Meet the newest entrant at one of the finest chains of small boutique and villa hotels in Kerala (Malabar Escapes). Privacy is an oasis of old world romance miles away from the more commercial resorts scattered around the village of Kumarakom and Lake Vembanad.
Privacy is made up of two heritage villas nestled among the plantation hills of Kerala and directly on the shore of the lake. A charming traditional structure made of thatched roofs, Privacy is bound on all sides by the lush greenery of the tropical landscape – and it has its own pool!
The Waterfront Villa is easily the favourite because of its air-conditioning and huge sliding screens that go into the veranda with its views right across to the lake. The villa is more of a suite and is linked to the Heritage bungalow, by the spectacular swimming pool. You would think the striped deck chairs by the pool would look incongruous in the middle of all the tropical greenery, but it feels stylish and quaintly luxurious.
The Heritage bungalow is a relocated ancient wooden cottage with an individual bedroom and private bath garden. The villas are separated by the hall and rented out individually. Both bungalows have private sit outs and verandas overlooking Lake Vembanad. The pool is half way between the two bungalows.
With some of the best food in the country eaten candlelit by the lake, a beautiful swimming pool in the middle of a spice garden and a house that is basically all yours in the middle of nowhere- you can’t really go wrong!
Like a visitor had so eloquently put it, “I was reminded of poetry when I first stepped ashore… ”
Stay
Both the villas are very distinct from each other. Colourfully minimalist, nothing here is not beautiful. There is a beauty and symmetry that underpin the casual way in which antiques and art have been scattered across the property.
The very pretty whitewashed waterfront suite bungalow has a thatched roof creating a shaded veranda which is supported by teak columns. There is an abundance of natural cotton fabrics in the bedroom, which contrast with the traditional wooden furniture and the cool tiled floors. Beautiful but very comfortable deckchairs on the veranda provide the perfect resting place and respite from the sun.
The antique wooden heritage cottage is adorned with carvings and stops just short of becoming stuffy – with the windows looking out to the verdant green and the beautiful lotus pond. Around a main hall there are two bedrooms, a king sized double and a twin, all identically furnished with green and red silk cushions on cream linen with dark panelled walls.
The central hall showcases local art and has a solid dining table at one end, with rattan chairs and sofa at the other. You can lounge on the spacious veranda overlooking Lake Vembanad and admiring the garden.
Whether you rent both or stay in one, it delivers what is promised – total privacy.
Dine
The cuisine is based on the seafood-leaning, Mediterranean-tinged menu of the Malabar house in Cochin, and you can tuck into their delicate curries and fresh juices wherever you choose – inside the bungalow, the pool deck or the lawn of the garden. Candlelit dinner on the veranda overlooking the lake is a favourite though!
Drinks and snacks are available from 7 am until 11 pm, and the staff is always at hand to fix you a drink whenever you like. Breakfast is included in the daily room rate. Room service is available from 6 am until midnight.
Privacy – as the name suggests – is perfect for a couple looking for somequiet time by themselves. The stunning lake side swimming pool with its incongruous deck chairs is a great way to spend the day. Or you could pull an easy chair and a sun umbrella wherever you want and gaze at the gorgeosity around you.
For the more adventurous, there are mountain bikes available for you to borrow and ride the nearby lanes to discover the life of the local community. The very modern electric boat, Discovery, is free of cost for the guests at Privacy and is a definite must do.
Make a dash for Alleppey to see the historic canals and sights of this port town. Wet your feet at the nearby beach of Mararikulam.
Explore the lake, canals and waterways in their own electric propelled traditional ‘snake boat’.
Take a speedboat ride around the lake and visit Kumarakom. Attend alocal church service. Go on village walks in the surrounding rural countryside stopping to see coir factories.
Like all Malabar Escape properties – Privacy makes use of hydroelectric power, recycles where possible, cleans with organic detergents and provides home-made organic toiletries in the bathrooms.
