Infinite peace at Anantyta Resorts

Welcome to the latest in my Hotels I Love series: Anantya Resorts.

Like its name suggests, Anantya has infinite possibilities for leaving behind the cares of city life and embracing the peace and quiet of this fertile land. When I reached, I had no plans for the next two days, and I was quite happy to just coast along. As it turned out, I had a fairly hectic schedule of sightseeing around the region, and had give Kanyakumari a miss – out of sheer laziness, I have to admit. Also, I needed a reason go back!

So, here is a quick look at why you should choose Anantya for your next weekend break – not to forget that they won ‘Best Destination Boutique Hotel’ at the recent Outlook Traveller awards.

The setting

If location is everything in the hotels business, then Anantya has it all – on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, right on the banks of the picturesque and calm Chittar Lake. The property technically falls under the latter state, but with its architecture and decor, the feel is entirely Kerala.

This site of over 1000 acres, is part of the sprawling Vaikuntam Estates, one of the first rubber plantations in India, set up by the British. So, there is greenery aplenty inside the resort, which in turn attracts incredible birdlife.

The owners have personally put in great thought into the decor – much of it themed after luxury resorts in Thailand, with their little pools of flowing water everywhere. And for that ethnic touch are the old brass and bronze artefacts neatly displayed through the dining area.

One of the most appealing corners of Anantya is the infinity pool that seems to merge right into the Chittar, an incredible spot to catch the sunset, with a tall, cool sundowner in hand.

The stay

There are only 21 villas in all, of four types, and all of them set facing the lake. All of them come with a touch of understated luxury, and again, the discerning hand of the family is evident.

I stayed in one of the Veda Jacuzzi Villas, which as you can guess, comes with its own private Jacuzzi. That apart, it also had my favourite nook in the resort, the gazebo facing the water. When it was just too hot to do anything else, I curled up on the sofa with my book, mostly not reading and just staring at the tranquil waters – once, with the rain beating down around me.

On one of the afternoons, I head to the Astitva Spa for a relaxing ayurvedic massage. Just as I came out, the skies opened up, and the sight of the rain water merging with the pool and the lake was stunning and soporific at the same time.

The sightseeing

Although I recommend Anantya as a place to just relax and recharge your batteries, there is enough to do around the resort to keep the compulsive sightseers and activity seekers busy.

I visited the very classy Padmanabhapuram palace which is just an hour away by cab – and I had
every intention of heading on to Kanyakumari from there (another hour) but as admitted earlier, skipped that in favour of a full Mallu thali back at the resort.

(image source: wikimapia)

Another morning, I went for a tour of the Vaikuntam Plantation, taking in the sunset from a hillock inside the estate.

You can find out more about these excursions here – I also have a story coming up on my visit to the palace. I will link to it here, so please look out for it.