"Lake-facing villas on a working rubber estate near Kanyakumari"
Anantya by the Lake stands inside Vaikundam Estate, a rubber plantation on the banks of Chittar Lake in Kanyakumari district that has been in the same family since 1957 and is now run by the third generation. The estate's paper trail goes back further still: a history the resort traces to the royal family of Travancore, the British planter Sir Daniel Hamilton credited with creating rubber plantations in the area, and a 1928 ownership record naming Thomas Patrik Madden Alexander, William Coombe and Reginald Garnier.
The architecture is the draw. The resort cites Laurie Baker and Geoffrey Bawa as its guiding influences, and it shows in the materials: mud walls, exposed brickwork, handmade tiles on sloping roofs and rubble masonry, with large windows pulling the lake and the rubber trees indoors. There are 31 villas in six categories, from the two Sadhana Pool Villas with larger private pools and what the site calls the best lake and mountain view, through Veda Pool Villas with outdoor jacuzzis, Siddhi Villas with lily-pond gardens and open-to-sky showers, down to the garden-facing Tatva Cottages. Nearly everything faces the water.
Located in the midst of rubber plantations of Kanyakumari and nestled on the banks of Chittar lake, Anantya By The Lake offers a peaceful and picturesque setting.
Swaad, the al fresco restaurant, serves a Pan-Indian menu over the lake and will cook vegetarian, vegan or Jain food on request; Soma bar handles cocktails, and Flat Rock hosts barbecue dinners under the stars. Astitva, the Ayurveda centre, offers Kerala therapies with doctor-led consultations and 3 to 5 day stress or pain relief programmes, and yoga retreats can be arranged for individuals or whole groups. The location is genuinely unusual: the Kerala border country of Tamil Nadu, with Trivandrum airport 47 km away and Kanyakumari itself close enough to watch the sun rise and set over the ocean at India's tip. It is pet-friendly too, which is rare at this level.
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.
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.
Rates on request, usually back within the hour
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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.
Rates on request, usually back within the hour
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