Windemere Estate
The owners live in the old planters bungalow and their friendly staff will take you off on long walks in the hills or private cardamom estate.
Located amidst sprawling tea gardens and the lush green forests of Munnar, Windermere Estate is a picturesque resort.
The garden-facing rooms and cottages are perched on a hilltop surrounded by tea and cardamom plantations and the peace and solitude up here is second to none - just what you want on a relaxing India holiday.
Good local cuisine and thirst-quenching mint tea awaits guests on their return from walks.
Why We Love It
The 360 degree views from this delicious little retreat are truly awe-inspiring and you often find yourself looking down on the clouds; when they disperse, the Western Ghats open up before you.
Malabar House
Malabar House is situated on a peaceful green in Fort Cochin. In 1996 Malabar House became India's first boutique heritage hotel.
Housed within the old, colonial mansion are 17 bedrooms, all uniquely furnished with a mixture of modern art, antique furniture and vibrant colour schemes.
The garden restaurant, Malabar Junction, offers fresh seafood with a blend of regional and Mediterranean flavours. Additionally, there is a wine bar with an extensive wine list, celebrating many Indian vintages. This is often served with east-meets-west tapas in order to really complement the flavours of the grapes.
The central courtyard has an open air dining area and small swimming pool. The Ayurvedic Spa uses techniques honed over hundreds of years to provide guests with treatments and oil massages to focus on all-round well being. The location of the hotel makes it perfect for a wander into Fort Cochin, to see the Chinese fishing nets, or for a boat trip in the backwaters.
Why We Love It
Malabar House is opposite St. Francis Church, the oldest European church in India.
Neeleshwar Hermitage
The entire resort has been built according to the traditional architectural principals of Kerala Vastu, which dictates that a building should be constructed so to conform to the subtle laws of nature.
Hence the whole site faces east and the rising sun while buildings are spaced out and positioned in correct relation to each other to bring about a profoundly peaceful atmosphere.
Set amongst 12 acres of palm grove and fronted by a long stretch of pristine, unspoilt beach with clean sea in which to swim, it is the ultimate place to escape.
Each cottage has its own private courtyard garden, spacious veranda and bathrooms with partial outdoor showers. The interiors are modern, with beautiful teak floors, deep mattresses and fine linens.
The spa offers Ayurvedic treatments, a wide variety of traditional massage and purification regimes, aromatherapy, Dr Hauschka organic facial and beauty treatments, and rejuvenation therapy and lifestyle and dietary coaching.
Why We Love It
Accommodation comprises of traditional Kerala-style thatched cottages, each light and airy with a sense of space and tranquility.
Purity
This boutique hotel is situated in the backwaters of Kerala, on the shores of Lake Vembanad.
The Italian style villa is filled with antique furniture and modern art. The intimate hotel has only six bedrooms, all of which have balconies or terraces which over look the lake. They are decorated in a light and airy style, with splashes of vibrant colour to create a relaxing atmosphere.
The hotel's chef serves traditional Keralan delicacies and guests can dine with the water as a backdrop, at a lake facing table or in the sheltered courtyard. The hotel also has a selection of fine wines including an Indian vintage collection.
The hotel spa, Ayurveda, offers a wide range of treatments all based around local herbs and oils, as well as this there is a recently opened a yoga space to further guest's relaxation.
Guests can borrow the hotels traditional punt, or even ask for a guide, to boat around the backwaters. Bike rides are equally popular, especially to explore the village of Muhama, which is famous for their coir matting. If none of that seems appealing then guests can just sit back, relax and soak up the atmosphere in the famous backwaters.
Why We Love It
The spa specialises in Ayurveda, form a Sanskrit word translating as 'the complete knowledge for long life'.
Serenity
A sister hotel of Malabar House, Serenity's location makes it the ideal stopover on the long journey between Cochin and Thekkady.
This wonderful 1920's estate bungalow has been beautifully restored and is decorated entirely in keeping with its colonial past. The timber and panelling throughout the property are exquisite and the warm peach and turquoise colours that dominate the interiors blend perfectly with the colonial furniture.
The views of the Western Ghats and surrounding rubber plantation are breathtaking, and it is always peaceful; the only disturbance being the sound of nature.
Why We Love It
Serenity by name, serenity by nature, situated on a small hilltop, surrounded by a rubber plantation, in a remote location in the heart of the Plantation hills.
Shalimar Spice Garden
The resort's five acres are reached across a wooden suspension bridge, which leads into a world of landscaped gardens, palms and mango groves and fragrant spices and nutmeg trees.
Situated in a valley in the low hills of the Southern Ghats and surrounded by tropical jungle, this rustic retreat is ideal for visiting the nearby Periyar Wildlife sanctuary.
Beautiful antiques, artefacts and woodwork dominate the premises which is softly lit and has a very spiritual air about it.
It comprises of a main lodge with dining room, serving Italian and Keralan cuisine, a sitting room and hall, with the simple but comfortable rooms and cottages sprawling up the hill behind. Most have private verandahs or a small garden sit out. At the top of the hill is a pretty swimming pool and a small Ayurvedic massage centre.
In the evenings, sit by a cosy log fire after a day out walking in the spice plantations or at Periyar National Park.
Why We Love It
Away from the heat and humidity of the plains, located in the mountains 2,400ft above sea level, the climate is relatively cool and refreshing.
Brunton Boatyard
Brunton's Boatyard hotel is a beautifully restored 19th century building where many of Cochin's Raj era vessels were built and repaired by the firm of Geo Brunton & Sons.
Today the hotel has 22 tastefully decorated rooms and suites, all of which look out over the water, as do the ensuite bathrooms, which means guests can watch ships coming in to port from the comfort of the bath.
Cochin's cosmopolitan history is in evidence throughout the hotel, which is like a museum to the various colonial powers who occupied Cochin across the centuries, Guests will find Portuguese, Dutch and English motifs and curiosities (think a Portuguese helmet and breastplate) dotted around, but the heritage shtick is particularly noticeable in the History Restaurant, where the chef cooks up delicious dishes using the spices, peppers and herbs that were traded through Cochin across the centuries; now used in dishes such as Syrian fish moilee or a Dutch pudding sprinkled with cinnamon. Foodie aficionados can take the culinary history lesson a step further and enjoy cooking lessons on the terrace.
The hotel has a small spa where guests can enjoy Ayurvedic treatments or a famous Kerala massage where two therapists work in perfect synchronicity. Alternatively, retreat to the billiard table or a quiet corner, armed with good book and G&T.
Why We Love It
Every evening the hotel's boat leaves from the private jetty to cruise around the harbour with the sun setting and, hopefully, dolphins for company.
