THAPOVAN HERITAGE HOME
NELLIKUNNU, MULLOOR (THIRUVANANTHAPURAM DISTRICT)
USP: Romance nature here
If you have forgotten what it is like to stand and stare, then book your tickets to this resort in the sun. Right from rooms that are designed on the lines of traditional Kerala architecture to the food and the hospitality, everything spells ‘leisure’ with a capital ‘L’.
The narrow road that leads to Thapovan Heritage Home does not even offer a glimpse of the sea. But, as the imposing gates open, the panoramic view of the sea, the sky and the profusion of greenery greet the eye. Perched on an elevation, the resort is built on an incline that dramatically slopes down to the sea. The sun and the sea orchestrate a visual symphony that keeps changing every hour and it gets better as the shadows lengthen. As the sun sets, fishing boats play hide and seek at a distance even as dark scudding clouds hold the promise of rain. The softly lit-up open-air restaurant is the place to watch the horizon as the sun sinks into the sea and the stars light up the sky.
Owned and managed by Indophile Andreas Heitmann, a German banker who decided to make his home in Thiruvananthapuram, the resort was designed by him with the help of a local architect and a landscaper. It is the place to unwind and laze around with a book. Although there is no air-conditioning in any of the rooms, the sea breeze and the architecture ensure that the place remains cool even on sultry summer evenings. The tastefully done-up rooms are clean, spacious and airy and open into landscaped patches of green. A profusion of flowering plants completes the old-world look.
Thapovan has 32 rooms and an Ayurveda centre. Spread across six acres that is split into two properties, the resort’s open-air restaurant, indoor dining area, the wooden cottages, a couple of rooms and a small hall that is used to host cultural programmes are located on the slope. The restaurant serves Kerala cuisine as well as Chinese and Continental dishes.
The Ayurveda centre is a short walk away. Ayurveda doctors and a trained staff offer a range of Ayurveda treatments that range from rejuvenation therapy to steam baths and massages. A path from the Ayurveda centre leads to wood-panelled rooms that face the sea. Hammocks on the beach beckon you to take a snooze.
The artistic kinds can make sand castles on the beach. If you are not the outdoor kind, then head to the Ayurveda centre to be pampered with oil massages and other Ayurvedic therapies by trained staff. There is garden of medicinal plants, and Andreas reels off the properties of the plants. But the best thing to do is to soak in the peaceful ambience.
