Location
Kumarakom, Kerala, India

Tucked among coconut groves and waterways, this lakeside retreat is reached only by boat. Footbridges and elevated walkways cross the canals, while lawns and hammocks overlook Lake Vembanad, home to egrets, herons, cormorants and parrots, as well as an endangered breed of dwarf cattle. The open-air lobby, with its vaulted, tiled roof, is the waterfront arrival point for guests stepping off private ferries.

Two-story guest cottages incorporate theravads, antique residences moved from local villages. The original structures were built using traditional carpentry techniques, including nail-free wooden joinery, and retain tiled roofs, carved woodwork and distinctive metal door locks. Downstairs is a small living area, pantry, dresser and columned porch overlooking the lake; upstairs, spacious wood-paneled bedrooms have one king or two twin beds and en suite bathrooms with walk-in showers partially open to the sky. Rooms have air conditioning, Wi-Fi, a minibar, coffeemaker and bottled water.

The property has varied dining options, and meals range from fresh seafood at the lakeside grill to Kerala dishes such as fish curry and tapioca with crushed bird’s-eye chile, served on banana leaves at the main restaurant. Additional amenities include a lakeside pool, a spa offering Ayurvedic massages and a floating tea shop in a canoe that travels the waterways. The resort uses solar power for heating, filters and bottles its own drinking water, and converts food waste into biogas for cooking. Toiletries come in reusable containers, while discarded plastic bottles are recycled into building materials.