All the five villas are spacious, independent and located on the outer
dyke facing the peaceful backwaters. The villas are named ‘Chempakam’,
‘Mandharam’, ‘Ashokam’ , 'Ponmaan' and 'Madatha' after popular local flower
plants / trees and birds. The first villa ‘Chempakam’, designed by Swiss
architect Karl Damscen is an open plan affair. The other four, ‘Mandharam’, ‘Ashokam’,'Ponmaan' and 'Madatha' are designed by Thomas Dominic from Kochi, have a
separate living room, bedroom and ‘sit-out’.
The five villas are filled with antiques, including some beautifully carved
and crafted doors and windows, which were meticulously collected over a
period of time. There is no air-conditioning, no telephone and no TV in
any of the villas. TV and telephones are available at our residence, should
the need arise.
There is a well stocked refrigerated mini bar and an electric kettle in
each room. The five villas are well furnished with two large single beds,
wardrobe, cupboard, writing table and chair, settees and chairs in the ‘sit-out’.
Not to forget the clean, dry and spacious modern bathroom in each villa.
Extra beds are available if needed, and there is also a generator to backup
the electricity in case of any power failure. All windows are netted to
check the entry of insects.
There are plenty of doors and windows in each villa (18 windows and 8 doors)
which open on to the farm, garden and backwaters, allowing for excellent
circulation of fresh breeze and fascinating views from within. This is in
keeping with the tradition of typical backwater bungalows. The idea was
to make each villa an integral part of the surroundings so that by living
in one you are not cut off.
The floor is finished in rustic clay tiles and the ceiling in wood. There
is also a small verandah finished in traditional red-oxide which runs around
each villa.
To complement the villas, there is a beautiful thatched pavilion on stilts,
overlooking the farm with views of the backwaters. The pavilion opens on
to a small, neat courtyard under an old mango tree. Just the kind of setting
for the lavish home cooked meals and interaction.
In designing the villas, we kept in mind all the traditional features,
and also the fact that we were designing a house and not a ‘hotel’
room.
When all this is combined with the traditional, homely hospitality,
you cannot be faulted if you think that it is your second home.
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