attended by over hundreds of travel professionals, VIPs, celebrities and media from countries across the region. Miss World, Chinese Zi Lin Zhang, was the Guest of Honour, presenting some of the key awards while TV presenter Varun Sharma of BBC World was the host for the evening.

A heritage 5 star luxury resort, Kumarakom Lake Resort is in the tiny island hamlet of Kumarakom, renowned the world over for its unique ecosystem. Set by the banks of Kerala's famed backwaters, Kumarakom Lake Resort has carefully recreated a bygone era by its timeless shores. Fifty-nine heritage villas and rooms echo the grandeur of yesteryear, being constructed using bits and parts of traditional Kerala homesteads, some dating back over 2 centuries. Its Ayurveda spa, Ayurmana, is a green leaf certified spa housed in a 200 year old nalukettu and its multicuisine restaurant, is actually a palatial Ettukettu of equal antiquity.

Luxury has been given special emphasis all through the resort, as is obvious through two if its newest offerings - the Heritage villas with Private Pool, which offer a personal pool and Jacuzzi attached to each villa, enclosed in its own private courtyard. The Luxury Pavilion Rooms, tucked away amidst lush greenery offer an ambience that is at once cozy yet infinitely striking.

Anointed as 'the place for a holiday pamper' by the Wall Street Journal, Kumarakom Lake Resort is no stranger to accolades. Besides being the winner of 'India's Leading Resort, 2006' and 2007 it has also won awards for architectural excellence.

The World Travel Awards were conceived to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in the world's travel and tourism industry. Travel professionals and discerning travelers have come to regard the World Travel Awards as the very best endorsement that a travel product could hope to receive. These Awards are especially coveted as, uniquely, the votes are cast globally by fellow professionals.

Kumarakom Lake Resort adds new feather to its cap: adjudged India's Leading Green Hotel

Apart from having wrested the World Travel Award for India's Leading Resort three years in a row, the resort has now emerged triumphant in the awards for Green Hotels as well.

At the first ever Green Edition of the World Travel Awards, a separate ceremony held in the eco-tourist destination of Poprad in Slovakia, the heritage-luxury resort triumphed over competition, that included some of India's finest hospitality names, to win the title of India's Leading Green Resort.

The resort has already won the honor of being India's Leading Resort in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The World Travel Awards is a prestigious event with trophies awarded in over 1000 different categories, making it perhaps the most comprehensive award ceremony in the world.

A heritage luxury resort, Kumarakom Lake Resort is in the tiny island hamlet of Kumarakom, an area famous for its unique ecosystem. Set by the banks of the immense Lake Vembanad, Kumarakom Lake Resort has carefully recreated a bygone era by its timeless shores while focusing on preserving the environment and maintaining the ecological balance. Fifty-nine heritage villas and luxury rooms echo the grandeur of the past, being constructed using bits and parts of the traditional Kerala homesteads, some dating back 2 centuries. Its Ayurveda spa, Ayurmana, is a green leaf certified spa housed in a 200 year old nalukettu and its multicuisine restaurant, is actually a palatial Ettukettu of equal antiquity.

Luxury has been given special emphasis all through the resort, as is obvious through two if its newest offerings - the Heritage Villas with Private Pool, which offer a personal plunge pool and Jacuzzi attached to each villa, enclosed in its own private courtyard for maximum seclusion. The Luxury Pavilion Rooms, tucked away amidst lush greenery offer an ambience that is at once cozy and imposing.

Kumarakom Lake Resort, famously referred to by the Wall Street Journal as 'the place for a holiday pamper' is no stranger to accolades. It has been nominated earlier for the World Travel Awards and has also won awards for architectural excellence.

PR & Communications,
Kumarakom North Post - Kottayam.
686 563, Kerala, India.
Tel: +91 481 2524900.
Web: www.pauljohnhotels.com
Email Address: [email protected]

Kumarakom Lake Resort once again declared 'India's Leading Resort'

In a glittering ceremony conducted on Nov 2nd, 2007, Kumarakom Lake Resort defended its status as India's Leading Resort by taking home the trophy for the second year running at the World Travel Awards 2007.

