Malayalam Lake Resort

The property’s location on the lake is its number one feature. We only stayed the one night and spent the morning and afternoon on our upstairs balcony reading and chatting and watching the constant parade of houseboats gliding by. It was in equal parts beautifully relaxing and very entertaining. The Indian tourists have local music blasting from their boats and people are usually dancing and wave as they go by. What’s not to love about seeing people having a great time :)

The property has seen better days. It’s sad to see this and no doubt the drop in tourism of the past few years is responsible. There is no restaurant - as stated in their information (this needs to be updated on the site!) They offer a takeaway menu for a restaurant in town with a 1 hour delivery window. There is nowhere that we could find within walking distance to eat. We chose to go in to town for dinner instead which was fine. The tuk tuk ride is about 10 minutes. Our host did offer tea with toast and jam in the morning which was welcomed and just for a few dollars. The rooms are reasonably comfortable, the bathroom basic. It’s all very rustic but for the price it’s fine. As mentioned, the highlight is the balcony.

Stunning location beside the Astamudi lake so a lot of interesting bird life to take in from the many benches or hammocks dotted around the garden or the verandah in front of the room. The room itself was very spacious with comfy beds and a clean bathroom with solar -powered shower. Staff were exceptional ,treating us like family. They allowed me to do a full laundry load of washing,helped with advice about onward travel by train and we were able to take their canoe out also. We had a lovely half day trip to Monroe Island also planned with them. In addition we got some great tips including a performance of the Classical dance students at a temple which we would never have known about ourselves. Highly recommended!

Honestly nothing,it was all great!

WOW!!! What a beautiful little corner of the world with wonderful people – one of the loveliest places I’ve ever been to. Twenty seconds after arriving, I asked if I could stay a bit longer. A wonderful location right by the river; in the mornings, you can hear the sounds of the jungle. The owner, Jeswein, and his family are incredibly warm and welcoming. I hope I can come back one day.

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The terrace outside the upstairs bedrooms is stunning. The view is gorgeous and very peaceful.

It’s an old teak house without glass in the windows so it is very dark when you are inside with the AC on. You have to pay an extra 500 rupees extra per day for AC which is not mentioned when you book. Not being able to get tea or coffee or water also made it seem like an experience to get through rather than enjoy. We arrived tired from a 5hr train journey only to be told if we wanted a cold drink we had to walk. Back down the path in the heat and find a little stall to buy one. It wouldn’t be that hard to keep a fridge stocked there - even if you were selling them that would still be an improvement. If you are at all concerned about dodgy wiring, dirty bathrooms, no hot water and stained bedding then stay next door for the same view minus the teak balcony. I really want to be more positive about this beautiful property but unless there were major improvements ( it wouldn’t be hard) then I won’t be returning.