In an episode of Dolce India being aired in 150 countries now, celebrity Italian chef David Rocco sails through the backwaters of Kerala to reach a lush island in search of a healthy breakfast. At Kayal Island Retreat in the backwaters off Eramalloor in Alappuzha district, 15 km from Kochi, Rocco is greeted by Maneesha Panicker, who leads him into a day full of adventure—plucking aloe vera, using a toddy tapper’s ox bone, catching fish by feeling and making fish molee at her boutique hotel.
The retreat, with its five quaint cottages, uses wooden furniture reclaimed from old houses in Kochi and its outskirts that were razed down, and the old-world ambience it exudes is part of its charm.
But there is more to Kayal than just the cottage. It is unconnected by road or rail, with waterways the only available means of getting there. Since there is no use of cars on the island, the only sounds are the chirruping of birds and the wind rustling in the trees. The resultant quiet is therapeutic.
“That is one of the USPs of Kayal. The setting acts as a bait to tourists who wish to take a break from their hurried lives, slow down, and get closer to nature,” says Panicker. “Places like Alappuzha have become tourist-infested with its innumerable houseboats and lodges, and those who really want to unwind are left with few options. That is where a place like Kayal comes in.”
The Kochi-based entrepreneur decided to go into business after nine years in the US, where she graduated in industrial engineering from Pennsylvania University and worked for cosmetics brand Estee Lauder in New York. “I decided to relocate to Kochi from New York in October 2010 and launch Silk Route Escapes, and began offering tour packages around Fort Kochi,” she says.
In September 2013, she was shown an abandoned property in Kakkathuruth. “It was an artist residency which lay unused,” says Panicker. “It was ideal for a resort, but the property needed renovating. I bought the land on a 10-year lease and started work on getting it revved up for business.” With assistance from Kochi-based architect Jyothi and Maneesha’s ideas from her travels, the property was renovated at a cost of Rs.45 lakh. By December 2014, Kayal Island Retreat was open to tourists. Rates are Rs.7,500 per room during the off-season (May-September) and Rs.11,500 during December-March.
The easiest way to reach Kayal Resorts is from Eramalloor, an hour’s drive from Kochi airport. From Kudapuram on the shores of Lake Vembanad, tourists are taken to the retreat in a boat owned by Kayal.
“Visiting tourists are taken for walks around the island, which is largely a community of fishermen, and get close to the pace at which life moves in the island,” says Panicker. “We also take them on boat rides in a traditional vanji rowed by an oar.” The itinerary includes ayurvedic massages and lessons in yoga and kalarippayattu. Tourists can also try their hand at fishing in the backwaters. Meals at the retreat are authentic Kerala cuisine made from local produce and customised according to the tastes of each customer. Of the resort’s five staffers, four are from the island.
“Visitors are prodded to observe as life in the backwaters unfurls itself at its own pace,” she says. “The yoga and kalarippayattu sessions are held not for tourists’ sake but in such a way that they benefit from them after they leave,” she explains.
Panicker plans to open a beach and mountain resort in Kerala, inspired by the state’s lifestyle, culture and architecture.