The Oxford Pocket Dictionary defines ‘hermitage’ as ‘the dwelling of a hermit, esp. when small and remote’. I think a redefinition.might be called for, after a taste of Neeleshwar Hermitage. You do not need to be a hermit to dwell there, be it for a day or several days, though it would be quite an ideal (if rather luxurious) retreat if you were one. It is not small by any standards. Nor is it remote, though you could very well make believe that it was far, far from the intrusion of the noisy world, once you put the dusty roads behind you and commit yourself to the infinite mercies of sun, sand and sea. Plus the value add-ons of man-made comforts to top off nature’s bounties.
The hitherto unexploited North Kerala coast has recently seen what might amount to a boom in tourist development but the newness of it has ensured that the promise of tranquility is met. If the new crop of hotels and resorts maintain their stated ethos responsibly, this may even last. The white sandy beaches are unlittered and quiet, there are no plastic bottles floating in the sea or vendors hawking sarongs and proposing mehendi tattoos. You hear the calls of myriad birds, the sibilance of the sea breeze ruffling the palms, rather than the roar of a water scooter motor attempting cocky feats. You are almost convinced that you can hear the sunset!
Sitting under the thatched roof of the Meenakshi restaurant and doing a 360-degree swivel will give you a fair idea of all that’s on offer — in front, a freshwater lagoon, ahead of it the long expanse of a white beach and a salty, blue sea. A slow turn to the right, past hammocks strung under coconut palms, gives way to an infinity pool within the compound. And then in a line, the sea-facing cottages, behind them, the garden-facing ones, then the large Annapurna restaurant, with its profusion of wooden pillars and roof with wooden beams. Tucked away in a corner is the spa and before you finally swivel back to the sea is the designated yoga hall.
The cottages are a clever combination of discretion and traditional ostentation. Each cottage is set well apart from the next — the open porches, like the restaurants and other semi-covered areas, have painstakingly carved wooden pillars in perfect imitation of the old tharavadu houses, crafted by local carpenters. The cottage is rustically capped with thatch that blends into the backdrop of coconut palms though the real ceiling under it is in concrete. The room itself is spacious, tastefully furnished, equipped with all the plush comforts that might be expected, air-conditioning for respite on warmer, sweatier days, and even a Bose docking system with an iPod (the music on offer is limited but rather eclectic, varying from chants and classical to jazz — pick your mood or bring your own iPod). There is of course an attached bathroom, in bright, clean, crisp lines, a portion of which is open to sky. There are oddities in the provisions that are more puzzling or quirky than annoying — they provide a hairdryer but there are no electrical points in the bathrooms, only in the rooms; it appears that they don’t entirely trust all their guests to be responsible about electricity and water.
Interests of safety have dictated other choices and rules — the resort is entirely non-smoking, not merely as a stamp of disapproval of this unhealthy choice but because flying sparks could have a rather fiery effect on the dry thatch of the roofs. A lifeguard keeps a watchful eye on swimmers though it is a fairly benign sea. However, the management does request guests in swimwear to stay within the fairly large confines of the hotel or the area in front. Reasonable enough as there’s no shortage of waterbodies between pool, lagoon and a wide expanse of beach — the conservative fishing folk of the sleepy neighbourhood may have overcome their initial reservations about the nature of business of this quiet resort, fearing possible unwelcome riotousness or corruption of traditional mores, but they are still likely be averse to having scantily clad bodies wandering into sight.
Clearly, the clientele that this resort hopes to draw is not the weekend revellers or families looking for pool games for their kids or folks looking to catch up on reruns of their favourite soaps — there are no televisions, it is not part of the ethos. Everything focuses on rest rather than vigorous recreation. Entwined with the luxurious trappings are the wellness aspects.
A resident yoga instructor (Sivananda school) conducts a morning half-hour yoga session that is open to all. Tailor-made yoga classes are available on demand. These often go hand in hand with the ayurvedic packages. The Priya ayurvedic spa offers a variety of treatments in isolation (‘the eight essentials’) or in packages (ayurvedic, stress-buster, slimming or spa treatments) where the prescribed treatment is doled out over one to three weeks. If you are unsure of whether it is a Jet Lag Revival or a Peaceful Rest Massage that you want or need, the resident doctor, Dr Suma is on hand to assess your vata, pitta, kapha make-up and recommend what is most appropriate. You then merely have to submit to the expert ministrations of the therapists, all trained by the Sahyadri Ayurveda Centre. I was subjected to Blissful Ease (Sharirananda) — a combination of abhyangam, pizhichil and shirodhara — that was apparently once reserved for royalty, and both blissful and royal it was, with a synchronised body massage, oodles of warm oil poured down the length of the body and then down the forehead…most restorative!
