"Heritage villas and houseboats on the banks of Vembanad Lake"
The villas at Kumarakom Lake Resort were not built to look old; many of them are old. They are reconstructions of manas, 16th-century Kerala homesteads, transplanted from their original sites and reassembled by hand, plank by plank and tile by tile, across 25 acres on the banks of Lake Vembanad. The result won the World Travel Award as India's Leading Resort four times, and was still collecting trophies in 2023 as Kerala's Leading Resort.
Seven categories cover the spread. Presidential Suites with Private Pool have their own lake view, courtyard and pool; Heritage Lake View Villas add a plunge pool with jacuzzi and a panoramic sweep of Vembanad; Heritage Villas face lotus-strewn canals. The clever bit is the 250-metre meandering pool that snakes through the eastern side of the resort, with villas on its banks, each opening onto the water from a private alcove, in duplex and single-storey versions. Open-roofed courtyard bathrooms run throughout, and there are traditional kettuvallom houseboats with a personal crew and chef for nights on the lake itself.
The 200-year-old Ayurmana had been the home of the Chathamangalathu Mana, a family of renowned Ayurvedic practitioners.
That building is now the resort's Ayurveda spa: a nalukettu, a traditional four-sided mansion, transported here in its entirety from its original location.
Dining leans local and confident: Ettukettu, a 115-seat restaurant in an eight-sided mansion with two central courtyards; Vembanad, a seafood bar on the water's edge with a dedicated chef; Thattukada, a recreated Kerala teashop where evening tea and snacks are complimentary; and the small Pool Pavilion by the infinity pool. A one-hour sunset cruise is included every evening, canal cruises go out by motorised canoe, and the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is a short boat ride away. Kottayam station is about 15 km; Cochin airport roughly an hour and a half by road. This is the reference point for Kerala backwater luxury, and it earns the title.
In Kumarakom, Kerala. The nearest airport is Kochi (COK).
The resort sits on the banks of Vembanad Lake at Kumarakom North in Kottayam district, Kerala, about 72 km from Cochin International Airport.
Heritage Villas and Heritage Lake View Villas with private pools, Meandering Pool Villas and Duplex Villas, Luxury Pavilion Rooms, Presidential Suites with private pools, and its own houseboats on the lake.
They line a 250-metre-long meandering swimming pool, and each villa has its own private bathing cove and sit-out with direct access into the pool.
Yes. Ayurmana, the resort's Ayurveda spa, offers treatment and rejuvenation packages with resident doctor consultations.
The famous Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, home to cormorants, egrets, herons and migratory birds, is a short boat ride away, and the resort's 25-acre grounds open straight onto the Vembanad backwaters.
Each suite stands in its own seclusion with a view of the lake, a private pool, a private courtyard and regal interiors in the traditional style.
Villas in Kerala's traditional homestead style with a private courtyard, plunge pool and jacuzzi, and a panoramic view of Vembanad Lake.
Built in the style of the traditional Kerala homestead, each villa has a private courtyard with pool and jacuzzi, looking onto landscaped gardens and lotus-strewn canals.
Two-storeyed villas flanking the 250-metre meandering pool — sitting rooms below, bedrooms above, each room looking onto greenery and water.
Traditionally styled villas set on the twists and turns of the 250 m meandering pool, each with pool access from its own private bathing cove and cosy sit-out.
An exclusive cluster of generously proportioned rooms nestling amid the foliage, with heritage aesthetics, an en-suite bathroom and jacuzzi.
Kerala's traditional kettuvallom houseboats, styled to the norms of tradition yet equipped with modern amenities — stay and dine afloat on the serene waters of Vembanad Lake.
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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Anantya sits on the banks of Chittar Lake inside the Vaikundam Estate, a working rubber plantation in Kanyakumari district run by one family since 1957. Villas and cottages face the lake, some with private pools or outdoor jacuzzis; days go on plantation tours, fishing from the banks, and drives to watch the sun set at the tip of India.
Rates on request, usually back within the hour
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