Ever wondered how it would be to sit on a veranda by the sea and watch waves crash on the shore? Or stay a hop-skip-jump away from your own private beach? I did. So, when I had the chance to visit Prema Cottage, I was thrilled.
It isn’t just a sea-facing cottage with an infinity pool a few yards away; there’s also a fresh water lagoon between the sea and the pool. The Neeleshwar Hermitage in Kerala, where the cottage is located, is a tropical destination set in a secluded palm grove beside the Arabian Sea.
As the car pulled into the driveway, I wondered where the sea was. The 10-acre property fans out like a massive parachute, and a well-manicured route led to my cottage. The expansive room, with a Jacuzzi and a private swimming pool awaited me.
Inside the room, the clutter-free look allows a lot of movement, and the interiors have a calming effect. The best part: the view from the bed is that of the sea.
Fishing enthusiasts can try their hand at angling in the fresh water lagoon. Or you can sit by the beach, have a spa experience and an appointment with a naturopath who will counsel you on your diet, depending on the body type as explained in Ayurveda. The property also arranges cycle rides for tourists to visit nearby villages.
After an hour-long massage and a warm bath, a dip in the infinity pool with a drink and food of your choice is a great way to end the day.
Besides the luxury hermitage cottage, The Lotus Boat — an elegant and stylish houseboat — takes us on a cruise through the languid backwaters of Malabar, covering about 25 km of the Valiyaparamba backwaters, a large inland lake several miles east of the hermitage.
The cruise begins at the Lotus Point, a small jetty situated on the banks of the Tejaswini River that joins the backwaters after a long, slow descent from the tea and coffee plantations of the Coorg Hills. The houseboat has two rooms: Sukhima (Happiness) and Lalima (Beauty).
A tapping sound on the boats attracts our attention. “The fishermen use vibrations to attract the fishes,” the captain tells us. The nearby fish-landing point attracts flocks of sea-birds that wheel and dip over the arrival of each fresh catch. If you love bird-watching, then some of the birds that can be spotted are black snake-necked cormorants, white great egrets, orange-breasted kingfishers and the brahminy kite.
As the verdant islands appear ahead of us, we approach Valiyaparamba village, a long strip of land between the backwaters and the open sea. Colourful houses peep through the dense fringe of coconut palms that line the waterfront. The village’s main source of income is producing coir fibre from coconut husks that are used to make twine, mats and mattress stuffing.
Once done with a tour of the production units, a cup of tea on the sun-deck is a perfect way to enjoy the silence. As evening approaches, the fishing boats go silent and the gentle lapping of the waves and fresh air are all that remain.
(The writer was in Kerala at the invitation of the ABChapri Group)
