India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [226]
Philipkutty’s Farm You arrive on the island by poled boat and then experience firsthand the hospitality of a local farming family, albeit in the privacy of your very own waterfront cottage, surrounded by banana, nutmeg, coconut, and pepper plantations. Accommodations are in breezy cottages on either side of the family home; they are a wonderful synthesis of Keralite design—open-plan living, carved wooden doors, antique furnishings, and verandas—with modern convenience (big bathrooms with glassed-in showers) and amazing natural light. Owner Anu Mathew, sophisticated and sweet in equal measure, treats her guests as part of the family yet provides privacy and time to soak up the tranquillity; in fact, she runs this place with the efficiency of a small hotel. Anu and her mother-in-law are also the kitchen genies, preparing three marvelous feasts a day, and you’re welcome to watch them cooking in the kitchen. The only real drawback is that there’s no pool, but some guests cool off as locals do, by venturing into the waters of Vembanad Lake.
Pallivathukal, Ambika Market P.O., Vechoor, Kottayam 688 582. 04829/27-6529, -6530, or 98950-75130. www.philipkuttysfarm.com. 5 units, all with shower only. Oct–May Rs 9,900–Rs 12,000 double, Rs 19,800–Rs 24,000 2-bedroom villa; June–Sept Rs 7,000 double, Rs 14,000 2-bedroom Villa; Rs 3,000 extra person. Children under 6 stay free, Rs 2,000 children 6–12. Rates include all meals, tea, coffee, sunset cruise on country boat, and farm excursions. No credit cards at present; plan to accept MC and V soon. Amenities: Dining pavilion; airport transfers (Rs 1,800); country boat; Internet (broadband; free or for a nominal fee); library. In room: Fans, fridge.
Inexpensive
Emerald Isle Far from the resort crowd, this 150-year-old heritage villa, located on a 3-hectare (71⁄2-acre) plantation, will suit travelers looking for an authentic Kerala backwater homestay experience. The adventure begins when a boatman picks you up in a dugout canoe and rows you to the Job family home. There you are welcomed with filter coffee, tea, coconut water, or toddy. The home is sparklingly clean and old-world charm abounds—wicker chairs on the verandah, period furniture, and all-round quaint rusticity. The en-suite guest rooms are simply furnished; ask for one with an open-air bathroom. Freshly prepared meals are eaten with the family, but you can pick what’s on the menu: Choose among chicken curry and appams (lace pancakes), karimeen pollichathu (pearl spot fish), avoli fry, neimeen curry, egg roasts, or catch of the day. The Jobs—truly genuine, honest workaday folk—will organize boat cruises, backwater trips, fishing, walks through paddy and coconut plantations, and village tours; they even have their own houseboat.
Kanjooparambil-Manimalathara, Chathurthyakary P.O, Alleppuzha 688 511. 0477/270-3899, 0477/329-0577, or 94-4707-7555. www.emeraldislekerala.com. info@emeraldislekerala.com. 4 units. Rs 5,000–Rs 5,500 double; Rs 5,800–Rs 6,300 A/C double. Children 5–10 Rs 350; under 5 free. Rates include boat transfers and all meals. No credit cards. Amenities: Dining room, small lounge; Ayurvedic massage; bicycles; boat cruises; cooking classes; fishing. In room: A/C (some), fans.
Our Land This place gets a star for remoteness and laid-back simplicity—if you need luxury, modern trimmings, or loads of facilities, look elsewhere. Set among mango, gooseberry, cashew, guava, banana and coconut trees on a 2.4-hectare (6-acre) island that’s accessible only by boat, it’s a rough-and-ready sort of place that’s a favorite with birders who come for the solitude and chance to spot 61 species. Accommodations have a slightly old-world, functional feel (despite the modern, dull furnishings), with red oxide floors, large showers in tiled bathrooms, and wooden beds simply, neatly made up; each room has a private porch with chairs and a bed for daytime schmoozing—all of these face directly onto the waterway. Book the honeymoon room, raised up on wooden