Once the yoga, massage, swim, sea breeze or a good night’s sleep has whetted your appetite, you can repair to either the Meenakshi or Annapurna restaurant for your victuals, where the ever-attentive staff will tend to you with unfailing and warm courtesy. Most of them have been locally groomed and therefore don’t flaunt the all too frequent obsequious briskness of the ‘professionally’ trained.
As far as food goes, you can rest assured that what you get is not out of a deep freeze — the menus are made on a daily basis and the typed list is as fresh as the catch of the day or the vegetables available in the morning market. Having said that, the preparations on the limited menu are, I find, a tad odd — at every meal, there are options varying from Continental to North Indian to Thai cuisine but next to nothing local. Since most of these ‘exotic’ choices, though entirely edible, lack authenticity or at least baffle expectation, it is my belief that they would do better to also offer the option of authentic local fare and let the discerning traveller decide whether ‘spicy’ would be completely unpalatable or not. The menu is not quite fixed and these are early days yet but I think it would be a shame to not include the tested, tried and probably coveted. In keeping with the notion of a hermitage that does not cater only to spartan hermits, non-vegetarian food, particularly fish, does figure largely on the menu. The fresh fruit and vegetable juices are delicious but they have also applied for a beer and wine licence and of course what guests consume in the privacy of their rooms is their own affair. But they draw the line with water — don’t be alarmed if your drinking water is pink, brown or yellow in colour — the water is safely filtered and then prepared with beneficial bark or root or cumin — padimugam or karingali or jeera water. For additional benefit, the water in the room is stored in a copper jug. If you wish, they will give you a plastic bottle of mineral water to carry away on your drive out of the hotel but they do commendably frown on plastic otherwise.
There seems little reason to stray from the hotel, but should you so desire, there are delights enough in the vicinity. There is, of course, the dark and beautiful Bekal Fort a few kilometres to the north. Besides its intrinsic historical interest, its vantage point on a cliff overlooking the coast affords a stunning view. The hotel can provide you with bicycles if you want to move through the little lanes of the adjoining villages. They can also arrange for you to take a ride (from a short distance away) on a traditional modified kettuvallam houseboat, be it for an hour-long sunset ride or a full day or overnighter on the large width of the backwaters of this region that, again, see only sleepy traffic, unlike areas where the popularity of this recreation has led to a bit of a glut.
Again, I say, this is if you do feel up to straying away — a day at the resort passes seamlessly, effortlessly, contentedly. I cast a lazy eye out for dolphins cavorting in the sea, more likely than a sighting of the sadly endangered Olive Ridley turtle. The young boys have finished their cavorting in the lagoon and kick sand home. The fishermen are chuckling over their evening catch as they draw in their gossamer nets. The promised sunset dips gently but in a fiery red that shimmers in a narrowing line over the darkening blue of the seas and the emerald of the lagoon. As my travelling companion reels out the roll call, kites, egrets, cormorants, kingfishers, bee-eaters swoop unconcernedly over the water, grabbing little fish, bathing, preening, telling their own tales. Soon it is a bright moonlit night over this breathtaking journey’s end. Too soon, another journey will whisk me away, but I will carry some of this within me.
The information
Getting there
Mangalore is the nearest domestic airport at 90km (2hrs drive). The nearest railway station is Neeleshwar Town (4km), which lies on the Mangalore–Thiruvananthapuram route. The Mangalore-Chennai Express, Parasuram Express and Malabar Express are some of the trains that connect the town with Mangalore.
The hotel
Neeleshwar Hermitage comprises eight deluxe sea-view cottages and 12 garden-view cottages. The tariff for a double occupancy sea-view cottage is Rs 14,000 plus taxes (season) and Rs 10,150 plus taxes (off-season) and for a double occupancy garden-view cottage is Rs 11,500 plus taxes (season) and Rs 7,950 plus taxes (off-season). Between 22 December, 2008 and 6 January, 2009 the hotel will charge a peak season supplement on these rates. The tariff includes morning bed tea, scheduled yoga classes, consultation with ayurvedic doctor and breakfast. The hotel has two restaurants, Annapurna and a beachside seafood restaurant, Meenakshi. There is an ayurvedic spa, Priya. Contact: 0467-2287510; www.neeleshwarhermitage.com
What to see & do
Take part in the daily yoga classes or ask for a tailor-made class.
Get a massage at the Priya Ayurvedic Spa. The rates are approx. Rs 3,000 per massage. Consult the staff for spa packages.
There are a number of options if you want to just laze in the water — the infinity pool, lagoon and the sea.
The beaches of North Kerala are pristine and quiet and are worth exploring.
Guests can also go cycling in the picturesque neighbourhood villages.
The hotel also arranges cookery classes.
Birding day trips can also be organised.
The hotel can also put together a houseboat cruise on the quiet backwaters near the property.
The stunning Bekal Fort is approx. 15km away and is worth a day trip.