Sun, sand and sea …..tales from the life of a British expat in the UAE.
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” Helen Keller
People say “save the best to last” and that was certainly the case on our last stop in Kerala, the Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra in Kovalam, a member of the renowned and prestigious Relais & Chateaux hotel group which was quite simply out of this world.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain
The final destination on our Kerala tour was Kovalam, a beach town on the Arabian Sea in Thiruvananthapuram (colonial name Trivandrum).
“He who lives sees much. He who travels sees more.” Arab proverb
Kumarakom Lake Resort is an impressive luxury resort in Kottayam set over a vast twenty-five acres filled with coconut trees in manicured gardens on the shore of Vembanad Lake.
“Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.” Albert Einstein
The penultimate stop on our Kerala tour was Kumarakom located on Vembanad Lake, the perfect base from which to explore the backwaters and take a famed Kettuvallom tour, the converted rice barges that are better known as houseboats.
“My favourite thing is to go where I’ve never been.” Diane Arbus
The third destination on our Kerala adventure was Thekkady in The Western Ghats, home to India’s largest wildlife sanctuary, Periyar. Another long drive from Munnar through identical colourful town after colourful town saw us arrive in Kumily, a small market town surrounded by thick green forests and spice gardens.
