Ashtamudi Resort Kollam, Ashtamudi Kollam, Quilon (Kollam), Kerala, India- hotelskerala.com

Facilites

Accommodation: The twenty spacious rooms in five chalets are all built in aesthetic traditional and eco - friendly methods. They are comfortable, with separate toilet and shower room in the western style. Two big suites are in the two Queens Cottages. On special request you can book the exclusive, luxurious king's palace. All rooms are furnished with fan and low noise air conditioning. From every room you have a beautiful view over the garden and the lake. The resort has its own arrangements for power and water supply. Natural, traditional building materials have been used in the construction of the buildings. A traditional family – house of Kerala called the Tharavadu has been recreated carefully. It is originally, 75 years old. It serves as the reception, management office, and also has a lobby with T. V. Room and library.

Ethnic Cuisine: The restaurant is built in an imaginative manner on the shore of the Ashtamudi Lake, providing a marvelous view. The well-equipped kitchen is located in a separate building. Cooks prepare culinary specialties to the guest’s wishes. The main food will be of the ethnic Kerala origin. The wide variety of preparations both vegetarian and non-vegetarian are available to please the gourmet. There is also a wide choice of other Indian, Chinese and continental specialties. An exceptionally tasty dish is fish freshly caught from the lake and prepared. There are specially trained cooks to prepare tasty Ayurvedic recipes.

Entertainment: A separate platform is arranged in front of the King’s palace for various cultural performances. In the evenings you may watch fishermen near the resort working with Chinese fishing nets. Catamarans provide an opportunity for exhilarating water sports. With a gentle breeze to aid, one may sail around the Ashtamudi Lake. For non-sailors, there are enormous possibilities. One may rent a boat to see the surroundings of the resort from the waterside. A special variety is a trip with the well and comfortably equipped Ashtamudi houseboat, which can be rented for short or long journeys. Walks in the neighborhood or to the village nearby bring rich rewards in the friendly local people. In Kollam (Quilon), the capital of the district, there is ample opportunity to do shopping. For sightseeing the port nearby is recommended as well. You are sure to find the most beautiful moments of leisure in the scenic surroundings and in the well tended and lovely laid out garden. Places of Interest: Over 100 years Old Temple. Over 150 years Old Church. Ancestral Homes. Coir Village. Snake Shrine. Chinese Fishing Nets. Coconut Oil Processing. Birds & Butter Fly watching. Oyster farms. Ayurveda Concoction Processing.

Ayurveda: Health is the axis on which human life revolves. A holistic approach, taking the body, mind and spirit as a whole, able to correct whatever is amiss- the sages of ancient India knew this to be the only solution to the problems of health. it is said that the lord Creator Brahma blessed the humanity with the Brahma-Samhita. A part of the fourth Veda, the Atharva, it is a treatise on the way of the nature towards perfect health. It contains the eight divisions of the Ayur-Veda. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit Word meaning the "Science of life". Many herbs used in Ayur-Veda are fabled to induce eternal youth and even raise the dead to life (like the Mruthasanjeevani mentioned in the Ramayana) Charaka, Susrutha et-al, who lived in the sixth century B.C. wrote treatises based on which the present day Ayurveda has grown as a medical and clinical discipline. Defying the onslaught of the modern medical system inthe last century, Ayurveda has retained its ageless appeal-mysterious, even magical-but efficacious. Stress is rapidly becoming an all pervasive ailment. It needs more than the superficial treatment given to it. The Pancha Karma or the five types of `sodhana' therapy is more than a cure for stress and strain. By eliminating the waste products (free radicals) from the body, it tones up the nerves, improves the circulatory system and has an additional effect of rejuvenation and increasing vitality. Stress vanishes and the body relaxes in tranquility. It cures as well as prevents degenerative diseases, nervous and mental disorders, paralytic conditions, different types of rheumatism, dyspepsia, diabetes, obesity etc. Kerala has contributed in a great measure to the development of this therapy.

Yoga and Meditation: In Ayurvedic medicine, recitation of mantras, use of some formulas, yogic exercises etc., have psycho somatic utilities. They affect the total man, in both his psycho-physical and spiritual dimensions, favourably. An understanding is essential of these processes. Under the guidance of experts and gurus, reintegration of one's personality may also be achieved.
Slimming Program: This program consists of :- medicated herbal powder massage, medicated herbal oil massage, body purification therapy, kizhi, medicated steam bath.
These treatments will be carried out for 7 to 41 days. In take of herbal juice, herbal preparations and an Ayurvedic diet is advised during the period.

Location: Kerala is to the southwest end of Indian peninsula, eight degrees north of the equator. It is a coastal state, with the Arabian Sea to the west. The Western Ghats make its eastern limits. The language of Kerala is Malayalam. Kerala is a verdant land. Its landscape is dominated by extensive rice fields, banana and coconut plantations. In the highlands, rubber tea ,coffee, pepper, and spices are cultivated. Traders from distant lands came to Kerala in search of spices from the earliest days of history. It was on the western coast of Kerala that the European sailor Vasco-Da-Gama dropped anchor. The influence of the Jews, Arabs, Syrians, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and the English has enriched the indigenous culture. Economically Kerala compares well with some of the developed countries. Beggars and lepers do not crowd the lanes. People are wealthier, healthier, better educated. Kerala is hundred percent literate. It is a heaven of religious harmony. Christmas, Ramzan, or Onam, they celebrate together, with zest. Onam is Kerala’s springtime harvest festival, coming in August – September.

Backwaters: Backwaters are unique to Kerala. It is a network of lakes, canals, and estuaries opening into the sea. The backwaters are a self supporting eco-system teeming with aquatic life. The canals connect the villages together and are still used for local transport. There are almost a dozen of such backwaters in Kerala of which Ashtamudi is the second largest. Ashtamudi means, ‘eight-armed’, after the eight arms of the lake. At one of the shores the Ashtamudi Resorts welcomes the guests. Ashtamudi resort is built on the Thekkumbhagom island next to the bank of the Ashtamudi lake. It is so placed that tourists can feel and enjoy the enchanting natural beauty as well the rustic life in the village. It is no accident that this it was in this village the first epic poetry in the Malayalam language-Ramachandravilasam-was composed, by the poet Azhakath Padmanabha Kurup. The village also boasts of a 1000 year old temple and a 200 year old church. History and nature link hands here to welcome the tourist. Ashtamudi resorts is the realization of a dream. It has been built in romantic and idyllic surroundings to provide rest, recovery, and peace.

Situation: You can reach the Ashtamudi Resort from Kollam (Quilon) by car in 30 minutes, or by speedboat in 10 minutes. It is two and a half hours by car from the Thiruvananthapuram international airport, from Cochin, 3 hours. Another alternative is to travel at leisure from Alleppey by ordinary cruising boat or by houseboat.