Great experience at the Kumarakom lake resort

On trip advisor among the top 5 resorts at Kumarakom in Kerala is the Kumarakom lake resort. The New York times and other international publications have reviewed the resort in detail. The property is a five star and next to the Taj Vivanta but still it manages to make a brisk business.
The resort spread over acres of land is architecturally well made. With small bridges over the backwaters, houses well built around the back waters allowed inside the property. The resort has a dense plantation which keeps the temperature pleasant even when its 36 degrees in Cochin. The resort is Managed by Paul Hotels which has a boutique hotel in Bangalore also.
On arrival your greeted with the coconut water. Resort has three categories of room, standard, heritage villas and deluxe rooms with a pool. We had booked the Heritage villa with a plunge pool and Jacuzzi. The room no 1234 is the last room facing the infinity pool and the backwaters. The rooms are well built and spacious and the management ensures that a importance is given on cleanliness and hygiene. They clean the room twice a day.
The resort has few indoor activities, like fishing in the backwaters, pottery and mat weaving. All were a fun thing and especially when your with a loved one the experience just heightens. My wife was also able to catch a fish in the hook.
The resort is managed by very hospitable attendants who keep giving you instructions on many things and everything that can be done in and around the area. The major attraction among Indian's is the sunset cruise but among the foreigners its the lunch or over-nigth cruise rides. The price may be a bit high but it worth every penny.
The two restaurants vembanad (Sea food restaurant on the lake) and the multi cuisine restaurant serve good food. Their in-house wine Big Banyan a premium international wine is superb. The chef rolls out lovely cuisines but avoid Indian ones as they are not well made. The complimentary breakfast a treat to see and have. Variety the word might prove to be small seeing the spread. Must have is the quail egg omelet. The overall experience at Kumarakom lake resort is awesome. Wife and me went there with the only agenda of relaxing and we did achieve it.

Old harbour in Fort Kochi

FORT Kochi all throughout i kept thinking there would be some fort but to my surprise there was none. It is just a place filled with heritage house and huge properties bought by people from other parts of India and who have set up uber cool restaurants to please mostly foreign tourist.
Among the various properties that stand there the OLD Harbour stands out ---reason there is an old Mercedes car (Impala) parked outside the main entrance which raised quiet a bit of curiosity. As you enter into the huge porch your greeted with happy looking attendants. Either you can sit in the open veranda without fans or in the rooms. The place also has 14 rooms for lodging.
Mr Shafi the master chef is not the person to monitor his beauties being dolled out from inside the kitchen. He takes rounds of each table connecting with his guest on whether they are comfortable with the food they are eating. To a sardar he speaks in punjabi, to foreigners in English and to Mumbaikar's like us he says kaise ho.
As we sit outside to enjoy our candle night dinner a friend of ours who is a regular visitor to the place and who introduced us to Old Harbour said you must have tiger prawns. An averse to sea food, with a lot of hesitation i eat one and it simply melted, more important no smell. It goes well with red wine (call for rose` wine, its chilled). The bruscheta which is only three pieces of bread has a filling topping. As we move to the main course we as the chef to prepare for us the most authentic kerala mutton curry with appams and there it is lovely lovely curry. The mutton is juicy and soft as it has to be and the appams just slip down your throat with the curry. Add to it a bit of mint chutney and you have stomach full.  For desserts don't miss the carrot cake with ice cream it will the one you have not had elsewhere.
The old harbour hotel is owned by Edgar Pinto an original of Kochi who studied in Fr Agnel school in Mumbai and has a passion for art is also a Salman Khan fan which immediately served as an ice-breaker between us.

PS: As is with all heritage hotels this place may be on the higher side but its surely better than its neighbouring competitors.