Dumbbells and Drama

For a city this small, the diversity of Kochi is stunning. The bounty of treasures in this quaint town in Kerala will charm you; Kochi gives you an option to get up close and personal with history, culture and nature, and takes you on a culinary adventure like none other.

Kochi is an easy place to visit, with polite inhabitants and a calm, healing energy that explains why tourists from all over the world are drawn to God’s Own Country. Fort Kochi remains to be the most popular part of this town, thanks to the quaint cafes, heritage hotels, spas by the beach, Chinese Fishing Nets, Synagogue and Jew Town, among others. We kicked off 2018 with a trip to this beautiful town, a trip that left me head over heels in love with Kochi, and a strong longing to get back soon (I’ve already made up my mind to attend the Kochi Biennial in December 😀 ) Neemrana Hotels hosted us during our week long vacation, and inspired some major dream home goals with their simple yet luxurious offerings.

Neemrana Hotels believe in providing an authentic Indian experience to their guests, with offerings that simple yet luxurious. All the Neemrana properties are restored historical properties that come with long forgotten stories of their own. The Neemrana properties are not your typical hotels, and they prefer being known as “non-hotels”

Tower House- Neermana Hotels

Walk right out of Tower House at Fort Kochi and make your way towards the Chinese Fishing Nets, the biggest fishing nets outside of China. Princess Street, the shopping hub at Fort Kochi, is at a distance of 50 meters from the property.  St. Francis Church lies a 5 minute walk away, and the Jew Town is at a distance of 2km.  Right in the middle of this lies a calm, green and serene property of Neemrana Hotels- The Tower House. 2018 had kicked off with a rejuvenating getaway to God’s own country, and I was in love since the time I was welcomed with a drink of chilled coconut water. Leaving you with a few pictures of what the experience looked like, but I must mention that no pictures and words could do justice to a property this gorgeous, simple, and homely.

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 Le Colonial-Neemrana Hotels

Built and preserved since the 16th century, Le Colonial is probably Asia’s oldest Colonial Building in Fort Cochin. It has even hosted Vasco Da Gama once upon a time! The colonial architecture takes you back to a time when the Dutch and Portuguese ruled Cochin. Soft cushions, velvet sofas and upholstery, teak bookshelves filled with books on history and military warfare, garden chairs by the pool and wrought iron chairs in a lawn are all elements that made for a luxurious stay at what slowly came to feel like “home”

The medium sized rooms that we lived in were completely wood paneled, and had a four-poster bed, a writing table and a couch by the window that overlooked the street below. A reading area right outside our room was stocked with some super interesting books on spirituality and history, and I immediately settled into one corner with something on karma and past lives 🙂

Meals were served by the pool, and to be honest I think they were the most memorable part of my vacation. Out of all the experiences, the dinner by the pool was my favorite one. We’d eat by the pool, read by the pool, then enjoy a quick swim, some lunch, a siesta in the garden, then leave on the cycles offered by the hotel to discover the hidden gems in Fort Kochi.

Being a non-hotel, there is a no-guest policy followed by the hotel where outsiders cannot come in even for a meal or a massage. This exclusivity and personalised service is what makes Le Colonial feel like your own home 🙂

The city is warm, friendly, happy and calm. The Neemrana properties are the cherry on top of this cake 🙂

 

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