POOVAR ISLAND RESORT - THE "KINGDOM BY THE SEA". Review on Poovar Island Resort, Thirvananthapuram

POOVAR ISLAND RESORT

THE “KINGDOM BY THE SEA”

Legend has it that the sage Parasuram after getting an axe from Shiva after his tapas threw it into the sea. A piece of land rose from the sea where the axe landed and that was Kerala! Keralites are fond of narrating this romantic story about the origin of their State.

Since Kerala is part of the mainland of the Indian subcontinent, the tale is difficult to believe. However even if the tale is not true in respect of Kerala, it might be of the islands in Poovar, dotting the waterscape around Thiruvananthapuram. The scenery around here has a surfeit of water with numerous islands both small and large, looking like small spots from a distance, beautiful beyond words, breathtakingly lovely for a new visitor.  The sight is a bonus feast for the senses.

We drove up from Mysore 650 kilometres in a mix of good weather and blinding rain that Kerala is famous for and reached the Jetty from where we took the boat for the island for a twenty minute ride. The Resort has boats frequently making the to and fro trips through out the day. As soon as you step into the boat you feel you have entered a new world.  The pictures(about 60 of them) I have uploaded in my photo gallery will tell you how beautiful the scenery around here is.

Poovar Island Resort(PIR) is a short distance away from the estuary where three water bodies meet – the sea, River Poovar and the backwaters. Every where is luscious vegetation, fishes jumping out of water and the smell of fresh air wafting towards you, invigorating you. As you step out of the boat unto the Resort, you feel you are a Royal potentate entering a new kingdom. You are greeted by none other than Mr. Rex Narayana Pillai, the Front Office manager, a man with the finest smile I have ever seen. He escorted my wife and me to our spacious rooms personally. We opted to stay in one of the land cottages as my wife was a little apprehensive about the floating cottages, lovely ones with all modern amenities of comfort. They dot the water-front adding to the charm and glamour of the place.

It was our second visit to the resort. Initially we visited the place 3 years ago. The Resort has many land cottages in addition to the floating cottages. The Resort is an affiliate of Club Mahindra and has most of the amenities you find in a Club Mahindra Resort. You have an excellent cafeteria serving very good food of different cuisines. The Ayurvedic massage centre is exactly in the Kerala tradition which means that it is not wanting in any kind of body massage you wish to have. The swimming pool is always a place of attraction especially of the foreign guests who wish to get the best of the sun during the rainy season!

PIR is an excellent getaway place for vacationers who want to unwind. As senior citizens wishing to have the least noise for a while, the quiet of the place was the loudest noise we encountered. The staff always walk on tip toe, speak softly and with a beatific smile. The quality of linen in the room was very good. Our bed was decked in the best honey moon style with flowers. I told Rex humorously that they were 36 years too late in regard to us! However it was flattering to see it. The furniture in the room was adequate and in Kerala style. The rest-room and fixtures were top rate. The only thing the Resort authorities had no control over was the weather for it rained away two days of our vacation!

For people who wanted a quiet walk in the island to work up an appetite there is a good walkway with trees and greenery for company. In short, time stands still in this new world that seemed to be some kind of a dream world for people familiar with concrete jungles of busy cities.

The water all around beckoned us to take cruises around the island and there were always obliging boatmen around to take us around for a nominal fee. In Kerala everyone is educated. Our boatman was a post graduate, a former teacher now working in the town and who worked as a part-time boatman for the love of the job. He is a young man of 28 or 29 who had been steering country boats(vanji) for more than 15 years and who knew the local waters just as we would know the roads of our towns.

We were sorry when our vacation ended for the spirit of the place was slowly creeping upon us. But all good things have to end and we knew that there would always another time to renew our experience for Kerala is God’s own country and it beckons people from all lands to its bosom!