We a team of 28 adults (including 5 families) had been to the Waterscapes resort for a get together. This place was suggested to us by Savion Travels (Bharat online). This is a backwater resort and is owned by KTDC. Initially we had mixed opinions about the resort cleanliness, maintenance, etc, since it was owned by the government.
We started our Journey from Chennai on 1st September, 2010 by Trivandrum mail ad reached on 2nd Sep 2010 by 8.00 am. We proceeded on a bus from Kottayam Railway station to the resort after finishing our breakfast. The road to Kumarakom village is so narrow and damaged and we seemed we were inside a jungle when we reached the resort entrance. Yes the resort is located inside a jungle, on the shores of the mighty Vembanad lake and the bird sanctuary.
We had booked 12 rooms on twin sharing basis (with each family occupying a single room for them). The check-in time was 12 noon and we were at the resort by 10.00 am itself, too early at the resort to check in. We had to request for some rooms before check in time for all of us to get refreshed, but to our surprise, the Receptionist replied that all the rooms we had booked are cleaned and ready for occupation and even served a tasty welcome drink at the reception itself! They told us that they knew that we are coming early by train from a long distance and expected us earlier! We were really impressed by their response. *They held details of our team members and had allocated their rooms considering everyone’s privacy. The receptionist and the assistants are very kind and polite and explained all guidelines with patience and with a smille.
About the location, if we need to say it in a word, it’s awesome. We had taken the canal view cottages. Here the cottages are independent and raised to a height of around 6 feet. One has to climb up the stairs and reach their room. The cottages were looking too old and some under refurbishing, but the interiors are well lit with glass windows on all the sides. There were two cots at every room with clean white bed sheets, towels and pillows. The cottage has fluorescent lamps and as well as the dim lightings for a romantic situation. The toilets and bath tub are clean. Here the KTDC had made the wrong choice of flooring and the interiors. The walls are dull and un-artistic… You have both hot water and cold water in your room. But the pipe fittings are really old and needs to be changed in most of the rooms.Some of our friends had faulty electrical equipments. That were serviced later.
The environment is very eco-friendly, greenery everywhere you see. There is no trace of dust or smoke any where inside the premises. Though the cottages are in between a network of canals, it doesn’t stink and neither it harbors mosquitoes. Guppies and Siamese fighter (!) and some variety of fishes are in abundant in the canals that make an effective mosquito control I believe. We could notice many rare plants and medicinal creepers beside the walkway. I thought of giving freedom to my slippers for a day, and you will not believe, I never ran a thorn in my feet through out! The place is really clean.
The highlight of the resort is the Swimming pool. It is in the bank of the Vembanad Lake. The pool is crystal clear, shallow but safe and looks like a piece of blue sky surrounded by green forest. We enjoyed swimming a lot, viewing and waving hands to the big, massive house boats floating aside. Sitting aside the pool in the evening and watching the Sun set is a real pleasure. Anybody will be romantically attached with the view. A transistor / personal music player playing old classic songs at a light volume will definitely turn the place like its Heaven! Personally speaking wished that, that scene should last for another 10 mins! It’s truly truly romantic…
There is a restaurant floating over iron beams on the lake. Its air conditioned and buffet lunch / dinner and breakfast is served. The recipes are limited but that itself satisfies our taste buds and appetite. Both vegetarian and non vegetarian food is served.
After dinner, we were asked if we required a light music system but we said no for it as we feared that would spoil the real environment.
We had a trekking the next morning inside the bird sanctuary but were disappointed to see no birds there as it was an off season. But any guy from the city will surely enjoy walking in the dense woods for a couple of hours in the early morning listening to the koyal singing its own tune and other sparrows chirping like school kids shouting and playing!
There is a small boat jetty inside the resort limits from where you can take the boats to your dream destination or a sunset cruise without a hurry… The boat will wait for you to come and will rake you for a leisure trip, if you had booked earlier!
The tariff was reasonable on twin sharing including Lunch, Dinner and Breakfast the next day. Tea and coffee are served as per order but a bit costly for a normal person.Instead yourself can make it at the hot water kettle and the tea / coffee kit provided by the hotel free of cost.
My personal opinion is that, if you need to have a real romantic getaway with total peace of mind, then don’t have any hesitation to choose this destination.