The World Travel Awards is perhaps the travel industry's most coveted event with awards rewarded in over 1000 different categories, making it the most comprehensive award ceremony in the world. And Friday's ceremony was even more special as it was the first time India hosted the event that gave away the awards for Asia, Australasia and the Indian Ocean. The event was held at the Leela Palace Kempinski in Bangalore and was attended by over 200 travel professionals, VIPs, celebrities and media from 16 countries across the region.

A heritage luxury resort, Kumarakom Lake Resort is in the tiny island hamlet of Kumarakom, an area famous for its unique ecosystem. Set by the banks of the immense Lake Vembanad, Kumarakom Lake Resort has carefully recreated a bygone era by its timeless shores. Fifty-nine heritage villas and rooms echo the grandeur of the past, being constructed using bits and parts of the traditional Kerala homesteads, some dating back 2 centuries. Its Ayurveda spa, Ayurmana, is a green leaf certified spa housed in a 200 year old nalukettu and its multicuisine restaurant, is actually a palatial Ettukettu of equal antiquity.

Luxury has been given special emphasis all through the resort, as is obvious through two if its newest offerings - the Heritage villas with Private Pool, which offer a personal pool and Jacuzzi attached to each villa, enclosed in its own private courtyard for maximum seclusion. The Luxury Pavilion Rooms, tucked away amidst lush greenery offer an ambience that is at once cosy and imposing.

Kumarakom Lake Resort is no stranger to accolades. It has been nominated earlier for the World Travel Awards, besides being the winner of 'India's Leading Resort, 2006'. It has also won awards for architectural excellence and the Wall Street Journal had once famously referred to it as 'the place for a holiday pamper'.

The World Travel Awards were conceived in 1993 to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in the world's travel and tourism industry. Now in their fourteenth year, travel professionals and discerning travelers have come to regard the World Travel Awards as the very best endorsement that a travel product could hope to receive. These Awards are especially coveted as, uniquely, the votes are cast by fellow professionals and travel industry insiders from across the globe.

Kumarakom Lake Resort once again declared 'India's Leading Resort'

Kumarakom Lake Resort declared India's Leading Resort 2006

The heritage retreat, Kumarakom Lake Resort has been declared 'India's Leading Resort' at the prestigious World Travel Awards 2006. This was announced at a Gala Award Ceremony held on September 20th, 2006, at the beautiful Turks & Caicos Islands.

A premium heritage retreat that caters primarily to the world's most discerning travellers, Kumarakom Lake Resort rests by the backwaters of Kerala's famous Lake Vembanad. The Resort is in the tiny hamlet of Kumarakom, made famous by National Geographic Traveler as 'one of the ten paradises on earth' and renowned for its unique eco-system.

The resort attempts to create a perfect union between heritage, luxury and natural beauty. To this end, scores of traditional mansions each over a hundred years old were purchased from all over Kerala and were dismantled from their original locations and reassembled at the resort, to create its fifty-one heritage luxury villas. Guests can opt to stay either in the Heritage Villas, the Meandering Pool Villas or the Presidential Suites with Private Pool. The Meandering Pool Villas are positioned by the banks of a 250-metre-long pool that snakes through the eastern part of the resort, almost down to the waterfront. Each villa door opens out into the pool! The two Presidential Suites with Private Pool are extremely exclusive, plum on the banks of the lake and each has it's own private pool.

The Ayurveda spa, Ayurmana is housed in a 200-year-old abode, incidentally, that of the Chathamangalathu Mana, who were famed practitioners of this ancient healing science. Ayurmana is overseen by two of Kerala's finest Ayurvedic doctors and their team of skilled masseurs.

The main restaurant of Kumarakom Lake Resort, the Ettukettu, resides in heritage splendor. Formerly the home of the King's martial arts guru and built under the commission of the King Marthanda Varma himself, the impressive abode is a fine example of the palatial 8-sided ettukettus unique to Kerala, and had been dismantled from its original location and reassembled in all its glory at the resort. Today, under the aegis of a fine team of chefs, it serves delicious multicuisine fare.

Not surprisingly, accolades have been heaped on the Resort, which is now in its sixth year. Thrice in a row it has been nominated for the World Travel Awards and has now emerged the winner, taking over the mantle from some of India's well-known holiday names. This has been possible because of the dedicated efforts of the team at this resort, who strive to ensure that guests take home excellent memories of their stay here. It is their efforts that create an ambience that is a perfect combination of luxury, history and nature.

