With no sight of cars, land grabbers or modernity, the discovery of the Kakkathuruthu Island has brought to light a timeless frame of Kerala, thought to have been lost forever.
The poetry simply continued to accompany us on our sojourn. For in our next destination, the hills had given way to the placid backwaters. Backwaters that envelop an island situated 15 kms from Cochin city enroute Alappuzha, where a work of pure artistic excellence is changing the dimension of luxury tourism. The work of art in mention is neither a resort nor a homestay in the conventional sense. It is, in the words of a starstruck explorer like me, something more extraordinary. For it carries within its ‘open’ walls and distinct easy-going persona, the jubilation and cheer for a traveller that finally a property has redefined luxury in the context of Kerala Tourism. Set in a corner of a finitely spaced island village, cut off from the din of the national highway on the opposite shore, it is home to Kerala as it once was. Indeed, Kayal (meaning ‘backwater’), the luxury boutique homestay of travel enthusiast Maneesha Panicker is not a forced space. Blending effortlessly into the natural ethos of the village holding it, Maneesha’s work of art, as she likes to call it, is perhaps the most exciting property in recent times to showcase Kerala’s brand of experiential travel in a pattern of unmatched raw luxury. The 70% plus occupancy rate that it has garnered in its very first year of operations, that too among the premium traveller class, stands testimony to its firm grounding.
The Island’s Own
Maneesha’s love for the arts, especially performing arts and contemporary art is something that helped her match an entire property, to the culture of a sparsely inhabited yet absolutely safe and welcoming island. Having studied and lived in the US gave her an understanding of what the foreign traveller sought upon visiting a traditional destination such as Kerala. Her travel company Silk Route Escapes specialises in experiential tours and it was her first entry into the field of Kerala Tourism. Having overcome the initial challenges of being a single woman travel-preneur, she set her sights on her long standing dream: a bed and breakfast homestay. That it transformed into a boutique homestay is the fortune of the village, which has adopted her as much as she has them.
Having been in the package tours industry for over 5 years now, Maneesha’s idea of luxury is simple. Make the experience count.
Her idea to transform the property at Kakkathuruthu, (meaning ‘island of crows’), used for residential artists’ programs till then, into one that spoke for the island itself took nearly two years. Logistics, like in the case of building other off-beat properties, was the main challenge here too. With no bridge to connect with the opposite bank of the river, everything had to come in via boat.
An ardent follower of typical Kerala architecture and design styles, Maneesha’s belief in minimalism, led her to personally curate the construction, artwork, and heritage value of her property. Her understanding of the arts (she tried her hand at selling artwork in the US, after resigning from a high paying job with a global cosmetics company), is to be seen in every nook and corner of the property. Even the tiles used for roofing the cottages were dismantled from dilapidated old aristocratic Kerala homes and re-strengthened before being used at Kayal.
That she managed to find such an exclusive island, of which neither tourists nor tour operators had a clue about, shows her understanding of changing travel patterns. Yes, Kakkathuruthu is your typical backwater island. There are scores of islands in the Kuttanad and Cherthala belt which may feel similar, but it is its confluence with the property that has made it unique, and a standalone destination. The absence of bridges means that you will find only cycles and a few mopeds on the island. The ferry is the only way to reach the island. There are also old grocery stores selling candies, and sodas like in rural Kerala of yore. None of this has been built to attract the touristy crowd. Rather, all this has always been the way of life for this village. In Maneesha’s own words, the entire village feels like a big backyard, giving you the freedom to stroll around and explore rural life in complete privacy.
The Village
The island is dotted with several ponds for organized farming of fish and shelled seafood, while sights of rustic rural life such as coir making, fishing, coconut climbing etc are activities you can engage in at your convenience. Maneesha arranges walking tours for guests, with toddy tasting and village experiences as part of the walking tour. But more than anything, the best thing to do here is to sit back, pick up your favourite book, or if you like to indulge in the arts, a brush to paint; and enjoy the calmness by the side of the backwaters.
The village atmosphere gets to you by the first evening, and before you know it you would be happier lazing around in the personally curated property and the easy-going nature of the village, than heading out to neighbouring tourist spots in Cochin or Alleppey. After all, with an entire island of less than 3 kms radius to yourself, who needs a shared city?
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Box notes:
Ideal for:
Honeymooners, retired couples, leisure travellers
Best period to visit:
August-March
Suggested duration:
2 nights, 3 days
Things to do
Sit by the backwater all day long. Or go fishing, take a canoe ride at night, have your dinner in the middle of the backwaters, learn to climb a coconut tree and enjoy homemade Kerala delicacies
Route Map
20 kms from Cochin City. Take the turn towards the Eramalloor Ferry on NH 47. Once there, the blue boat of Kayal will pick you up.
Contact
Kayal Island retreat is the only place providing accommodation on the island. For bookings and enquiries contact +91 773 600 0989.
Address: KAYAL ISLAND RETREAT
Door No. VIII/265-A
Kakkathuruthu, Eramalloor,
Alleppey, Kerala, India. 688534
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