It was a particularly dull and busy Saturday afternoon. There I was hard at work, while my hubby was out drinking with the boss. But no complaints, because that actually turned out to be a good thing.
At around 3 o clock I got a call from my hubby ''How soon can you pack? We are off to Kayaloram! Apparently the boss felt it was high time we poor work beleaguredI mortals had a holiday to recharge our creative batteries. See the plan? Get them fresh, thinking and get them working harder than ever! I quickly finished off my work, groveled to get the Monday off, ran home, packed a few changes of clothes and several hundred diapers. Then waving a gleeful goodbye to the in-laws (and several admonitions to drive carefully and to bring back our daughter without a scratch) we were off.
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The trip
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Kayaloram is in Ponnemada, a few kilometers outside Alleppey. Alleppey is definitely one of Kerala's hottest tourist spots, dubbed ahem, err..The Venice Of The South. It was popular way back in the 80s, long before resorts began popping up in every empty stretch of beach or backwater. Alleppey has a lovely beach and the backwaters are famous. It was dark by the time we got there and we had to ask for directions a few times. But on the whole the journey was fairly painless, especially since it takes only an hour and a half max from Cochin. The roads are pretty good too.
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The resort
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Finally driving to what seemed like the middle of nowhere, we reached a sandy clearing. This, it turned out, was the resort's parking lot. One of the retainers kindly led us through a path flanked by coconut trees and into the resort. Since it was dark, we could only discern that it was a typical Kerala style design, with well-maintained lawns and a view of the waterfront. Dinner was served in a covered courtyard style restaurant. I opted for phulkas and paneer, but most of the other guests had the house specials - seafood and Kerala style vegetables.
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The rooms
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Kayaloram Lake Resort has 12 rooms, each ostensibly built from materials transplanted from old homesteads in the state. Which means plenty of dark wood, tiled roofs, a skylight, traditional metal doors, simple design aesthetics. A fairly large bed meant that we could all snuggle together comfortably without fears of my daughter (then 8 months old) falling off the edge.
The room was quite cool even in mid afternoon. Off the bedroom was a courtyard style open-air bathroom - enclosed on all sides but roofless. At one corner was the shower stall. Once I was convinced that there were no wannabe porn filmmakers lurking near by, the open-air bathing was quite a thrill. There were a couple of slugs on the farthest wall - that was a back to nature experience I could have done without, but on the whole, rooms are clean, fresh and well maintained.
On Sunday morning, after a comfortable night, my husband stepped out for a smoke. I heard a gasp. Our door opened out into the lawn. Just beyond the lawn was a beautiful stretch of backwaters, silvery in the early morning light. It was truly lovely.
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The houseboat
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We had opted for a package, which included one night at the resort and one night on a houseboat. So mid morning on Sunday, we duly boarded a kettuvallom. Now tourist brochures (and I have written many!) will inform you that these kettuvalloms or houseboats were in fact country boats made of wood and coir rope. Now, they have been converted into houseboats comprising one or two bedrooms with attached bathrooms, a kitchen and a sundeck. A crew of 3, two boatmen and a cook, accompany you.
The houseboat goes through the miles and miles of backwater. Imagine traveling through roads of water - that pretty much gives you a feel of the ride. The progress is slow and stately, with lots of breaks for lunch, siesta, etc. There's a lot to see, so its okay. Food is cooked on board, and is unfussy, wholesome fare. Rice, thoren (sabzi) curry, fried fish. Extremely tasty though. Towards evening, my husband tried his hand at fishing with a line. Much to his chagrin, his attempts were rather like that of the cit in the feviquick commercial. Eventually, the boatman took the line from him and deftly caught half a dozen fish!
At around 6 o clock, the boat wound its way to a large opening and docked in the centre of the lake. Apparently all boats come to a halt after sundown, because that's when the fishermen put out their nets. It became eerily still. We had to turn down the power in some parts of the boat because the electricity runs on solar power.
The houseboat is perfect for honeymooners, who can lie on the sundeck and gaze on the stars. It's not so perfect for couples who have kids below 2 - you're just too scared to put your brat down, in case he or she falls overboard. Things are fun as long as the boat is moving, but can get a little claustrophobic once it weighs anchor for the night. There's no where to go, really. I don't remember the sunset, but the sunrise over the lake was really spectacular.
However all the basic amenities on the boat were excellent. Not surprising considering the bulk of those who go in for the houseboat are from abroad. On our way back the next day, we saw the huge water highway where the Nehru Trophy Boat race takes place annually. Massive. The boatman also pointed out the water routes to Cochin and Kottayam.
We reached the resort by 11 on Monday morning and lazed around, ate lunch and made our way reluctantly back to Cochin and our jobs.
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The verdict
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We went to Kayaloram Lake Resort in September, a month before the traditional tourist season in October. Our package was roughly Rs.6500/- all inclusive (off season rate). For that price, the facilities were excellent. The staff was warm and friendly, rather than sophisticated. While Kayaloram is not a very happening resort, it is fun and beautiful to boot. I didn't try out the pool or the ayurveda centre, so can't comment on those.
On a second visit, I would choose to skip the houseboat trip and spend more time at the resort itself. But for first timers the trip is a good idea. All in all, Kayaloram was a wonderful experience and I would definitely recommend it to all you travel freaks out there!