A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and claimed by the Wall Street Journal as the 'place for a holiday pamper' Kumarakom Lake Resort also pronounced as 'one of the top 5 resorts in India' has garnered the Asian Architectural Excellence Awards as well.

The World Travel Awards is undoubtedly the most eagerly awaited annual event in the hospitality world and is exclusive in the fact that winners in each category are decided by votes from tens of thousands of travel industry insiders from across the globe. This is the 13th edition of the World Travel Awards and there was fierce competition in each category.

General Release on Kumarakom Lake Resort

Kumarakom Lake Resort has been nominated for the World Travel Awards 2005 as one among the top seven Leading Spa Resorts in India. The announcement was done in ITB Berlin on 12th March 2005. The award function will be hosted at the Royal Opera House in London on Sunday 13th November 2005 in conjunction with World Travel Market (WTM).

Kumarakom Lake Resort (KLR) is the only nomination from South India.

Graham Cooke, President, World Travel awards commented: “As the largest exhibition in the Travel Calendar, ITB is the perfect platform to announce the highly appreciated World Travel Awards 2005 nominees, and to be nominated for a World Travel Award is a true testament of a company's tremendous achievement in Travel and Tourism".

Kumarakom Lake Resort is a luxury retreat situated on the banks of the Vembanad Lake in Central Kerala. One of the best luxury boutique resorts in the State, it offers guests a first-hand experience of God's Own Country's rich heritage and natural beauty.

Ranked among the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Kumarakom Lake Resort is the one of its kind in the entire South India. Incredible India has rated Kumarakom Lake Resort as one among the best five resorts in India.

India's Leading Resort, Kumarakom Lake Resort, once again has the distinction of being nominated for the World Travel Awards. This time, in three categories, including one which pits it against the top resorts of the world.

This idyllic resort set by the banks of the immense Lake Vembanad in Kerala, has already been awarded the title of India's Leading Resort by the World Travel Awards in 2006. This year it has been nominated again in the same category, as well as two others - India's Leading Spa Resort and World's Leading Green Resort. The World Travel Awards are widely held to be the Oscars of the Hospitality industry. Among the criteria that World Travel Award winners have to fulfill are scope of distribution, convenience, and overall best services. The Green categories have been newly introduced for this, the 14th edition of the World Travel Awards.

Kumarakom Lake Resort is no stranger to awards, having in the seven years of its existence won numerous accolades and nominations. Recently, SATTE, South Asia's biggest B2B Tourism and Travel expo conferred on the resort, the award for “Best New Product”. 15 countries participated in the expo, held at New Delhi from April 19th-22nd. A premium business forum for all segments of the Travel and Tourism industry, SATTE has set international standards in South Asia as a tourism exhibition. It promotes inbound, outbound, domestic, and regional tourism. SATTE is also a member of ITTFA, the International Travel Trade Fairs Association.

No less a publication than the Wall Street Journal has sung the praises of Kumarakom Lake Resort, calling it 'a place for a holiday pamper'. Kumarakom Lake Resort has fifty-one luxury heritage villas that have been created by using parts and pieces of centuries-old heritage homesteads. Even doorways in the Resort have their own unique history. Add to it an Ayurveda spa that belonged for 200 years to a family of Ayurvedic physicians and a restaurant that was once the abode of a famous martial arts maven - both transplanted here in their entirety - and the experience becomes more fairy-tale like.

Recently, the resort, which is renowned precisely for this unique mix of luxury, heritage and natural beauty, announced a special summer package. The package offers a free stay of one more night with buffet breakfast to all who book a stay of two nights' at the resort. The scheme is valid for their Heritage Garden View Villas, Heritage Lake View Villas, Meandering Pool Villas and Heritage Villas with Private Pool and the offer is open till Sept.30th 2007.

"Greetings from Kumarakom Lake Resort!!!"

It gives us immense pleasure to introduce 'Kumarakom Lake Resort', a five star deluxe heritage resort, proclaimed to be “one of the most romantic resorts of the world"!

Aesthetically developed on the serene banks of the Vembanad Lake, Kumarakom Lake Resort, in one of India's renowned holiday spots, the southern state, Kerala, has been bestowed the much acclaimed Heritage Resort status. Hailed by the Wall Street Journal as 'the place for a holiday pamper', it has also been declared by 'Incredible India', a leading and respected travel publication, as one of the five best resorts in India! The resort also has the distinction of being nominated several times over at the World Travel Awards at ITB, Berlin and for the Asian Architectural Excellence Awards as well, and is now privileged to have the opportunity to participate in the upcoming prestigious Arabian Travel Mart as well.

