Neeleshwar Hermitage

The cottages are modelled on the fishermen's huts of this coast, built in local laterite stone under tile or thatch, with carved woodwork by craftsmen whose usual work is building and restoring temples. There are eighteen of them, each named after a yogic virtue. Bhakti, Prema and Santosh have private plunge pools, four look at the sea, two at the pool and nine at the garden. The site follows Kerala Vastu principles, oriented east to the rising sun.

Eating splits in two. Annapurna, the main dining room, is open on all sides to the gardens so the sea breeze does the cooling instead of air conditioning, and the food is mostly vegetarian. Meenakshi sits on the beach and cooks the fish the longboats bring in each morning. Yoga runs daily in the Patanjali hall or on the open Samadhi terrace, and the Priya Ayurvedic Spa has five treatment rooms around a courtyard garden.

Ninety five percent of the staff come from neighbouring villages. Water is filtered on site and served in copper or glass under a no plastic policy, and the resort closes around 45 days a year to let the place recover. Nileshwar station is 4km away, Bekal fort 15km.