Think
India - Think Holiday At Kerala
In The South Of India
~ by Rajdeep Bhattacharjee
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| March
2005
It was late
last week while wrapping up my tour to Mumbai that I suddenly felt my inner
call for Vagamon, branded as one of the world’s 50 must see destinations
by the National Geographic Traveller Magazine.
The prompt
decision led me to change my return schedule to New Delhi and landed me
in Cochin Airport the next day with my only intention being to spend a
night at Vagamon. Upon arriving, I decided to head for Vagamon Heritage
Resort, a resort located in the hills of Vagamon.
Situated at
a distance of 100km from Cochin International Airport, the journey to the
resort was a cool experience as I was passing through paddy fields, rubber
plantations and green fields just about everywhere.
The Vagamon
Heritage Resort is 1100m above sea level, surrounded by tea gardens and
amazingly beautiful valleys and it is a trekker’s paradise.
I received
a wonderful welcome reception on my arrival and since it was late in the
evening, I decided not to venture out and instead enjoyed the bonfire inside
the resort before turning in for the night.
It was 5am
in the morning, when I got the wake up call, not from the hotel staff,
but from the crow of the hens. Ummm. I just took the opportunity to experience
the surroundings, which made me feel rejuvenated from within.
Since, I had
only 1 day to spend in Vagamon, I decided to find out the facts at jet
speed and the findings made me plan my next trip in April when I will have
7 days in hand. |
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The resort
has a unique secluded place reserved amidst nature for Yoga and Meditation.
It is here where you can receive answers about how to tune up your body,
about how to permanently solve your back pains, or how to relieve your
sore feet - all courtesy of the skilled masseurs at the resort.
Go For A
Nature Trek – Reach As Close As You Can With Vegamon Resort
Surrounded
by the hills and decked with greeneries, the resort lies within 25 acres
of land where you can go for nature walks through green tea plantations.
Man-made cobbled-stones pave the main route along with wooden bridges that
made the early morning trip an unforgettable experience. The fresh air
will always keep you energetic.
One of the
best parts about Vagamon was that the sun never disturbed me with its full
smile; the sun here will never make you weary, for it never ever widens
its scorching smile at anyone. The temp. here varies between 5 – 25 degree
Celsius. You can even experience the changing mood of the sun through the
windows of your cottage. The experience was one-of-a-kind for me and I
am sure it will be the same for you as well.
The resort
has a wide variety of flora and fauna, the most important being the tea
plantations on the terraced hill slopes.
A small part
of the resort is kept reserved for poultry and cattle farming. Here, you
can experience pure ethnic Kerala cuisine.
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In
Vagamon, you can savor the taste of pure Kerala cuisine, served in ethnic
cutleries and crockery. Bowls, dishes, pots, cups and mugs made of clay,
trays made of bamboo sticks; spoons made of coconut shells, which in the
local dialect are known as “‘chiratta”. There is no fixed menu as you have
the option of choosing your own menu from the resort's own organic vegetables.
The food here
is prepared using traditional appliances like Ammi (crushing stone) and
Attukallu (grinding stone), to give the food a unique taste. It seems to
be an attempt to prevent modernity from sneaking into the bastions of the
traditional kitchen of this resort. A small Biogas plant annexed to the
resort supplies the fuel for cooking.
Evenings inside
the resort are made to relax, and to sit and enjoy the bonfire and local
music. There are resident doctors to attend to any of your problems anytime
during your stay and they can even arrange home nursing for guests upon
prior request.
Accommodation
There are three
types of cottages: Rows of jungle stone cottages, wooden cottages (Erumadams-
in local language), and clay cottages, all overlooking a fresh-green hued
natural pool. I was a little confused which one to choose from, but at
last I decided to go with the clay cottages as I find them quite interesting,
but all three types have their own beauty. |
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All the rooms
and bathrooms were fitted with modern amenities for the comfort of the
guests. The furniture and fixtures are made in accordance with nature so
as to ensure an eco-friendly ambience.
The local natives
of Vagamon do all the construction and maintain them as well always using
eco-friendly methods.
Though it was
a short stay at the resort, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay, which was made
more comfortable by the wonderful gestures of the individuals in charge
of maintaining the resort. The life inside the resort was like life without
all hustles & bustles of everyday, which left a permanent mark in my
heart. I intend to strengthen it in April when I will return here to experience
everything the resort has to offer. But there is one thing. The resort
only accepts guests with confirmed reservations as no sightseeing inside
the resort is allowed. So, if you have any plans to be in this part of
India, add Vegamon Resort to your plans and write to Ms.Shivali Mathew,
Manager of Marketing at Vagamon: she can give you all the details you need
to know about the resort, resort.holidayatkerala@asianetindia.com
and subsequent booking.
Are there any
plans on your part to join me in April?? Keep me informed…
To see more
on Vagamon Hertiage Resort Click
Here
The following
are Rajeep's previous articles for the magazine:
 Northeastern
India -Destination:
Shillong
Northeastern
India - Destination:
Guwahati
Escape
To Sundarbans…. Indian
Flexabiltiy
Rajdeep Bhattacharjee
is a Travel Writer and can be contacted at rajdeep@ecotourism.cc
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