Kumarakom Lake Resort, a member of the elite Small Luxury Hotels of the World, is spread over 25 acres of lush land and has been exquisitely landscaped, with 51 luxurious double and twin-bedded, centrally air-conditioned, traditional and ethnic cottages with all modern amenities.

Twenty-two plush villas take in the breathtaking view of the luminous lake or the magnificently landscaped garden while twenty-six enchanting pool villas, including duplex villas, border the immense meandering pool. The two Presidential Suites with Private Pool epitomize pure luxury, each in its own royal seclusion, with its own pool and very own view of the lake.

The grandeur of the 200-year-old Ettukkettu restaurant bespeaks the delicacies it serves, while the Vembanad seafood restaurant banks on the wonders of each glorious sunset.

The healing touch of Ayurveda can be experienced at the Ayurmana, the resort's famed and internationally acknowledged Ayurveda spa.

In an environment that clears the mind and lifts the spirit, we provide comprehensive personal and business services with our AC Conference Hall that has a seating capacity of more than 85 persons and which is well furbished with state-of-the-art communications systems and presentation facilities and we constantly strive to provide a personal service that attends your every need without intruding on your privacy.

Kumarakom Lake Resort prides itself on being a vivid reflection of the true hospitable culture of Kerala. Staying in ethnic aristocratic cottages, surrounded by the captivating lull of the lake, enjoying the pristine beauty of the overflowing green landscape, savoring mouthwatering traditional delicacies, undergoing rejuvenation treatments at our "Ayurmana", are just some of the luxuries enjoyed by our elite holiday seekers, experiencing the creation of lasting memories made in, perhaps, the only paradise on earth...

And Kumarakom Lake Resort has now announced the rare opportunity to experience the beauty of Kumarakom with its special summer offer of an exclusive holiday package that provides an extra night free for guests who book two nights. In effect, book two nights and get the third night free!

This offer is valid from May 1st 2006 to September 30th, 2006 and bookings will be accepted with immediate effect.

Do feel free to contact us at 0481 2524900 or +971 52527 9925 for any further information or clarification that you may require, or visit our website at www.Kumarakomlakeresort.in.

The three time winner of the prestigious World Travel Awards as India's Leading Resort, Kumarakom Lake Resort, presents discerning tourists from all parts of the globe a fabulous offering for the coming months to experience and enjoy the famed beauty of Kumarakom, Kerala. This offer, termed Exotic Escapes, offers a third night absolutely free stay for those who book two nights at this heritage luxury resort and is valid from May 1st to August 31st 2009.

The offer extends across the resort's fifty-nine heritage villas and luxury rooms. The Luxury Pavilion Rooms, tucked away amidst lush greenery and the Meandering Pool Villas settled on each twist and turn of the resort's massive meandering pool can be availed at Rs. 12,000 per night. The plush and traditionally styled Heritage Villas with Private Pools and the Heritage Lake View Villa with Private Pool are priced at Rs.16,000 and Rs.17,000 per night respectively. The imposing Presidential Suites with Private Pool nestled right on the banks of the lake with luxuriously spacious interiors and private inifinity pools are available at Rs.40,000 per night. The rates are on double occupancy and include breakfast, sunset cruises, cultural programs and evening tea/coffee with snacks. Taxes are extra.

Set by the banks of the immense Lake Vembanad, Kumarakom Lake Resort has carefully recreated a bygone era by its timeless shores. Its Ayurveda spa, the Ayurmana, is a green leaf certified spa housed in a 200 year old nalukettu and offers an exhaustive menu of treatments and massages while the multicuisine restaurant resides in a palatial Ettukettu of equal antiquity. Its fifty-nine heritage villas and luxury rooms echo the grandeur of the past, being constructed using bits and parts of traditional Kerala homesteads, some dating back 2 centuries.

Enjoy an exotic escape to perhaps the only paradise on earth!!

For further details please call +91 8069 111111 or visit our website at www.pauljohnhotels.com

Kumarakom Lake Resort has announced an exclusive offer for the coming summer. Holidayers can now book two nights at the resort and get to stay a third night, absolutely free at the award winning resort nestled on the banks of the famed backwaters of Kumarakom, a picturesque little isle in Kerala.

