Kayal Island Retreat — Alleppey, India
A four-cottage island retreat on Kerala's Lake Vembanad, reached only by rowboat
Kayal sits on the shore of a private island in Kerala's Lake Vembanad, just off the port city of Kochi. The only way to reach it is by traditional rowboat. There are four cottages and no more. The invitation is to slow down: put away the gadgets, lock up the watch, and walk into what the property describes as life as it was a hundred years ago.
Its creator, Maneesha, was once a New Yorker. She left the city to start a luxury experiential travel company, Silk Route Escapes, and to build Kayal, which the property says went up brick by little brick.
Each waterfront cottage is inspired by local architecture and made with reclaimed and recycled material. Inside are old teak cupboards, a reading area and a desk for quiet contemplation, and an open-to-the-sky bath garden. The walls carry narratives of local history in art. The cottages are air-conditioned, and rooms start at INR 8,500 per night. Guests can also come for the day.
The days here are shaped by the island and its people. Guests walk the island and greet the islanders, take a canoe out on the backwaters, or spend time with a farmer in his fields, a fisherman on the lake, a toddy tapper up the tree, or the women of the village at their local festivals. Yoga and Ayurveda are part of the rhythm, and so are day trips to Fort Kochi and midnight stargazing.
The recognition is specific. National Geographic Traveler called the dusk here the best on earth. Kayal is the only place in India to feature in Nat Geo's Best 24 Hours on Earth, and it was named one of the 12 Incredible Boutique Hotels in India.
Traditions: Ayurveda, Yoga
Programs: Overnight stay in a waterfront cottage, Day visit with village stroll, canoe ride and tea, Canoe rides on the backwaters, Island walks with the islanders, Days with a farmer, fisherman or toddy tapper, Local village festivals, Yoga and Ayurveda, Midnight stargazing and Fort Kochi day trips