Garden Villa
6 villas · 540 sq ft · 2 adults
₹11,500
per night · peak ₹16,500
Coconut grove and courtyard
- Breakfast for two
- Private verandah with a swing
- Outdoor rain shower
- Air-conditioned bedroom
Kumarakom, Kerala · Twelve villas on Vembanad
Twelve villas, one lake, and no reason to hurry.
A small property on the Cheepunkal shore, two hours from Kochi. Canoes at dawn, an Ayurvedic physician on call, and a kitchen that cooks whatever came off the boat that morning.
The villas
Three kinds of room. Twelve in total.
Tariffs are per night for two, including breakfast and all taxes except GST. Peak season is 20 December to 10 January.
Lake Villa
4 villas · 720 sq ft · 2 adults, 1 child
₹16,800
per night · peak ₹23,500
Vembanad lake, west-facing
- Breakfast for two
- Private deck over the water
- Plunge pool
- Sunset canoe, once per stay
Two-bedroom Villa
2 villas · 1,180 sq ft · 4 adults, 2 children
₹27,000
per night · peak ₹38,000
Lake and paddy fields
- Breakfast for four
- Living room and kitchenette
- Private garden and pool
- Airport transfer included
Experiences
Four things worth getting up for.
Dawn canoe through the canals
5:45am · 2 hours · included
A country canoe poled by Suresh, who grew up here, into channels too narrow for a houseboat. You will see more birds before seven than at any other time of day.
Toddy tapper’s morning
7:00am · 90 min · ₹1,200
Walk out with a tapper as he climbs the palms, and drink the sweet unfermented toddy at the base. Ends with a breakfast of kappa and meen curry in his home.
Ayurvedic consultation & therapy
By appointment · from ₹3,400
A consultation with a BAMS physician before any treatment, which is the correct order and is not what most resorts do. Abhyanga, shirodhara and podikizhi.
Cooking with Sarala
11:00am · 3 hours · ₹2,800
Five dishes in a Kerala kitchen — meen pollichathu, olan, thoran, and how to actually grind a coconut masala. You eat what you cook, for lunch.
Dining
Two kitchens, one boat.
Whatever the boat brings in at six goes on the board at seven. Beyond that, everything is grown within twenty kilometres — the rice, the coconut, the pepper, the tapioca.
- Kayal
- Over the water. Kerala and Syrian Christian cooking, a menu that changes with the catch. Dinner only, 7:30 to 10.
- The Verandah
- All-day. Breakfast until 10:30, then light meals. The appam and stew is the reason people come down early.
- In your villa
- Anything from either kitchen, served on your deck at no extra charge. Most guests do this at least once.
Book direct
Booking with us costs you less than booking through them.
- Best rate, guaranteed — we will match anything you find and take another 5% off
- Free cancellation up to 72 hours before check-in
- Complimentary airport pick-up from Kochi on stays of three nights or more
- A late checkout at 2pm whenever the villa allows it
Getting here
Cheepunkal, Kumarakom
Tamara BackwatersCheepunkal, Vembanad LakeKumarakom, Kottayam, Kerala 686563Open in Google Maps ↗| Cochin International Airport | 85 km | 2 hr 15 min |
|---|---|---|
| Kottayam railway station | 16 km | 30 min |
| Alappuzha | 38 km | 1 hr |
| Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary | 4 km | 10 min |
| Munnar | 145 km | 4 hr |
Before you book
Is the property suitable for children?
Yes, though the Lake Villas have unfenced decks over water and we ask parents to judge that. The two-bedroom villas have a fenced garden and a shallow pool. Cots and high chairs are free.
When is the best time to come?
October to March is dry and the lake is calm. June to August is the monsoon — the property is at its greenest and rates drop by about 35%, but boat trips can be cancelled at short notice.
Do you serve alcohol?
Yes, we hold a licence. There is a small list of Indian wines and a good selection of arrack-based cocktails made with local spices.
How do I get here from Kochi airport?
We can send a car for ₹4,200 one way, or it is included for stays of three nights or more booked directly. A taxi from the airport rank costs about the same and takes two and a quarter hours.
Check availability
Tell us your dates.
We hold the villa for 24 hours while you decide. No card is taken until you confirm, and cancellation is free up to 72 hours before you arrive.