India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [240]
Pachalloor, Trivandrum 695 027. 0471/238-0049 or -4857. Fax 0471/246-2935. www.lagoonadavina.com. 18 units, all with shower only. Nov–Apr Rs 4,300 Rajasthan tents and cottage rooms, Rs 4,500 business suite, Rs 5,000–Rs 5,900 sea view double and Maharaja double; May–Oct Rs 2,500 Rajasthan tents and cottage rooms and business suites, Rs 2,800–Rs 3,200 sea view double and Maharaja double. Rates exclude 15% tax. MC, V. Surcharge on credit card payments. No children under 16. Amenities: Restaurant, small library w/indoor games; Ayurvedic massage; boating; cultural programs (seasonal); meditation; outdoor pool; tailor; yoga. In room: Internet (USB modem provided; 3 hr./day free).
The Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach If you’re looking for five-star resort-style amenities and snappy service, along with stunning views over the Lakshadweep Sea, this is the place to be. Like most Kovalam beach resorts, it is built into a cliff face, but to Leela’s advantage, the resort is well connected with the well-maintained beach, thanks to elevators and golf carts that traverse the hill between reception and sea (well suited to the infirm and lazy). The original hotel rooms—the “Beach View” category—are a little too like living in a large hotel, with low-ceilinged rooms ranged along corridors; also hotel like, but sumptuously so, are the much more luxuriously appointed rooms in the Sea View Club wing—views here are simply sensational, with little balconies perched virtually above the crashing water. We’ve always preferred the freestanding “Pavilion” bungalows right next to the beach; these are slated to be transformed into two-bedroom private pool villas—until then, they’re the best value. Note: The Leela’s Divya spa is arguably the best and most spectacularly situated spa in India—sign up for a muscle-tingling Kalari Massage, performed in an open-air room with ocean for a soundtrack, and ask for the version with two therapists.
Kovalam Beach, Thiruvananthapuram 695 527. 0471/248-0101. Fax 0471/248-1522. www.theleela.com. reservations.kovalam@theleela.com. 182 units. Oct–Apr 15 Rs 13,000 garden view pavilion double, Rs 15,000 beach view superior double, Rs 17,000 beach view deluxe double, Rs 24,000 Club double, Rs 35,000–Rs 65,000 suite; Apr 16–Sept Rs 11,000 garden view pavilion double, Rs 13,000 beach view superior double, Rs 15,000 beach view deluxe double, Rs 22,000 Club double, Rs 30,000–Rs 55,000 suite. Rates exclude 15% tax. Rates much higher Dec 23–Jan 3 when a 5-night minimum is enforced and extremely expensive gala dinners are compulsory. AE, MC, V. Amenities: 3 restaurants, various lounges, 2 bars; airport transfers (Rs 1,200); badminton; bikes; children’s activities; club wing; concierge; cooking classes; cultural performances; golf (at Trivandrum Golf Club); 2 health clubs; jogging track; library; 3 pools; room service; snooker; Ayurvedic and wellness spa; table tennis; tennis court; yoga. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (Rs 150/hr.; Rs 750/12 hr.); butler service in club wing.
Chandra, Surya & Vizhinjam
When Klaus Schleusener, a German professor who was based in Chennai in the ’70s and ’80s, first laid eyes on these aptly named beaches (Chandra means “moon,” for the moonrise; Surya means “sun,” above where it sets), he knew he had to own the cliff promontory that divided them. Naming the property Surya Samudra, Klaus built the original octagonal “Sea Front Deluxe” unit as his personal getaway. Alarmed at how centuries-old carved wooden cottages from villages around Kerala were being torn down to make way for modern homes—he came up with the inspired idea to transplant them, and so created a trend that helped set Kerala’s huge