Kerala: Backwaters, Beaches and Backrubs

by Suna Kanga

“Kerala is a good place. Hindus, Muslims, Christians all live together. No problem,” says driver Jose, slowing down for us to photograph yet another church. The road from Cochin International Airport to the beach resort has several temples, churches and mosques that attest to the Indian State’s varied demographics. Although Hinduism predominates, Kerala is relatively free of sectarianism. There is even a jewel of a synagogue in old Cochin (Kochi).

Jose, a father of three, negotiates the Renault at an easy pace. When he overtakes heavy vehicles, we look away. Towns merge into villages separated by stretches of farms, coconut groves and rivers. Bullock carts piled with coconuts rumble past, villagers balance bundles on their heads and cattle amble across. In this socially progressive State, there are still old-world images to capture.

During the drive, the alchemy of 44 rivers, (six are major), is reflected in emerald fields, coconut groves and vegetable farms. Busy towns display bold shop-fronts and peaceful villages surprise us with green, pink and purple houses. Keralites are obviously not shy of colour. Women don brilliant toned saris -- daytime glitter appears even in rural areas -- and the classic off-white saris with gold borders are reserved for traditional occasions.

Having a car all week enables us to cover several enchanting locations: beach (Marari Beach, Alappuzha), backwaters (Coconut Lagoon, Kumarakom), forest (Spice Village, Periyar) and port (Brunton Boatyard, Kochi).Each is a gem within a homegrown group of eco-sensitive hotels.

“Holiday environments are catalysts that can ensure the preservation of the natural balance of the earth and sustain her reserves,” believe the owners, the Dominic brothers of CGH Earth, who are quietly living up to this reality by melding small, pristine hotels into the community in which they are located. Their commitment to sustainable tourism in small eco resorts has won many awards.

The Kerala family’s inspiration was remote Bangaram Island in Lakshadweep, a secret haven for divers off the coast of Kerala. The offer to run the resort came with a strict stipulation not to disturb the fragile ecology of coral atolls. Amazingly, the total absence of ‘facilities’ drew many visitors seeking a castaway experience with sea gulls, turtles and barracudas. Two decades later, there is still no hot water or air-conditioning yet almost every visitor returns, including a gentleman who comes from Europe for ten days every year!

The Beach To understand how the Group’s vision has materialized we head for Marari Beach resort. From being stepsister to Goa two decades ago, Kerala is now a premier destination boasting a 600 km coastline with fine beaches that are devoid of tourist hysteria. The three-hour drive in a chauffeur-driven Renault offers enough action to keep one engrossed. Car travel is well organized to convey visitors from resort to resort.

Pristine, palm-fringed Marari Beach’s thatched chalets blend sensitively into a sleepy fishing village. The cane furniture is simple, the bed linen of quality cotton and there are natural ashram-made soaps and shampoos in mini pottery jars. On the coffee-tea tray is a pair of scissors to preempt struggles with sachets.

We like the resort’s earthy simplicity, the quiet beach to watch sunsets, the daily harvest from the ocean and farm, cooking classes that begins in an organic garden, yoga under the trees and the four-hand Ayurvedic massages.

Judging from the staff, Malayalis, as the people of Kerala are called, are a friendly lot. The smiling men reveal gleaming teeth under mustaches (every male seems to sport one) while young girls confess that arranged marriages are the destiny they await.

The Backwaters The two-hour drive to the backwaters -- a bewitching region unveiled by author Arundhathi Roy in the Booker-winning God of Small Things – allows time to chat with Jose. Kerala has almost 100 percent literacy and a politically aware electorate. He confesses to voting “sometimes Communist, sometimes Congress.”

Kumarakom is where honeymooners set their dreams afloat. Moored along the lake and backwaters are about 500 houseboats, most equipped with air-conditioning, modern plumbing and kitchenettes. We wander into a couple of houseboats owned by Spice Coast Cruises and check out the charming interior before crossing the lake to our destination for the night.

Coconut Lagoon is an enchanting resort renowned for its waterscapes, paddy fields and beautifully restored traditional homes. The romantic destination has won many awards for promoting a clean-green-healthy lifestyle.

