If you’re looking for a quiet backwaters experience but are loath to find it in one of Kumarakom’s sprawling resorts, there’s a smaller, quieter alternative. Taamara is a two-cottage affair on the banks of Vembanad Lake. The cottages are smart, with bright furnishings, picture-window bathrooms, and a sundeck opening onto the lake. Activities here include sunrise and sunset watching, a speedboat ride on the lake, fishing, massages, yoga and walks in the Vembanad Bird Sanctuary. The food is authentic Kerala at the Taamara, Vembanad Lake. Tariff: Rs.8,000 per cottage (till Nov 15). Includes all meals, transfers within 100km, some activities depending on the length of stay.
Posh Course
Any old five-star resort in the Indian Ocean not good enough for you? Try a holiday at Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort in Mauritius. The resort features an 18-hole, par 72, 205-acre golf course that winds its way through a former sugar plantation. The other prominent feature is a Six Senses spa. If you’re a golf nut on the verge of holy matrimony, here’s a package to charm you and your new spouse: a honeymoon package for four nights in a superior room for $1,512. The package includes accommodation in a superior sea-view room, all meals, ‘VIP amenities and courtesies’, airport transfers, 20% discount at the spa, and taxes. You also get to play unlimited golf for $20 a day at the Le Telfair Golf & Spa Resort, Mauritius. (now here’s a true test of character for your fledgling marriage).