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and extensive facilities, is Estuary Island ( 0471/221-4355; www.estuaryisland.com), which does afford views towards the sea (although, as with all the Poovar resorts, you don’t see the ocean but rather a lovely beach that divides the lagoon from the ocean). While the rooms are exceptionally bland, they’re well stocked with amenities, and if you don’t mind forgoing the estuary view from the cheaper standard units (Rs 4,000–Rs 9,000 double), you can get a much larger and more private Estuary Premium cottage (Rs 6,000–Rs 10,000 double, including boat transfers) in a secluded section behind the main block. There’s plenty here to keep children busy (including a kids’ pool and park), and the beer parlor built over the water is a good place to sit with a pair of binoculars and see what the fishermen are up to. Green Leaf–accredited Ayurvedic treatments are available, and there’s a fleet of assorted boats (with or without motor).

However, if you really have the spirit of adventure in you, there’s only one place you want to be:

Friday’s Place If you scream at the sight of a frog and have an abiding hatred of insects, you’d better look elsewhere. This tiny lodge tucked deep inside a jungle just off the lagoon is where you can reconnect with your eco-warrior. It comprises only four wooden cottages (two high on stilts) in the wilderness extending straight out into the Neyyar backwaters, so environmental impact is negligible. Designed by owners Mark and Sujeewa Reynolds (who personally run the retreat), the cottages are solar-powered and sport an eco-friendly sewage system—two rooms share a common bathroom. Newly added is the chic two-level Tsunami House, a solid stone cottage like nothing you’ve ever laid eye on; it’s minimalist but comfy, with a large downstairs bathroom. Rates may seem a little steep, but you’re paying for the pleasure of a true Robinson Crusoe–style adventure, complete with a bevy of Man Fridays tending to basic needs or preparing fresh, wholesome meals. Note that the retreat has no road access, is only open mid-October through April, and serves vegetarian meals only. Bring books, iPod, and a willingness to get back to basics.

Poovar Island, Attupuram, Uchakada P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695 506. 0471/213-3292. www.fridaysplace.biz. 5 units, 2 with attached bathroom, all with shower only. £105 cottage double, £150 Tsunami House double. Rates include all meals. Minimum stay 3 nights. No credit cards. Amenities: Dining area/lounge; airport transfers (£10); country boat. In room: No phone, Wi-Fi.

6 The Cardamom Hills & Periyar Tiger Reserve

Thekkady (Periyar) is 190km (118 miles) from Kochi and 145km (90 miles) from Madurai

Each year, around half a million travelers make their way up into the Cardamom Hills, where the crisp, cool air is redolent with the scents of spices, and soaring mountains give way to tea plantations and dense jungle. Most people intent on seeing the best of Kerala head from the backwaters to the village of Thekaddy, gateway to Periyar Tiger Reserve, the stomping grounds for large herds of wild elephants and apparently where as many as 22 to 40 tigers avoid being spotted. Although it’s true that Periyar is one of India’s largest and most popular elephant reserves, this is not a wilderness experience in the true sense. Unless you opt for an overnight trek or one of the full-day hikes, the popular boat trip on the lake feels much like being processed like sheep by regimented nature rangers, and the intense tourist activity around the roads leading to the gates is quite disheartening.

However, with a couple of lovely places to stay, it is well worth overnighting here if you are traveling by car from Kerala to Tamil Nadu (or vice versa), though the most direct route (if you’re driving between Madurai and Kochi) is via Munnar, which lies 4 hours due north of Thekkady. At a much greater altitude than Periyar, Munnar is a collection of vast green-tea estates first established by a Scotsman in the late 19th century—it’s hardly surprising, then, that the area is sometimes referred to as Kerala’s Scottish