From time immemorial, the lotus has been a symbol of the very best things in life: refinement, purity and beauty In Indian art the flower has always represented heavenly comfort and spiritual enlightenment. Now, as a balm for our unquiet times, a new level of meaning has been added to these traditional ones

cruise in tranquility & style

The Lotus, a houseboat of unequalled elegance and style, offers you serenity and healing relaxation while cruising through the languid backwaters of Malabar,

the undiscovered jewel of northern Kerala...

Features

Length: 32 meters / 104 feet

Width: 06 meters / 18 feet

Two well-appointed, airy and spacious bedrooms each with a teak floor, state of the art en-suite bathroom and hand-made teak furniture

Each bedroom has a private sitting-out area and i-pod docking system

There is a sun-deck with comfortable sun loungers and al fresco dining area

A spacious indoor sitting room and dining area

Ayurveda massage and yoga lessons are available on request

Bar and modern kitchen

Private crew-room with attached bathroom

Resident captain, personal chef and housekeeping staff

Silent engine, air-conditioning and fans

“The lake was vast and tranquil in the afternoon light,

its calm surface seemedto stretch for ever...”

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Rooms The Lotus is an imaginative new interpretation of the traditional Kerala houseboat, uniquely combining the natural rhythms of the old-fashioned with the modern amenities of a first-class hotel. The houseboat has been designed to give guests the feeling of freedom and the luxury of space.

Each of the two bedrooms (appropriately named Sukhima (‘Happiness’) and Lalima (‘Beauty’) measure over 16 x 13 feet and have solid teak floors. They are light and airy with cheerful colours and have a large glass observation window with insect-proof screen. They are fitted with locally made wooden furniture, ethnic durrie rugs and paintings by a Kerala artist in the traditional temple mural style, i-pod docking system, safe and hair-dryer. Guests have the option of a fan or state of the art air-conditioning

Each bedroom has an en-suite bathroom (10 x 9 feet) with tub and shower and delicious organic Fabindia toiletries

Each also has its own private sitting-out verandah to enjoy those special moments

There are two public areas for relaxing and enjoying a drink or meal:

The lower sitting room (measuring 19 x 19 feet) The upper sun-deck (33 x 18 feet)

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ProgrammesThe LoTus Cruise (one nighT)

Day 1Your cruise today covers about 25 kms of the Valiyaparamba backwater. It begins from Lotus Point situated on the banks of the Tejaswini River that joins the backwaters after a descent from high above the tea and coffee plantations of the Coorg Hills. Once you have enjoyed a welcome drink, you will be taken to your room: either Sukhima (‘Happiness’) or Lalima (‘Beauty’).

A small cluster of colourful boats announce the Snake Temple, a delightful spot with many bright carvings sacred to the local fishing community. The nearby fish-landing point attracts flocks of sea-birds that wheel and dip over the arrival of each fresh catch.

As verdant islands appear ahead of us, we approach Valiyaparamba Village. Coloured houses can be seen peeping through the dense fringe of coconut palms that line the water front.

Further south, the scene becomes quieter and soon, even the waterfront activity has died away and the only sound is the lapping of water or the occasional jumping of huge red snappers. Those of you who wish can fish for your own supper. Today’s cruise ends with a visit to Monkey Island, home to a thick forest inhabited by friendly monkeys. In its heart sits a clearing with an ancient shrine dedicated to the Naga snake deities.

Back to The Lotus for tea and home-made cakes having time to watch the evening birds and fishing canoes return home for the night and enjoy the sunset before a delicious dinner under the canopy of stars.

“Around the shore coconut palms leaned gracefully over the water and on a

branch of one of them sat a kingfisher with orange breast and brilliant

turquoise wings...

...its long strong beak seeming almost out of proportion with the neat little body”

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Day 2The day begins with tea served with flowers on your own private verandah as you watch the day begin. We move south towards the softly rolling contours of the Ezhi Elimala range. Legend has it that on his journey back from the Himalayas bearing the life-saving herbs of Ayurveda, Lord Hanuman let fall part of the sacred mountains to make these seven hills.

We reach Kotti jetty where a auto-rickshaw ride takes us to the temple dedicated to Lord Subramanyam. As well as the elegant building with its fine carvings in wood and brass you can see the daily ritual when the silver image of the deity is processed three times around the temple compound. Quench your thirst with chai from the tea-shop before heading back to The Lotus.

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The LoTus Cruise (TWo nighTs)

For those taking the 2 night cruise, the programme is as the previous pages, with time to relax on board after lunch on the second day. After tea, we take a taxi to the Shri Mutthappan temple, a highly atmospheric and popular shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva in his form as a local tribal hunter.

Here the evening ritual involves the priest acting as a trance-medium for Shiva and serving as an oracle for worshippers. After witnessing this unique ceremony we return back to The Lotus for drinks, dinner and golden dreams.

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“Suddenly, without any warning, the bird dropped headlong like a stone, a second later it rose up from the water with a flurry of wings and splashing...

...The fish speared on its beak writhed this way and that, glinting opalescent

in the sunshine”

Important Information

BOARDINGGuests have the option of boarding The Lotus either from Sultan Canal (outside Kannur) or from Neeleshwar Hermitage. For those arriving at Calicut airport or coming up from Kochi, we suggest you board The Lotus at Sultan Canal and reach Neeleshwar Hermitage refreshed and relaxed after a cruise of 1 or 2 nights. ENVIRONMENTALThe Lotus operates a strict no-smoking policy and mindful of potential pollution in Kerala, we have an eco-friendly ‘no-plastic’ rule. Safe and pure drinking water is supplied from the latest ‘reverse-osmosis’ purification system, rather than plastic bottles. No waste is discharged into the lake.

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For further information or bookings

Chapri Cruises india Pvt. LimitedTheJAsWini river, Purathekkai, neeleshwar, Malabar, northern Kerala, indiaReservations 88 Chapri house, sect 23, huDA, gurgaon (new Delhi suburb) india tel 0091 124 2367088 email cruises@thelotuskerala.com

www.thelotuskerala.com

operational from mid-october 2012