MARARI BEACH RESORT, CGH EARTH
Ideal for couples and families, Marari Beach Resort is about 10 KM from Alleppey. I visited during the start of the Monsoons in June (for my birthday!) and stayed for a bliss-full 4 days/3 nights.
Address: Marari Beach P.O, S.L.Puram, Mararikulam, Kerala 688549, India
The villas are huge, with big thatched roofs and outdoor showers, and some villas even come with private gardens and pools. We stayed in a regular villa and found it to be the perfect size and we spent most of the day at the pool and beach.
Let's discuss the important stuff: the food. The coolest part about this resort is their approach to sustainability and organic produce. next to the restaurant is the Organic Farm, a moderately sized plantation sporting pumpkins, pineapples, zucchinis, and other exotic fruits and veggies. You can take a tour around the garden and help to choose what goes into the cooking, but I would advise you to wear some mosquito spray as they were on a mission when I visited. Next to the Organic Farm is a small butterfly garden, the hotel offers a tour during the day and you can spot kaleidoscope of butterflies on the flowers (kaleidoscope is the collective noun for butterflies, I had to look it up).
Almost every meal during our stay was eaten at the restaurant partly because everything outside the resort was closed for the monsoons and partly because we were lazy. The breakfast buffet was so-so, there weren't many options for vegan guests like my partner but a carnivore like me had a rocking time with all the different flavours. For dinner, we decided to do a-la-carte and were treated to fresh curries, pizzas, dumplings, and other local dishes that seemed to take our breath away with their flavours. There was a live band every night playing gentle Bollywood tunes on a tabla, and this paired with Kerala's finest Sula White Wine and some local cats coming by for a pet made for some memorable dinners.
The pool is divine, and hardly ever busy (plus the poolside cocktails are reasonably priced and heavy on the liquor without tasting like petrol). Keep an eye out for the tea cart which sets up opposite the pool everyday in the afternoon. They will serve you complimentary coffee, tea, and local snacks to your heart’s content.
Activities at the resort vary from tennis, volleyball, yoga with the coolest ancient yogi in the world, and cooking classes just to name a few.I stopped by the Ayurvedic Day Spa to see what they had on offer, and had I stayed an extra day I would've booked in for a massage at least. They have a funky treatment known as Shirodhara, which is kinda like Chinese Water Torture but with oil and relaxing not terrifying.
The private beach connected to the resort was incredible. White sands, large palm trees, and crystal clear water. Again because we were there during monsoons, we weren't allowed to completely swim as we may have been sucked out by a rogue riptide, but wading was enough to satisfy my swimming needs.
In-front of the tea cart with my $2 umbrella
Where I spent most of the holiday
Outdoor shower!
The private beach connected to the resort was incredible. White sands, large palm trees, and crystal clear water. Again because we were there during monsoons, we weren't allowed to completely swim as we may have been sucked out by a rouge riptide, but wading was enough to satisfy my swimming needs.