Some places have a very subtle charm of their own. Kumarakom Lake Resort is one of them. It is Kerala’s best kept secret. This Five Star resort is the epitome of luxury and self indulgence. It gently grows on you and makes want to stay here forever. I had the chance to visit this resort in April 2019 and this blog, I will be sharing my experiences and impressions of this beautiful place.
Location & Philosophy
The resort is located just one and a half hour from Kochi and 2 hours from Cochin International Airport. We were already staying in Kochi and we stayed at Hotel Forte Kochi which was in the heart of Fort Kochi area. If you have not seen that blog, you can check it out right here.
Both these hotels are run by the same parent company and you can get some amazing deals when you directly book with them and want to stay at both these places. Staying at both these places is the perfect way to start your Kerala journey. Check out their booking page here to see which deals suit you.
The resort is located right on the shores of Vembanad lake, which forms the perfect backdrop. The resort faces west, which makes it the ideal place to enjoy sunsets.
The resort is meant to give you a complete feel and experience of Kerala in all ways possible. From the Ayurvedic center, the accommodation to the Kerala paratha. The resort is painted with Kerala filter.
The gardens of the resort are very well managed, and I constantly see people watering or grooming the grounds. Along with this, streams of water run throughout the resort and this gives you the sound of running water, wherever you are in the entire resort.
The resort is planned and thought out so carefully, that every spot in the resort is so picturesque, that whenever you walk around, you want to stop and take a photo. Just walking around the resort is peaceful in itself and you always have the sound birds and plants that seem to be dancing because of the cool breeze that runs through the resort.
Streams of water run through the resort 
Beautifully kept gardens 
cool breeze running through
Accommodation:
Coming to my favorite par the resort, the accommodation. There are lots of accommodation options that they offer. But we stayed at the meandering pool villa. The name meandering pool villa, comes from the fact that there is a big 250 meter pool right outside your room and you can simply walk into it right from you doorstep.
The rooms at Kumarakom lake resort are a perfect blend of Kerala’s traditional architectural charm along with luxurious modern comforts. The fit and finish of the room is excellent. Everything they use in the room is of supreme and high quality. May it be the cashews or the hand towels, it has to be of the highest quality.
The best part about the room is the bathroom. It is open to sky and bathing under the stars at night, looking up at the sky is an experience i am never going to forget. The housekeeping is also done two times a day and the staff are very sensitive to your needs and fulfill all of them with a very humble smile.
The pool right outside your room. 
Open to sky bathroom. 
Traditional Kerala villas with luxury amenities.
Apart from the meandering pool villa, there are other accommodation options as well.
Heritage Pool Villa – Private Jacuzzi pool with plush interiors.
Heritage Pool Villa 1 
Heritage Pool Villa 2
Luxury Pavilion Rooms – Beautiful rooms with large bathrooms and king size bed.
Luxury Pavilion Rooms 1 
Luxury Pavilion Rooms 2
House Boat – You also have the option of staying at houseboats that are docked at the resort and are waiting for your command.
Presidential Suite
This is definitely the show stopper and the highlight of the resort. Prince Charles stayed her for his 65th birthday and it is named after him. The Presidential suite is the epitome of luxury and self indulgence. It has it very own courtyard, a living room, a private pool, regal interiors, a massive bathroom, truly make you feel like royalty when you stay here.
My favorite part of the villa has to be the infinity pool which has the Vembanad lake as its backdrop where there are traditional boats passing by from time to time.
A Bird’s eye view of the Presidential Suite 
Private Infinity Pool 
The Pool overlooking the Lake
Activities
The resort has tons of activities that they offer, so i’m gonna start with my favorite.
The Sunset Cruise
In the evening before sunset, they take you on this big boat for a cruise around the lake for witnessing the sunset from the lake. This is a must have experience when you are coming here. This activity is included in the cost of the room. The ride is super relaxing as they also have professional tabla and flute players making the mood super soothing. If that does not relax you, I don’t know what will.
Along with this you also have the chance to learn fishing, pottery and the traditional art of weaving. They have an in house pottery class where they teach you how to make a pot and also allow you to take your vase when you go back home. You can keep this as a souvenir for your trip.
Yoga – At 6 AM every morning there is a qualified Yoga instructor to runs an entire yoga class for beginners as well as seasoned enthusiasts.
Ayurvedic Center – Keeping in line with health, they have a dedicated Ayurvedic center. There are in house doctors who you can consult for your problems. Needless to say they also have a wide range of therapeutic and cosmetic treatments that are available to the guests.
Personalized pottery class 
Comprehensive Ayurvedic center 
Learning the art of weaving.
Swimming Pool – The swimming pool deserves a special mention here as it truly is special. The entire swimming pool faces west and it is the perfect place for you to enjoy sunsets at the resort. They also have a small cafe right next to it called as the pool pavilion from where you can order food and drinks to watch the sunset.
Next to the pool you have hammocks and benches where you lie around and enjoy the cool breeze that is running through the lake.
Bird’s eye view of the pool 
Side profile ! 
Enjoying sunsets at the Infinity Pool
Food – After all these activities, you are going to be super hungry. That is why that have two amazing restaurants at the resort
The biggest restaurant is the Ettukettu. This restaurant has a wide range of North and South Indian food along with continental food . The food here is super delicious. It is almost as if each and every dish is made personally for you, according to your taste and liking. At the same restaurant they have a big buffet spread for breakfast and dinner. The choice and variety of food is excellent and I cannot have any complaints.
The second restaurant on the resort is called as the Vembanad sea food restaurant. This restaurant has a real nice bar, where there is a good collection alcohol from all over the world. This restaurant is right at the lake, and they actually have a platform they extends into the lake, which makes it the perfect place to enjoy a romantic evening with your partner.
In the evening, a very talented local person makes tea/coffee in the most unique way possible. It is called as the one meter tea as he mixes the drinks from one meter away. #INSANE
So that is how we spent two amazing days at this place. I think this is Kerala’s best kept secret and more people should know bout this and experience it first hand. It is the perfect place to regather your thoughts, find yourself and take a break from the hustle of daily life. Not only that, but it comes up as a very strong contender for Honeymooners in India.
For a more audio visual experience check out the video below. Do not forget to subscribe to the channel if you have not already. Until the next time, keep on traveling.
Doctourer - Doctor by Profession, Wanderlust by Heart 
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