Marari Beach Resort

A luxurious ‘village’ by the sea in Alapuzha, Kerala

Located a hop, skip and jump from the sea and beach, CGH Earth’s Marari Beach Resort is not your typical, well, ‘beach resort’. The sprawling property is an expanse of green, with coconut groves and lotus ponds. There is also a vibrant fishing village and community nearby in whose lives the Resort is now very closely intertwined. And, so, you the guests at the Resort too can be part of the lives of the fishing village for the few days you call this beach paradise your home.

The accommodation is in cottages/villas made in the local style with thatched roof made from palm fronds. The piece de resistance in the cottages is the open-to-the-skies bathrooms. You can count on feasting on fresh seafood, caught just hours before by the intrepid fisher folk of Mararikulam and prepared with the lightest of touches by the Resort’s chefs. Try everything from the traditional Malayalee dish of prawns in mango curry to the more contemporary fennel and coriander-encrusted fish. A unique dining experience is offered in the form of the Interactive Farm Kitchen. The Resort boasts of a 12-acre organic farm-garden. At the interactive kitchen, you get to accompany the chefs and pick fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs from the farm and then work with them to create your meal!

There is much more to do at the resort than just enjoying the bounties of the farm and the sea. There is of course the beach and the warm Arabian Sea—a windbreak of palms is all that stands between the resort and the sea and the beach sands. You can also visit the fish-landing harbour early in the morning to watch the catch of the day being brought in and then sold. You can also visit the fishing villages and see the many enterprises that the women there have set up. The famed backwaters of the State are also nearby and you can go backwater cruising. Ayurveda treatments and nature walks are also on offer. One of the most unique experiences here just might be the butterfly garden where you can see up close the beautiful dance of these colourful creatures.

Price: From Rs 23,900

Slow Travel

Like other CGH earth properties, the Marari Beach Resort too runs on the principles of sustainable and eco-friendly tourism. The property uses biogas produced with kitchen leftovers, recycles waste water and doesn’t use packaged drinking water but offers RO treated water in glass bottles to guests. The Resort works with the local community in many ways—the local women re-thatch the cottages in the resort and local farmers maintain the 12-acre organic farm that is part of the resort. The resort also procures many of the products made by the women of nearby villages. For instance, it procures the traditional cotton bath and face towels from Kara, a local ladies support group in Marari that runs a hand weaving centre.