"Lake-facing villas on a working rubber estate near Kanyakumari"
Anantya by the Lake sits inside the Vaikundam Estate, a working rubber plantation on the banks of Chittar Lake in Kanyakumari district — about as far south as India goes. The land's history runs back to the royal family of Travancore; the British planter Sir Daniel Hamilton is credited with establishing rubber here, and the estate has been with one family since 1957, now into its third generation.
The resort takes its design cues, by its own account, from Laurie Baker and Geoffrey Bawa: mud walls, exposed brickwork, handmade tiles on sloping roofs, and windows large enough to let the tropics in. Thirty-one villas fall into six categories, from bathtub cottages to pool villas claiming the best of the lake and mountain views.
One of South India's most quietly convincing lake addresses.
Meals happen at Swaad, an al fresco dining room looking over the lake with a pan-Indian menu; drinks at the Soma bar; barbecue nights out at Flat Rock. Ayurveda has a dedicated centre, Astitva, offering consultations and multi-day programmes — and the lake itself is clear enough that guests are invited in for a swim.
The resort sits on the banks of Chittar Lake in Kanyakumari district, on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border amid the Western Ghats. Trivandrum International Airport is the closest, 47 km and about 90 minutes away, and Kuzhithurai is the nearest railway station at 18 km; the resort can arrange taxi pickups from either.
It lies within Vaikundam Estate, a working rubber plantation whose history the resort traces to the Travancore royal family and early British planters; it has been run by one family since 1957 and is now third-generation owned.
Six categories: Chakra and Tatva cottages, the Prana Jacuzzi Cottage with an open-air jacuzzi court, Siddhi Villa, and the Sadhana and Veda pool villas with private pools overlooking the lake.
Activities include a guided rubber-plantation tour ending at the Love Nest viewpoint, pool zorbing, fishing, cycling, traditional Kreeda board games, swimming in the lake and a children's playground; some activities are chargeable.
Yes, Anantya by the Lake is pet-friendly and says it welcomes furry, feathered and scaled companions, with a range of pet-friendly amenities.
Two lake-facing villas with the larger private pools and, the resort says, the best lake and mountain views; living room with dining table, and a bathtub.
Four lake-facing villas, each with a private pool and an outdoor jacuzzi.
Eight lake-facing villas with a private garden and lily pond, and an open-to-sky outdoor shower.
Five lake-facing cottages with an outdoor jacuzzi set beside a lily pond, and a veranda.
Seven lake-facing cottages with a bathtub and a veranda.
Five garden-facing cottages with a bathtub and a veranda.
By enquiry Kahani hides in twenty acres of hillside garden directly behind the sandy bay of Paradise Beach, on the Gokarna peninsula. There are just eight rooms and suites, all looking out at the Arabian Sea, with coastal cooking and plenty to do on and off the estate. The gardens are full of butterflies.
By enquiry The grand old name of the Kumarakom backwaters: a 25-acre heritage resort on the banks of Vembanad Lake, four times named India's Leading Resort at the World Travel Awards. Stays run from heritage villas with private pools to meandering-pool villas and the resort's own houseboats. Ayurmana, the Ayurveda spa, is taken seriously here; the traditional Kerala teashop is a nice touch among the restaurants.
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