NICE AS SPICE: Kerala has an idyllic network of inland waterways
Kerala, or what romantics still refer to as the Malabar Coast, is India without the mayhem. Here among the lush green paddy fields, idle beaches, balmy lagoons and neatly cropped tea plantations, the suffocating intensity of the cities can be left behind.
Travellers have been coming to this thin strip of land that flickers down the south-western coastline of India since the 16th century. Then the Venetians and Portuguese travelled to the ancient port of Cochin for the abundance of exotic herbs, for this is spice country, where the smell of wild sandalwood, cinnamon and cloves lies heavy on the humid air and the food is laden with natural herbs, spices and coconut.
Now travellers come to experience the idyllic network of inland waterways, while away their days enjoying the lush, tropical coconut plantations and pamper themselves in the many luxury hotels that have peppered the landscape in the last decade. In short, this is a mellow version of India.
We arrived from the UK after an overnight stay in Mumbai's luxurious Oberoi hotel. A short internal flight from the city's sparkling new domestic terminal brought us to Fort Cochin. Dredged by the Scots during the British administration, the streets echo the imprint of Dutch, Chinese, Portuguese and Arab traders, all of whom have left their mark on this intoxicating, vibrant port. Still a vital terminus for the fishing fleet, export business and tourism, this is the closest Kerala gets to industrial and is undoubtedly the cultural jewel in its crown.
Snaking our way past 16th-century churches and synagogues, grand British colonial-style bungalows and low-slung Dutch and Portuguese buildings, we arrived at the Taj Malabar hotel. Set across from the port on the British-made Willingdon Island, it is a dreamy estate offering exquisite cuisine, excellent service and elegant, colonial-style rooms.
After a relaxing massage in the hotel's spa, we adjourned to our balcony overlooking the lagoon and the iconic Chinese fishing nets. You could spend hours watching the port's comings and goings – from packed, early-morning ferries to small, five-man fishing trawlers and battered old cargo boats. It's a wonderful place to drink in the exotic workings of this commercial crossroads.
In the evening we dined at the Rice Boat, the Taj's excellent seafood restaurant, where the chef introduced us to the subtle flavours of Keralan cuisine with dishes such as meen vevichathu, fresh fish in a red curry sauce.
The next morning we left early for higher ground. Climbing more than 3,000ft into the Cardamom hills, we saw the terrain change as the landscape became dominated by the jigsaw pattern of tea and pepper plantations. After five hours of travelling we reached our destination: Thekkady's Spice Village eco resort – thatched bungalows nestled within a lush, green garden of cardamom plants, lemongrass and pepper vines that provides a great variety of natural ingredients such as cinnamon, coffee, coconuts, cloves, papaya and pineapples.
For the amateur botanist, Spice Village offers a wealth of activities. Guests can try jungle trekking in the nearby Periyar game reserve or take a spice plantation tour or wildlife-themed boat trip on the neighbouring lake. We enjoyed the resort's Ayurvedic massage centre. After a gentle, pre-breakfast yoga session, there was no better start to the day than an all-over Indian body massage.
But perhaps the most memorable activity was the nightly cooking demonstrations by chef Velayuthan. These ranged from sweet curries to robust chutneys and provided a fascinating insight into Kerala's rich cooking traditions. I couldn't help but notice they were keenly attended by the large French contingent staying at the resort.
From the crisp, clean air of Thekkady we made our way down to the wide-open expanse of the Vembanad lake, an enormous inland sea that stretches clear across Kerala's backwaters. Chartering a rice-boat to explore this intriguing maze of waterways was one of the trip's most memorable experiences. With the boat to ourselves and a crew of three to attend to our every whim, we set off in the late-afternoon sunshine.
Gliding past hidden villages, activity was all around us. We saw men and women bathing and splashing in the shallows while children ran past returning home from school. On the outside deck, which doubled up as a giant day-bed, we spotted kingfishers while listening to the call of the drongo bird. At one point the captain stopped the boat so we could buy some freshly caught langoustines from a local fisherman. As evening approached we dropped anchor in the middle of the lake. The crew set about preparing supper as we enjoyed the serenity of watching the sun set and the moon rise to the gentle lapping of the lake.
Once ashore the following day we journeyed south to Kovalam and the southern tip of India to enjoy a week at the dreamy Surya Samudra beach garden. The brainchild of two adventurers, Karl Damschen, a Swiss architect, and Klaus Schleusener, a German professor, the resort takes the form of a secluded, landscaped compound on top of an idyllic rocky promontory.
Guests are housed in traditional Keralan teak cottages, which are dotted across the hillside. The centrepiece of the garden is a pool carved into the rocks, an Ayurvedic spa, and a semi-circular open-air dining-room which serves meals dominated by the catch of the day.
Flanked by two enormous sandy beaches and overlooking the dramatic Indian Ocean, the views are spectacular, especially at night when the locals' tiny fishing boats light up the sea like a string of pearls bobbing on the horizon.
But amid all Kerala's breathtaking beauty, it was waking in the early hours of the morning to the distant chants of fishermen pulling in their laden nets that sticks most vividly in the memory.
FACT FILE: KERALAExsus Travel (0131 476 6522,
www.exsus.com) specialises in tailor-made luxury holidays to India, Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean.
Taj Malabar hotel, Willingdon Island, Cochin (0091 484 266 6811,
www.tajhotels.com) has double rooms available from £150 per night.
Spice Village, just outside Periyar National Park in Kerala, has 52 tribal-styled thatched-roof cottages from £80 per night in summer and £165 in winter (
www.cghearth.com, e-mail:
contact@cghearth.com).
Surya Samudra Holiday Resort, Kovalam, Kerala (00 91 471 226 7333,
www.suryasamudra.com). Teak cottages start at £80 per night.
The full article contains 1104 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
