The Park on Vembanand Lake - Alappuzha


THE PARK ON VEMBANAD LAKE AND APSARA, THE CRUISER PUTHENANGADI, ALAPPUZHA DISTRICT

USP: Ethnic plush



It's not a houseboat, it's not a ship. And, it's not a yacht either. Apsara is a floating boutique hotel that has a ‘docking station' — a lovely resort called The Park On Vembanad Lake, in Puthenangadi, Alappuzha District.

Ethnic and eco-friendly, the pathways and gardens of The Park On Vembanad Lake are chic. Some of the smaller granite boulders along the pathways are camouflaged speakers, and soft music emerges from them.



Apsara cabin
Stretching ahead are sheets of water, with a fisherman or two trying their luck with nets in catamarans. Woven dry coconut palm fronds adorn the roofs (there are pucca ceilings beneath) of the 10 Wi-Fi enabled luxury rooms, all of which face the lake, adding an ethnic touch.

Each room's interiors are custom-designed and the accessories are colour-coordinated. Hyacinth, the restaurant, provides local flavour as well as Continental fare. White tents house the spas.

But, we head straight to Apsara, and board the cruiser. Apsara houses eight cabins on two decks — two below and six above. The cabins are plush, furnished in leather, silk and cotton, and boast LCD TVs, books, films, beds, study tables, etc.



After a recce of the cabins upstairs, we enter the restaurant. Only then do we realise that the cruiser has long left the banks, and that we've been sailing. We take in the breeze on the deck, before tucking into a Kerala buffet, complete with Aleppey fish curry and a very original jackfruit dessert, with the fruit smeared with chilli flakes and salt.

And, then, it's time to succumb to the call of the breeze that lulls you into a siesta.

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Tariff

The Park on Vembanad Lake

Deluxe Lake View rooms: Rs. 12,000; Luxury Lake View rooms: Rs. 14,500; Vembanad rooms: Rs. 17,000; and Vembanad suite: Rs. 19,500 (May 1 to August 31)

From September 1 to 30, the rates are Rs. 15,000, Rs. 17,500, Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 22,500, respectively.

The Apsara cruiser

Single occupancy: Rs. 90,000 and Double occupancy: Rs. 99,000. These rates are for a ‘3 nights/4 days' sailing on APAI basis, inclusive of two-way airport transfers, all meals, daily cruising, sightseeing, and all taxes.

Things to do

Watch the lake from your room

Indulge in an Ayurvedic massage at the spa

Dine at Vallom, the restaurant at Park on Vembanad Lake, while enjoying a live performance

Buy the local produce at Apsara, and watch a demo of how baskets and other eco-friendly products are made by the neighbourhood women

Take a refreshing swim in the pool. Read a book in the balcony, watch the fishermen go by or lounge on Apsara's deck

Source: The Hindu

Comments

  1. Looking forward for a Kerala backwater holiday...

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