The vegetables are all home grown and only natural Indian cotton has been used. The carpets in the rooms are made of local hand made coir and the swimming pool uses a state of the art filtration system that uses minimal chlorine.
What’s Hot!
- Beautiful location right on the lake.
- Complete privacy – great for couples! You’ll see no one but fishermen floating by and staff is present but not overbearing.
- Excellent food and few places could be more idyllic to eat – candlelight, outdoors and close enough to the lake to dip your toes!
- The glorious new lakeside pool.
What’s Not!
- The property is a little difficult to find and the approach road is a dirt track for the last mile or so.
- There can be mosquitoes at night, due to its lakeside location.
- Being close to the lake, vigilance is required if children cannot swim.
Ideal For Whom
Ideal for families (vigilance is required if children cannot swim), a group of friends or two couples who want to escape to a retreat and be on their own. Child care is provided.
In fact, Privacy is an extremely romantic spot – and hiring both the rooms will make for an unforgettable honeymoon!
When To Visit
By far the best time to go is from end November to March, when it is dry, clear and not too hot. April and May are normally quite dry, but getting rapidly hotter. There is usually some respite from the monsoon inAugust/September.
How Many Days
Two or three nights would be ideal to wind down. Privacy is the perfect, peaceful place to end a holiday in Kerala; it will force you to slow down and to switch off before flying home.
Things To Bring
A copy of Salim Ali’s Birds of Kerala to help you identify the bird life of the backwaters, mosquito repellant and a swim suit.
Privacy at Sanctuary Bay is situated on the shores of Lake Vembanad, near the Thaneermukkom Bridge, facing the backwaters of Kumarakom in Southern Kerala.
By air
Cochin airport is the closest and is accessible by daily flights from all Indian metros & Lakshadweep. There are also flights from all major European metros via Bangalore, Madras, Mumbai, Delhi, Dubai, Kuwait, Doha, Muscat, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Colombo. Flights that come in from Asia via Singapore land in Cochin too.
By train
Alleppey or Ernakulam are the closest stations to Privacy. There are connections to all major cities in India and Kerala. Alternatively take a train to Chertala, and then drive 8 km by car to Thaneermukkom.
By water
REGAL BOW RIDER 130 HP 6-seater speedboat from The Malabar House through the Vembanad lake up to Privacy at Sanctuary Bay
By road
Take the NH47 highway from Thiruvananthapuram or Ernakulam to Chertala, then Thaneermukkom, and then Kannankara. Sign boards of Privacy at Sanctuary Bay, are put up on the way, so you should not miss it!
Transfers
Privacy arranges transfers by taxi to and from the airport & railway stations. Time to airport is approximately 2 hours, to Ernakulam station 1 hour and 30 minutes or to Alleppey ½ hour.
Joerg Drechsel, an ethnographic exhibition curator with enviable taste and style and Txuku Iriate Solana, his attractive Basque wife, an excellent cook – are the owners of the widely successful Malabar Escapes. Already having the ingredients of a good holiday between the two of them – the perfect marriage of excellent design and good food, it was difficult for them to go wrong.
Their properties are an extension of their fine sensibilities, and especially Mr Drechsel’s, who was a curator of Islamic art. His eclectic art collection promises that you will find fine objects of art imaginatively displayed all over the hotels. Besides having excellent taste, the couple is equally passionate about the environment and though Malabar Escapes is the last word on a luxurious, stylish holiday in Kerala – their properties have very good eco-credentials.
“Privacy, is let out to only one set of guests at a time. It comes with its own personal chef and a cruise aboard its luxury houseboat, Discover.” VOGUE, JANUARY 2009.
“There’s no place more stylish to cleanse yourself than this peaceful backwater retreat in India’s sublime southern state…” Newsweek | HOTSPOT
“Possibly the most romantic, privacy may also rank as the smallest hotel on earth” The Sunday Telegraph
“The 150 greatest escapes in the world: most peaceful, privacy, Lake Vembanad,” Harpers & Queen Travel Awards 2003
