KERELA .... Gods Own Country?

Gods Own Country.... I always wondered why Kerela was known as that.... being 1/4 Malayalee I have never had the chance to truely explore Kerela the roots of where my grandfather came from.

In Malaysia, the Malayalee society is pretty big but yet the people are different only because we are Malaysians more than Indians so when it comes to culture and the thought process... everything is actually pretty different. N so .... i went on this trip to find out for myself....
I arrived Kochi and was scheduled to cover the very nice hotels for Our program, one was the Brunton Boatyard in Fort Kochi and the other was Vasundhara Sarovar Premier Resorts in Vayalar.
Well to begin with, i didnt think the airport was very nice... it was extremely hot with no air conditioning what so ever.... sigh... i was in for a long day... or so i thought....
To me the drive to the hotel in Fort Kochi was like any other city in India, didnt seem to have its charm that people were talking about and i was still in search of something special.... as we crossed to Fort Kochi... everything was slowly changing... the place was looking much nicer and more colonial....

Fort Kochi was definitely an eye catcher... it was a picturesque backdrop from any angle you were looking at. The Arabian sea was still and peaceful. Something very different from what ive seen before.
Being a portuguese settlement back in the days the influence is still very much there for example the St Francis Church. But what i loved most watching were the chinese fishing nets and the fish market.

chinese fishing nets

Brunton was an amazing piece of work.... I loved it the moment i walked in... the interior of the place was set in a very English background. The welcome was warm and i immediately felt at home... away from the hustle and bustle of the honkings, this place was just what i needed after the long long rides up north.

The rooms were quaintly decorated with nice wooden beds and a very pretty bathroom and an amazing view from the balcony right out towards the sea..... but then i was looking for the TV....  where was it.... this place had no TV.. except in the suites.... i was a little upset at 1st... but retrospectively i realized this is definitely a smarter way to make sure you relax and get into the real mood of chilling and just taking the scenic and cultural values that it has to offer.... and im not talking about the Hotel alone but the whole of Fort Kochi... I loved the room, the surroundings and the staff... everyone was warm and had such great vibes....

Chef Ajeeth, our host was great!!! We instantly connected  ...Sapna and I were esthetic to have met such a bubbly and full of life Chef... and of course his food was amazing.... i can still taste the prawns .... oooh the name is a tongue twister for sure kurumolaga pachai something prawns or just ask for Chef Ajeeth's special prawns dish.  Of course this is Kerela... one cannot live without coconut.... it was everywhere!!!!! everything that they cook had a dash of coconut oil, coconut milk, grated coconut and the list goes on.... people asked me about the smell ... everything tasted amazing and delicious... so i asked them back ... what smell? LOL ... seriously there was no smell if you r a great chef! ... So Chef Ajeeth u were great...

Breakfast was amazing, thosai, idly, vada, puttu and the list goes on... i probably cant remember half of the others....... just sitting outside in the mornings was a treat by it self... fresh fruits was also given.. the ambience was so relaxing... my mom really relaxed and wishes to bring dad along the next time... but maybe its because she made good friends with Ajeeth, he was a jem!

 

He took us around Fort Kochi did a little bit of fish shopping which Sapna enjoted thoroughly and we went to a spice vendor ... amazing what people use as spice!!! There was also a place called Gujurati street this because there were and still are alot of guju's in kochi .... sweet snacks that are authentically gujurati was what we savored in.

We also witnessed a cultural show at greenix village and got to learn about the many traditional dance forms of Kerela....  the place was very tastefully designed and i was drawn to the many cultures and traditions of Kerela ....i did remember a few... 1st thing that comes to find is of course the kathakali ... and mohini attam ... Thank you so much for the hospitality and great coffee.

So slowly i was falling in love with this place ...... but i was still questioning myself... gods country? really? but y? was it the people or was it just vibes in the air ....
I enjoyed working with the crew in Kerela, truly imaginative, creative and hardworking.... that made me feel happy too.... so all in all i was in a happy place ... maybe thats why they called it gods own country....

Well we travelled out of town to this place called Vayalar.... about 45 minutes to an hour from Kochi city..... we arrived to a place that was remote ... like the feeling i had before.. the drive in wasnt great but when you actually reached... WOW! was all i could say ... the drama effect at the lobby was something i would never have expected. Kathakali in 3D effect and paintings of people watching .... everything was very village like experience but in luxury... nice ...

The resort was amazing, serene and peaceful, we met with the GM Anand, and he was a gracious host and made our shoot very relaxing and loads of fun too. Truly enjoyed his company and all the assistance that was rendered to us during our stay.

The rooms were big and spacious, tastefully designed and it was so relaxing, i really wish i had more time to spend here just to take in the serene beauty of the back waters from the balcony...

There was a little temple like a chapel on the grounds of the hotel and it was such a pretty sight... every evening there would be priest saying a lil prayer for everyone.

There was so much to do on this resort... we didnt even know where to start.... well yes knowing Sapna we started with the food of course.. and that brought us to meeting Chef Suresh... different and simply delicious... loved the duck especially.... of course the fish was equally amazing... Chef Suresh shy at 1st warmed up to us gradually and thought me a nice name for my dear Sapna..... Panni! :)

I went fishing too .... once i cought a fish alive... the famous karemeen ... coil making was also on our to do list.... fun and relaxing at the same time ...

We had a feast for breakfast one morning... on the luxurious boat house... a feast fit for a king i must say... Suresh fed us... and Sapna ate .... lol! I cant remember names of all the dishes but it was all yummy! Egg roast, mutton stew and appam was my favourites.... The boat house was so pretty i loved it, very rustic looking from the outside but equipped with modern fittings inside.... perfect ! The view from the top deck was simply marvelous ... i was a happy person indeed ...

We had great fun together especially the boat trip thru the backwaters to the toddy shop.... never in my wildest dream i thought i was going to be able to visit a place like this.... but hey theres a 1st time for everything huh....  i was scared at 1st but it was all a great experience.. didnt dig the toddy though...

The view was breath taking..... i felt like i was transported to another world.... and thats when i realized the meaning of Gods own Country..... everything looked untouched, unspoilt and really natural.... there wasnt a building in sight.... it was just me and the skies and the water.....

Gods Own Country ..... Kerela..... cant wait to visit more of it..... :)