The offer is open on the resort's Luxury Pavilion Rooms at Rs.12,000/- per night, Meandering Pool Villas at Rs. Rs.13,000/- per night, Meandering Pool Duplex Villas at Rs.15,000 per night, Heritage Villas with Private Pool at Rs.16,000/- and Presidential Suites with Private Pool at Rs.40,000/- per night. The offer is inclusive of stay and buffet breakfast for two as well as cultural programs, sunset cruises, health club facilities, transfers and lots more!

Winner of the acclaimed World Travel Award as India's Leading Resort two years in a row (2006 & 2007), Kumarakom Lake Resort offers a unique combination of scenic beauty, age-old heritage and refined luxury. Named Vintage Summer in tribute to the retreat's heritage roots, the offer kicks off from May 1st 2008 and will run till August 30th 2008. The quaint villas are fashioned out of parts and pieces of ancestral homesteads sourced from the length and breadth of Kerala. And some of the villas are set along the banks of a unique 250 m long meandering pool.

New additions to the resort include the Luxury Pavilion Rooms and the Heritage Villas with Private Pool. The Luxury Pavilion Rooms are a cluster of eight rooms, offering sumptuous luxury and heritage aesthetics, while the Heritage Villas with Private Pool are an inspired creation, where each villa has its own plunge pool and Jacuzzi enclosed in a private courtyard.

The resort is also renowned for its Ayurvedic centre, housed in a 200 year old mana or ancestral home. Its muticuisine restaurant is also an age-old homestead and its lakeside seafood specialty bar makes the most of the stupendous view.

Moreover, the resort has also added a special early bird offer to its Vintage Summer offer. Make your bookings for the Vintage Summer offer before April 30th 2008 and avail an exclusive further discount of 15%. Kumarakom Lake Resort invites you to enjoy a memorable summer this year! For further details, please contact +91 481 2524900.

This summer let the calm of cool waters refresh you as Kumarakom Lake Resort, the leading heritage resort in India, offers you exquisite, exclusive delights this year. So regale in the tales of tradition, laze by the backwaters, float in the meandering pool. And relish the special summer surprises...

On booking for two nights, enjoy a third night's stay free of cost. This offer is open on Heritage Garden View Villas at the rate of Rs.8, 500/- per night, Meandering Pool Villas at Rs.9, 500/- per night, Heritage Lake View Villas at Rs.10, 500/- per night, and Heritage Villas with Private Pool at Rs.11, 500/- per night. The package is inclusive of stay and buffet breakfast for two, and is valid from May 1st to August 31st, 2007. Taxes are extra as applicable.

Renowned as the winner of the World Travel Awards 2006 - 2007 as India's Leading Resort, Kumarakom Lake Resort has often been referred to as one of India's top 5 resorts.

A fine blend of luxury, nature and heritage, Kumarakon Lake Resort has 51 villas that have been created from original historic homes with several of its structures including its main restaurant and Ayurveda spa, being the actual relocation of authentic, ancient homes transplanted from their original locations across Kerala and re-assembled back to their actual form with utmost care at the resort. The meandering pool villas here are the finest in Asia and never fail to offer a cool summer respite. The resort's multi-cuisine restaurant Ettukettu, offers mouthwatering delicacies of popular cuisines the world over. The waterfront bar and seafood restaurant Vembanad specializes in the finest of seafood cuisine served against the backdrop of each glorious sunset, and the distinctive Kerala experience of Thattukada, providing Kerala food in true Kerala ambience, are a gourmet's delight. Kumarakon Lake Resort is a Green Leaf practitioner of Ayurveda, and with its expert team of doctors and masseuse at the Ayurmana and assures true relief and rejuvenation in its extensive spa menu. With innumerable other activities to choose from, Kumarakom Lake Resort also ensures the comforts of wire-free Internet, modern conference facilities, indoor games, water sports, sunset cruises and cultural entertainment at dinner.

The Cochin International Airport is the nearest at 80kms from Kumarakom Lake Resort, while the nearest railway station at Kottayam is a mere 20 minute drive from the resort. For reservations call : +91 8069 111111.

