The Punnamada Backwater Resort, Alleppey

chillibreeze writer — Yasmin

Time and tide will definitely not wait for man in Allepey. Time flies softly but swiftly and the tide gently rises, lifting your houseboat with a caress bringing you to the magical world of the Punnamada Resort.

Quaint streets crisscross with clusters of shops etched with the spirit of Kerala. The wealth of its culture, the charm of its architecture and the warmth of the people of Allepey draws you into the vortex of Nature. Driving along the roads of Allepey, the beckoning hand of Nature gently pilots you into the secrets of time and tide.

This is where you get off….Punnamada Resort, which echoes with the soft splashes of its magnificent backwaters, the chirping of birds and the sweet lure of a haven tucked into a heavenly niche.

The Punnamada Resort holds the factor of discovery. Walking into its natural courtyard, the eye is drawn by its center 4-pillared courtyard with an antique statue washed by a pool teeming with fish. The backwaters lap gently at the sides of the cottages and moats, its walls lulling one into an awesome silence.

Calm, complete and charismatic, the cottages of the resort are designed on exotic lines with a miniature garden nestling alongside its modern amenities. Comfortable and sophisticated these rooms offer a fabulous view. The backwaters form a moat around its structures with a bridge crossing over to a blue, blue pool. Geese swim in a graceful ballet while pedal boats, kayaks and speed boats wait in readiness for an adventurous spin over the wide expanse of the shimmering backwaters.

A gourmet’s delight awaits the hungry traveler. With a menu filled with exotic delicacies, Punnmada offers its wares in the ambience of a choola. Built over its ancient choola or melting and baking kilns, the choolas are marked in three wide circles enclosed by a wide verandah overlooking the blue lagoon.

Its piece de resistance are the houseboats. Chugging up to the waterfront jetty, these boats covered with a sweep of woven cane houses bedrooms, bathrooms, a covered patio, complete with all the amenities of a modern kitchen. You can have your food served by their cultured and hospitable boatmen, who even let you steer the houseboat through a huge maze of backwaters lined with quaint houses, ancestral homes and thatched huts. As far as the eye can see, the waters run into their alleys and roads, no wonder that it is called the ‘Venice of the East’. Fishing is not only a hobby but a lucrative business. Your lunch or dinner is inexpensive as you can cast a net, use a fishing rod from your houseboat or simply buy it from the kayaks of the fishermen. Just as we have public transport buses in cities, Allepey awes you with its public transport boats and ferries. Even the school kids are ferried by boats to school.

This mesmerizing experience is interrupted only by friendly shouts and waves from the ferry and from the locals on the waterfront. But practicality tugs you into its parlor and all too soon you are back on terra firma. But the charm of Punnamada lies deeply embedded in your mind. Its aura of the ancient secrets of Ayurveda gently wafts into the atmosphere and you are tempted to explore the elements of rebirth. Punnamada rejuvenates, revives and relaxes with its attitude of caring for your mind and body.

You cannot tear yourself away from its sweet caress. I could harmonize naturally with its ambience, its atmosphere and its aura. Punnamada holds the secret of metamorphosis……and you are transported instantly into paradise.

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Yasmin says," I lift up my eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help".

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