Lying in a hammock, I watch passing houseboats and fishing boats. Ecological sensitivity has ensured that birds and butterflies keep me company, the endangered Vechoor cows (the world’s smallest cattle of Kerala origin) graze nearby and the paddy fields are lush with navara rice specially grown for Ayurveda patients

Here, in the backwaters -- the 1,500 km network of channels, rivers and lakes linked to the Arabian Sea -- it is easy to fall in love with Kerala again.

Years ago, we had enjoyed the languorous air of royalty at the Taj Garden Retreat, once the home of an English missionary who had bought the estate from the Maharaja of Travancore. Among happy memories is a night on a houseboat or kettuvolam, the traditional rice-boat built of cane, coir, palm-leaf and bamboo converted for visitors. Memories flood back of a sunset cruise on Lake Vembanad, a Kerala meal on the deck set with floor cushions, a boat-ride through the backwaters … the romance lives on.

The Forest Thekkady, the nerve centre of eco-tourism, is the place to visit spice gardens, trek through fragrant forests and hills and take a boat safari on Lake Periyar.

At picturesque Spice Village we witness a genuine concern for the environment. Our charming, thatched cottage (one of 52 along a forested hillside) is made of split bamboo and elephant-grass and the furniture is fashioned from light-toned recycled packing wood. There is no television to compete with Nature’s sights and sounds.

One can spend a week here, wandering around this leafy heaven. There are opportunities to learn how to cook with spices. One night, we dine under the stars at the 50 Mile Diet Restaurant where only fresh produce sourced from farms within a radius of 50 miles is served. The chefs’ creative presentations of local quail, chicken, pork and fish make the meal memorable.

Facilities include a large swimming pool, dining room with rustic furniture, an atmospheric bar and the popular Tiger Club Interpretation Centre. Musicians and dancers offer glimpses of local culture at performances in the garden.

The Village’s eco features include a large vegetable garden, a 30-acre organic pepper farm, a hand-made paper workshop that supplies the Group’s hotels with notepaper and lampshades, a mushroom growing room and an elaborate setup for solid waste treatment with earthworms to make compost.

Kerala draws many visitors seeking wellness and renewal. India’s forests were the birthplace of the healing science of Ayurveda. Kerala’s wealth of herbs and the tropical climate are an ideal combination for holistic healing and age-arresting treatments. At Spice Village, well-being is promoted at a popular Ayurvedic Centre where, after consultation with the Ayurvedic doctor, we experience relaxing oil massages.

The Port: Back in Kochi (Cochin), we reset our inner clocks to a city beat, visit museums and churches and shop for antiques in by-lanes. Since the 1500s, waves of merchants and missionaries, have visited Kochi to trade in spices, ivory and other exotica. The foreign influence lives in Portuguese and Dutch architecture, English trading companies, churches, mosques and a famous synagogue (1568), a jewel noted for the Scrolls of Law, gold crowns, chandeliers and willow-patterned floor tiles from China.

The waterfront Brunton Boatyard Hotel is a charmer! The sensitive re-creation of a colonial era hotel comes with authentic punkhas (fans), portraits, chandeliers and an old billiard table. Our all-white room with red terracotta flooring has an antique-style bed and the balcony offers a close view of passing ships and fishing boats. The old-world restaurants are fine settings for food that reveal varied influences. Many of the recipes for the History restaurant have been sourced from descendants of old families.

“We are located in an interesting area influenced by diverse cultures of the Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, British, Jews and Arabs,” says general manager Dipti Jain whose youth complements the gracious hotel. It is difficult to believe that Brunton Boatyard is but a decade old!

“We want our properties to remain small so we have happy customers,”notes Antony Viju, manager for sales, CGH Earth. The resorts are popular with Europeans who seek yoga and Ayurveda in peaceful locations. Their healing resorts in South India are SwaSwara near Goa, Visalam in Chettinad, Maison Perumal in Pondicherry and Kalari Kovilakom, a hospital within a centuries-old palace for seekers of serious Ayurveda.

On a sunset cruise one evening, we view the vivid legacy of the Chinese visitors to the Malabar coastline -- several huge teak-and-bamboo nets (AD 1350 and 1450) designed to be lowered into the sea to bring forth a catch. Watching the orange fireball set against the backdrop of the giant nets makes a spectacular finale to our Kerala visit.

Images by Suna and Rusi Kanga and CGH Earth, Kerala.

Websites: www.cghearth.com (CGH Earth); www.keralatourism.org (Kerala Tourism)