Kumarakom Lake Resort is a luxury retreat situated on the banks of the Vembanad Lake in Central Kerala. One of the best luxury boutique resorts in India, it offers guests a first-hand experience of God's Own Country, it's rich heritage and natural beauty

Kumarakom Lake Resort is a luxury retreat situated on the banks of the Vembanad Lake in Central Kerala. One of the best luxury boutique resorts in India, it offers guests a first-hand experience of God's Own Country, it's rich heritage and natural beauty.

A member of the very exclusive Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Kumarakom Lake Resort is the only SLH property in South India. 'Incredible India', a reputed travel and trade publication, has rated Kumarakom Lake Resort as one among the best five resorts in India. Kumarakom Lake resort also holds a nomination status for the Asian Architectural Excellence awards.

Acclaimed by the National Geographic Traveller as one of the 10 paradises of the world, Kumarakom is an ornithologists' delight. Criss-crossed by natural canals and surrounded by the Vembanad Lake, it plays host to migratory birds from around the world.

Accommodation options at the Resort include Heritage Villas (lake or garden facing), Meandering Pool Villas (single or duplex) and Presidential Suites with Private Pool. The dwellings are a careful reconstruction of the traditional homes or manas of Kerala. Many of them, transplanted from their original locations across Kerala and painstakingly reassembled. The restaurant, for instance, is an actual ettukettu (traditional Kerala homestead), which has been dismantled and resurrected.

The Meandering Pool Villas offer a totally unique experience for the guests. Each villa opens out into a pool that connects all the villas together.

Each room in the Presidential Suite with Private Pool has its own private pool. All aspects of the room, from traditional locks on the front doors to paintings that adorn the walls, are used to illustrate the vibrant ethos of Kerala.

The Resort offers a wide variety of cuisines. The multi-cuisine restaurant, Ettukettu, offers the guest the very best in Indian and Continental cuisine. Vembanad, the restaurant and bar by the waterfront, specialises in seafood cooked in traditional Kerala style. Thattukada offers typical Kerala snacks and tea.

The Ayurveda Spa at Kumarakom Lake Resort is a Green Leaf practitioner of Ayurveda, as certified by Government of Kerala. It is housed in the dwelling of the famous Chathamangalathu Mana, another of the historic homes to be transplanted to the resort.

The Resort offers a host of modern facilities as well as Internet, conference facilities and indoor games. Special pottery lessons and cultural, yoga and meditation sessions are also arranged.

Kumarakom is an year round destination blessed with a pleasant climate. The breeze wafting from the lake, however, makes it equitable throughout the year. The nearest airport is the Cochin International Airport, 80 kms away.

We have been privileged to be featured as one of the best hotels in India in the prestigious NDTV travel programme, The Best Hotels Show. The episode devoted to Kumarakom Lake Resort had been telecast on the 1st of January 2006 with repeat telecasts on the 3rd and 4th of January 2006. We are truly grateful for all the support!

Pure and simple
Sampling India's ayurveda spa treatments By KAREN MAZURKEWICH
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL November 4, 2005

