Fresh from spending a
night in a fancy houseboat which cruised the famed backwaters of Kerala, our #KeralaBlogExpress2 crew headed to our next destination: the City of Kottayam. Set against the backdrop
of Vembanad Lake—the largest lake in Kerala—the Western Ghats on the east and
the lush rice fields of Kuttanad on the West, Kumarakom is also where one can
find the charming backwater village of Kumarakom.
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| The Meandering Pool Villas of Kumarakom Lake Resort |
Our accommodation for the
next couple of nights, the Kumarakom Lake Resort situates on an expansive lakeside property dotted with
villas and suites modelled after the 16th century traditional houses of Kerala.
Many of the building materials used such as pieces of wood, planks and tiles
were transported from the original locations of heritage houses all over
Kerala.
Heritage
Villa
Each one of us were
billeted to a Heritage Villa that comes with a Private pool and a courtyard.
Mine was absolutely fantastic situated across the direction of the picturesque
Vembanad Lake.
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| My room for a couple of nights, the Heritage Villa with Private Pool |
The interior are composed
of mostly teak wood materials, antique furniture, brown-squared tiles and a queen-sized
bed featuring an artwork depicting Keralan folklore on its headboard.
A sliding door leads to
the outdoor shower and private swimming pool while a small porch on the front
leads to the resort’s spacious manicured lawn and garden. After putting my
backpack inside the cabinet, I took advantage of our few hours of free time by
immediately jumping into my villa’s swimming pool.
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| The Private Pool of my Villa |
Ottamthullal
Kerala Performance Art
During our first night we
were entertained with a live Ottamthullal cultural art performance at the
resort’s main dining area. An 18th-century dance introduced by renowned poet in
Kerala Kunchan Nambiar, an Ottamthullal
is a solo cultural performance by a dancer also called the Ottamthullal who normally wears a green makeup and a colorful
costume and ornaments.
They add a level of flair to their dance by displaying
expressive facial expressions. Afterward, I was able to ask the performer for a selfie.
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| with our Ottamthullal face on |
Food
and Dining
Kumarakom Lake Resort’s
main dining place is the Ettukettu, a multi-cuisine restaurant that can sit 115
diners and is located at the middle of the resort’s lush garden surrounded by
two courtyards. Ettukettu was designed to evoke Kerala’s olden and regal
architecture.
According to the history plaque at the restaurant, Ettukettu was “commissioned by the King Marthanda Varma as
a gift to his favoured martial arts tutor, Edamana Kellamthat Gurukkal, the
mansion was built with all the magnificence of the homes of the nobility of
those days. The Ettukettu had been dismantled from its original location and
relocated in all its glory at Kumarakom Lake Resort, and is today dedicated to
the culinary arts as it once was to martial arts”. During our stay here, we
enjoyed a full-board meal consisting of traditional Kerala culinary delicacies
as well as North Indian and Chinese cuisine.
Other
Activities and Amenities
Book your stay at Kumarakom Lake Resort NOW
