Backwater Treat

A bounty of luxury plus nature makes Taj Garden Retreat special. Vyas Sivanand checks in…

Taj Garden Retreat 1/404, Kumarakom, Kottayam - 686 563 tel: 0481 - 2524377, 2525711; email : retreat.kumarakom@tajhotels.com; website : www.tajhotels.com Tariff : Cottage Rs 6,000 + 15 per cent tax

Kerala is probably the only place where one could look for culture in coconut trees. Miles of green paddy fields, green hills against palm-fringed beaches, somnolent canals, palatial family homes...all this came first-hand as I took the two-and-a-half hour drive from Cochin, to Taj Garden Retreat, Kumarakom.

The retreat is nestled amidst the beauty of Kumarakom's vast flora and fauna, with a bird sanctuary on its boundary and surrounded by the picturesque Vembanad lake, the backwater that stretches southward from Cochin for more than 70 miles.

Baker's Bungalow, as the property was known from 1877 to 1977, was built by George Alfred Baker. Though renovated now, it still retains all the ambience and old-world character. Extensive use of teakwood adorns the bungalow and the height of the ceiling is an inkling to the architectural impressions of the 19th century.

The bungalow overlooks a huge lagoon built by Baker but refined by the Taj group. Two houseboats, anchored along the lagoon provide for four standard rooms. A luxury tent also offers a variety to experiential stay.

Twelve luxury villas in all face the Vembanad Lake and are designed to offer the utmost privacy. Spacious rooms with large glass doors open out to airy verandahs and panoramic views of the lake. Four of these villas have private pools.

A row of 10 cottages, each with its own patio, fronts the lagoon. Nature is entwined in harmony with these cottages in the form of creepers cajoling the structures giving a subtle feel of being in the lap of nature. The glass walled bathroom creates the ambience of an outdoor shower.

By the pool is the the ayurveda centre which offers ancient secrets of healing. Steam therapy, yoga, meditation and rejuvenation treatments are on offer.

Coming to food, the resort has a main restaurant at the Baker's Bungalow serving Indian, Continental and local cuisine. The Sunset bar offers an array of exotic cocktails in the evening, with a magnificent view of the lake. Every evening, there are cultural programmes on the lawns .

Experiential holidays find its meaning at the Taj Garden Retreat. The lantern dinner cruise is a case-in-point. Other activities one could indulge include a bicycle trip through the village, a trip to writer Arundhati Roy's village - Ayemanam, a traditional Syrian Christian lunch at a farmhouse and the table tennis challenge with the general manager.

Taj Garden Retreat
1/404, Kumarakom, Kottayam - 686 563
tel: 0481 - 2524377, 2525711;
email : retreat.kumarakom@tajhotels.com;
website : www.tajhotels.com
Tariff : Cottage Rs 6,000 + 15 per cent tax