Kerala Vacations

Small Hotels and Homestays

The Government of Kerala has made the decision to encourage the development of small home stays and local places to stay rather than allowing the larger chains a free hand. The previously quiet and undeveloped area of Marari Beach is going to be developed and there are plans for some larger resorts along the coast there. This will change the area enormously, but there is little danger at present of a concrete wall going up all along the beach. The Tsunami made people very cautious about beach-front development, and most of the buildings will be well back behind the small palms which front the sand.
During peak times accommodation in the better-known hotels is very difficult   to find, and indeed, for most of the year there is a dearth of rooms in larger hotels.
Travellers often prefer the thought of small, more intimate places to stay, and in these Kerala abounds. Some are famous across the world: PhillipKutty's Farm on the backwaters, Malabar Escapes and Serenity, and others which have only three or four rooms but offer the standards of luxury of a five-star hotel.
We are sometimes asked to book homestays, and where we can we will, but we, as agents, have problems with the smaller businesses which have mushroomed in places like Periyar and the backwaters.
We need to be absolutely sure that bookings don't get lost, that we can make email contact and that payments are acknowledged. Unfortunately, some of the newer business people are not as efficient as we need them to be and "Home Stays" don't live up to expectation.
There are a number of very small places which we can use with confidence, and we do book these for customers who want a getaway, or to get closer to the way in which people live in Kerala. This number is growing all the time and the home stay experience is just one which makes Kerala really special.

What makes a good hotel?

Thumbing through the travel press this week, and thinking how difficult it can be to assess hotels I got to thinking about what I like about some places and dislike about others. Surprisingly, I don't think that the price matters much. I have been very happy with simple, cheap hotels and extrememly uncomfortable in some "luxury" resorts. Travelling in India sorts your priorities out, so I came up with a list of ten things which mean I will like a place.
First and foremost, clean! Shiney clean, especially bathrooms and floor coverings.
2. Clean soft furnishings, washable bed covers, curtains, cushion covers etc. Fancy finishes which degrade quickly and look grubby are a disaster and really put me off.
3. Tea and coffee making facilities. Only the expensive hotels in India have this, for some reason, but it is bliss to come in hot and tired and make a drink, and tea and coffee in bed in the morning where there is no room service is a bonus for me.
4. Fluffy towels, and lots of them.
5. Good toiletries. Many hotels are going to refillable bottles, and I have no problem with these.
6. A hairdryer somewhwere around.
7. I love to be made to feel welcome when I enter my room. Many places have fresh flowers, some fruit or a welcome pack or folder of information. This is even better when it is personalised. I overlook a lot when I feel welcome.
8. A good light for reading
9. Mosquito nets, whether I need them or not so I have the choice of air-conditioning or open windows
10. Information, local and about the hotel, where to go, what to see, what to do, catering arrangements.

I can think of many more, such as a hammock, matches with the candle for when the electricity fails, extra pillows and responsive staff. Would anyone else like to comment?

Feedback from Italy

Our Italian partners have been working hard for the last year and have sent a number of clients to Kerala. We get clients from all over the world, but the Italians seem to be visiting India in ever greater numbers. This can just after one couple reached home:

"Gentile Signora Silvana, un po' di tempo che volevamo scriverle.Ci siamo trovati molto bene con l'agenzia GOC in Kerala quando siamo andati a marzo. Abbiamo conosciuto il Sig Kumar che sempre stato gentile chiedendoci giornalmente se tutto andava bene. Il viaggio, stato organizzato bene e anche i lodge andavano bene.

......... Ci saluti Mr Kumar.La ringrazio molto, e la saluto cordialmente.

Bruna e Attilio Perindani -

PS: se qualche ns amico dovesse effettuare un viaggio in Kerala consiglieremo senz'altro la vs agenzia, mentre da parte ns magari, avanti faremo un viaggio in Rajastan e ci informeremo presso di voi per l'organizzazione."

A new arrangement for visas

At last the long wait for an Indian Visa is at an end! The lines which snaked up the Aldwych from India house are no more, and we will not miss the occasions when we have been forced to sleep in a grotty hotel because we had failed to get a visa on the day and had to start to queue again at 5.30 the following morning!
The new arrangements for visas can be found on the revamped and well-organised website at
http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/
Visa applications can be downloaded and sent by post, or submitted online and you can also pay online. You can choose how  you want to receive your Visa, and get an appointment to submit your passport and other documents.
The other good news is that there are now several regional centres to submit your application including Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Cardiff.
You will need to give an address in India. If you need any help or advice with your visa application, please let us know.

Swine flu- the latest!

Latest: December 2009

Arrival at the airport is a lengthy business. As well as completing your form, be prepared to have your temperature taken. If you have a fever you will be quarantined for 24 hours.

Swineflu pandemic panic seems to be gripping everyone, and although the disease does not seem to be too severe, there is always the danger that the virus will mutate and become more serious.
All visitors to India at present need to fill in a declaration to present to immigration. You can get the form from
http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advice for travellers at
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/swine-flu
There is no specific advice on travel to India at present, but it is as well to keep an eye on this site, and, of course, make sure that your insurance is up to date!

Rain Trees

One feature of Cochin which remain in the memory are the huge Rain Trees which provide shade and shelter in the streets of Fort Kochi. They are not indiginous to India, and were brought from the Americas at some time in the past. We have been told that Vasco da Gama was responsible for their introduction, but it is unlikely that they were planted so long ago. Others say that the British brought them, but again they are probably not the responsibility of the East India Company. Whoever planted them, they are a wonderful addition to the city.
From a distance their canopies spread like umbrellas. From the front in Fort Kochi the islands of Bolgatty and Vipeen are outlined by their shapes. Close up, each tree is its own world with an ecosystem all its own. A large variety of birds and insects live amongst the fruit and flowers, and their branches are festooned with ferns and other parasitic plants.
I was staring up into the top of one huge Rain Tree when a local man pointed out that if the plants which grew into it were cleared, the tree would die. He told me that they were supposed to be cleared every year. Again, I don't know whether this is true or not, but they are much loved by tourists and locals alike.
 The trees look old and fragile, but it is hard to see just how poor their condition is. A storm in April 2009 brough down more than one huge branch from the trees which shade the edge of the Parade Ground near St Francis's Church.