When Ossie Ravid's plane touched down in Cochin, she checked into her guest house and then headed straight out to a nearby spa. "I always like to get a massage wherever I go," says the well-traveled 34-year-old lawyer from Chicago. Ms. Ravid, who has experienced hot-mud treatments in Israel and therapeutic European spas in Hungary, was eager to try out India's 5,000-year-old medicinal therapy called ayurveda. The experience wasn't quite what she imagined. At a small retreat, Ms. Ravid was told to strip naked and lie across a hard wooden table while oil was rubbed along the length of her body. "I'm not prudish, but I think most people would be uncomfortable," she says. "The whole time you're thinking, 'Hmm, is this supposed to be happening?' " The spa industry is forever in search of the exotic. Riding on the success in the 1990s of luxury-spa destinations in beachside havens like Bali and Phuket, the spice region of southern India is rapidly becoming a playground for those seeking traditional treatments -- without the New Age music and aromatherapy massage. Many retreats in the southern state of Kerala offer no-fuss therapy based on the ancient holistic medical practice of ayurveda, which combines diet, yoga, herbs and medicated oil massage to promote health, prevent disease, cure ailments and even stimulate weight loss. In the past 10 years, more than 30 resorts offering ayurvedic treatments have opened up along this strip on India's southwest coast. With this in mind, Weekend Journal set out to sample some of the more high profile retreats in central and southern Kerala. While the sunny state of Kerala has been on the domestic tourist map for more than a century, the area has been attracting overseas visitors in the past few years. In 2004, the number of international tourists coming to Kerala rose 17% to more than 345,500 from a year earlier, according to the state's tourism authority. The area is a big draw for Indian hoteliers such as the Indian Hotels Co., which operates the Taj hotels and completed its seventh resort in Kerala last year. "There's a great demand for places where people can unwind," says Paul John, an American textile exporter-turned-hotelier who opened the 50-room Kumarakom Lake Resort, an ayurvedic spa retreat, three years ago Today, elements of ayurveda have been massaged to suit overseas visitors. While tiny traditional ayurvedic clinics still dot the roadsides, the restored colonial homes and rubber plantations bought by the new hoteliers feature top-notch chefs, plunge pools, and spa amenities such as fluffy towels and slippers. While the majority of tourists come from the U.S., the United Kingdom and Germany, the area also is drawing a specialized segment: expatriate Indians. "Indians who go outside to work a few years and are exposed to new ideas now recognize the natural forms of treatments back home," says Mr. John. Sacred Indian texts known as the Vedas hold the secrets of ayurvedic medicine. According to the Veda scriptures, all aspects of life are combinations of five energy elements -- space, air, fire, water and earth. Each individual's makeup is determined by the proportions of these elements flowing through the body and chakras, or energy points. According to ayurvedic doctors, a person can be categorized into three basic body constitutions, or doshas. When these elements are out of order, illness can occur. While the authenticity of the experience -- vigorous massage, pungent oils, and diets based on body types -- turns off some tourists, the clinical approach is attracting others. "It isn't tarted up like it is in the U.S.," says Laurie Hitchcock, a 46-year-old physician from Monroe, Washington, who recently spent three days at Kumarakom Lake Resort trying out different therapies. Not only was she impressed with the amount of training ayurvedic doctors must undertake -- more than four years studying anatomy and physiology -- Ms. Hitchcock says she was pleased to hear the physicians referring to treatments based on long-term lifestyle and medical methods to manage disease, instead of fast fixes. It isn't treatment for the timid. Nor should it be seen as a quick cure-all. "A lot of people come with a lot of expectations that we can cure problems in a short period of time," says K. B. Sandhya, an ayurvedic doctor at the Kumarakom Lake Resort. "We can give relief and improve health, but it takes time." Most practitioners recommend a stay of 14 to 28 days. A two-week treatment can bring some relief, as Abdul Rahman Puthur of Dubai discovered recently. Suffering from jaundice due to a liver problem, Mr. Rahman, 49, says his body was so weak after a protracted illness that he could only walk 10 minutes before collapsing. "I felt soft like cotton," says Mr. Rahman, who works as a manager for the private affairs bureau of Sheikh Hamad Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi of the United Arab Emirates. But after 15 days in the care of Dr. Sandhya, where Mr. Rahman was prescribed daily massages, a yoga routine and a special diet, he was able to take one-hour hikes. "I felt rejuvenated and my tiredness and muscle pain disappeared," he says. Kumarakom Lake Resort

Kumarakom North; Kottayam, Kerala

Tel: 91-481-252-4900; Web: www.Kumarakomlakeresort.in

This is the place for a holiday pamper. Situated along the banks of Vembanad Lake, the Kumarakom Lake Resort is modern luxury. The resort's airy Ayurmana spa was built with comfort in mind, including clean treatment rooms and piles of fluffy towels. The spa menu is one of the most comprehensive of the resorts sampled -- 14 different treatments to try. My favorite: the Pizhichil, a light massage that features a continuous stream of medicated oil covering the entire body. A male and female doctor and 10 therapists are on hand. This makes bookings easier and more flexible than other centers. At lunch, the buffet table was scrumptious and the chef goes mad with ice cream flavors such as nutmeg and cardamom.

Selected as the 'Best Exclusive Leisure product' In TTF- Bangalore The Luxuries heritage resort on the backwaters of Kerala 'Kumarakom Lake Resort' has been awarded for the Most Exclusive Leisure Product by the 40th TTF and OTM that recently concluded in Bangalore.

Qatar Dy. prime minister H.E Abdulla Bin Hamad Al Attiyah shares a joke during his private vis it to Kumarakom Lake Resort on 8-1-2004

On the fifth rank aesthetically developed and exquisitely landscaped Kumarakom Lake Resort