Somewhere around the middle section of Kerala's coast, the Indian Ocean
finally realizes that it has now become the Arabian Sea. The result of this
personality change is a splendid azure colour, quite distinctive, with
frothy whitecaps and a translucent, pearl-like quality. The sands that
fringe this coastline for endless miles are themselves distinctive, deep and
rich and fine, in a shade closer to ocher than gold.
This natural
brushwork leaves its mark on human life too. The people of the area have
been fisher folk for millennia and over this time, they've evolved a way of
life that's as tranquil and colorful as their world.
The village
of Marari kulam is tucked away behind a line of dense palms that rise like a
sudden rampart of green out of the sands. Like all villages, it has evolved
naturally, in picturesque disorder.
The huts are slapdash adobe,
thatched with-what else? -Palm and tied with coir, or coconut rope. (In
fact, the coconut tree supplies the villagers with an endless number of
useful items, from kitchen ladles to sunhats to boat hulls.) Neat and
scrupulously clean footpaths veer between the huts and everywhere; the
pungent scents of the sea mingle with the fragrance of coconut oil and
spice.
Spread out here and there on rough coir mats are sunbursts
of red. These are the famous red chilis, without which no self-respecting
fishwife would ever dream of serving up dinner.
Evening in fact, is a special time. The winking of oil lamps and cooking
fires transforms the village into a glowing tableau vivant, with a painted
sunset as the backdrop. Within moments, you feel your city clock winding
gently down, and then dying without protest as you pass through a scene
unchanged for centuries.
The Village
Reborn The challenge for us was to take the village, not
just its architecture, but also the subtle elements of its life and
translate them into an unforgettable experience for the modern traveler.
We wanted to recreate the same harmony with nature. And impart
the same sense of languid pace to the Marari Beach resort.
Sprawled expansively across 25 acres of land, the resort, like its namesake,
is separated from the sea by a windbreak of stretching palms. There are a
mere 52 cottages, so the sense of space here is much more dramatic. The
cottages are separated by generous stretches of open parkland, dotted with
fruit-laden trees. The winding village pathways are a faithful echo of the
originals.
Rambling walls curve around corners, their
rust-colored stones smothered with trumpet flowers. Completing the picture
are rippling lotus ponds, usually with a family of ducklings getting a
swimming lesson out in the middle.
Things
to do
The Marari Breach, let us be clear, is not the place for a raucous beach
holiday. There are no rave parties here, no noisy water scooters, and no
sellers of trinkets. But for those seeking to undo the stresses of city life
and experience a completely new pace, it is the perfect spot.
You
could spend an entire morning lolling by the poolside with a book from the
library. Or take a dip in the sea, the beach usually being nearly empty,
except for a few other guests and the odd local fisherman. Or explore the
area and its fishing villages on a bicycle.
The trick at Marari
is to open up, relax and rejuvenate. To while away the hours watching the
fascinating play of light on open water, to feed a wandering guinea fowl, to
stretch a lazy hand out to your cocktail glass and wait for one of our
sumptuous lunches to be served
The
Taste of the Sea Mealtimes at Marari are unhurried affairs,
with a firm eye on enjoying every subtlety that the waves have to offer.
Both at the buffet and at our speciality seafood restaurant, Fort
Cochin, the fresh catch of the day forms the centerpiece. You can choose
from a variety of prawns, lobsters, crayfish and the famous 'karimeen',
grilled on the spot or prepared to your tastes. Complementing it all is an
array of Kerala specialties. Aromatic vegetable stews, spicy chicken
gravies, tangy tamarind and kokam chutneys and always, rice and the popular
idiappams- string hoppers that accompany most Kerala meals.
Chef
Narayankutty can be fanatical about freshness (check out his book of
recipes, available at the gift shop) but he gets it easily. Our bread is
always baked daily on the premises and the vegetables too, come
fresh-plucked from our organic farm.
For light snacks, the
beach-shack bar and buffet is the place. Sip a post-swim cooler, munch on
some fried prawns and listen to the distant roar of surf.
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