It was a striking sight that greeted me as I walked into the reception. On either side was a line of golden elephant caparisons — without the elephants, of course — of the kind that are worn during Thrissur Pooram, Kerala’s most famous annual temple festival. In between the dazzling golden caparisons was a fish tank with glittering fish of all sizes and shapes.

I was at the Vasundhara Sarovar Premiere Vayalar, in Kerala’s Cherthala district about two hours from Kochi’s highly efficient airport. As the plane circled the airport, I could see that Kerala lived up to its reputation and was lush and densely green as far as the eye could see. The heat, as soon as I stepped out onto the tarmac, even in early April, was enough to make you burst out in beads of perspiration at the slightest movement.

The Vasundhara Sarovar is spread out over 10 acres with open spaces, pools and even a natural lake, all part of the property. The hotel itself is built in a neo-Kerala style with polished wooden pillars and tile roofs over the two-storey main building. The double-storey hotel has 60 rooms — including heritage rooms, houseboats and even floating cottages. I checked into a spacious deluxe suite which overlooked a restfully verdant landscape.

We had reached in the late afternoon and were just in time for tea at a shack by the backwaters. The shack’s run by the hotel to give people the feel of being at a roadside dhaba. I might have preferred Darjeeling or Earl Grey but the hotel was eager to give us an authentic experience and offered us what’s called chai kada tea in Kerala (made by boiling tea leaves, milk, water and sugar together). In fact, we were served Kerala fare all through our stay and dishes like theyal, cheera thora, kozhi pirathal and appams appeared with unfailing regularity.

What’s the best way to start a day? Next morning, we raced out of bed and into a speedboat for a ride across the backwaters to a toddy shop. As we glided through the water I could see a solitary Chinese fishing net being raised — to reveal not even a single fish. Despair and disappointment was writ large on the face of the fisherman and quite heartbreaking.

At our destination we jumped out onto the bank where fresh toddy was being tapped from the coconut trees. The toddy-tappers clamber up the palms with amazing ease, make the right cut and position the jar at just the right spot. This was one of those moments when you almost regret being a teetotaller. I sipped bottled water while the others gulped down copious amounts of the heady brew.

The closest town to the resort is Cherthala, but, after a quick lunch we headed to Alleppey, that’s often called the Venice of East because of its criss-cross network of canals.

We headed first to the quirky and beautifully kept, Revi Karuna Karan Memorial Museum that’s housed in a sparklingly white Graeco-Roman-style building. Karuna Karan’s regarded as the architect of Alleppey’s thriving coir industry and the museum was set up a decade ago by his wife Betty.

The museum’s home to an extraordinary and eclectic collection built up over three generations. On the ground floor you can see a Buick, one of the first cars of its kind to be brought to the region in 1945. The car was brought in and the museum was then built around it. Also, there are spectacular collections of Lladro porcelain, items made out of Swarovski crystals and an assortment of ivory objects — from a toothpick to necklaces to jewellery boxes. In the spick and span grounds are intricately carved sculptures.

From the museum it was a short ride to the Punnamada Lake where the famous Snake Boat Race takes place on the second Saturday of August every year. Unfortunately, there were no swift-moving snake boats when we reached but just houseboats anchored along the side of the lake. My guide, Shaji, said it was possible to take a round of the lake.

Our next day was scheduled to be very different. Fortified by breakfast, we headed to the Vasundhara Sarovar’s lake for a session of fishing. If you’ve never been fishing — and I was a novice — it needs oodles of patience. That’s tough when the blazing sun’s beating down on you. Spotting my clumsy efforts one attendant took my line and plunged it into a spot where the fish were particularly abundant — and I soon had my prized catch. After a quick photo-op, I let it go.

After my warm and enervating fishing expedition, I headed to the spa. Dr Visal V. Mathew, spa manager and Ayurveda consultant, suggested the Elakkizhi, Ayurvedic massage that’s is done with warm roasted leaf bags. This, he said, helps to strengthen the spinal muscles and relieve joint pains, especially backaches. A 90-minute massage and a sauna left me entirely refreshed.

We also made a longer expedition to Kochi from our resort and our first stop was the city’s famous Jew Town. Sadly, the Jews have almost all gone. In their place have come enterprising Kashmiri traders, manning shop counters that sell everything from spices, to jewellery, clothes and artifacts. Unfortunately, the 400-year-old synagogue is now very poorly maintained. The few remaining Jews in the area obviously can’t cope with looking after the synagogue.

Our next stop was Fort Kochi — I was naive enough to look out for a fort but I was told that Fort Emmanuel, built by the Portuguese, after which the area takes its name, was destroyed by the Dutch during the incessant wars that the colonial powers waged against each other. Despite the passage of years, the area retains not just the name but even the colonial-style buildings of a bygone era.

I returned to the resort to spend my last night in verdant Vayalar. I promised myself that I would return — but at a time when the weather was less steamy and more suited to tourism and my temperament.

READY RECKONER

♦ How to get there: Indigo and SpiceJet fly direct from Calcutta to Kochi. Vayalar is a two-hour drive from there.
♦ Where to stay: Vasundhara Sarovar Premiere In Vayalar, or Xandari Pearl, Abad Turtle Beach and A Beach Symphony at Mararikulam 15 km away.