There are times when you want to explore old churches, and times when you feel like climbing the highest of mountains or wander into deep jungles, but most of the times you feel like doing nothing on a vacation...that's why we have something called beach resorts! For me a leisure trip is always synonymous to lazing around on beaches. Last December, on the occasion of our anniversary— on a last moment frenzy— we booked a resort tucked away neatly in the small town of Nileshwar, on the west coast of Kerala called Malabar Ocean Front Resort and Spa.
Having traveled a fair bit, we were sort of used to having a packed agenda of things to do in a place, maybe visit the region's local areas or eat at different places( which, by the way, is 99% of our itineraries). But, when you have nothing on the 'things-to-do-list', that truly redefines relaxation!
When the ocean is just a foot away, who would want to do anything else but stare into the blue and beyond. The room was brilliant with a beautiful balcony— my numero uno criteria( apart from clean bathrooms, obviously!)
Lazing around goes on a whole new level when it comes to the sea in front of you. The beach was almost like a private one, very clean and not at all crowded, thankfully. Most people, like us, just sat around reading, snoozing on the hammocks, sun-bathing(obviously Europeans!), or simply taking a stroll on the beach. Having reached around late afternoon, after a longish drive from Bangalore, the only thing we felt we had to do was plonk ourselves on the sand.
The next day saw us having breakfast on the beach—in fact, except lunch, all our meals were on the beach—thanks to a beautiful restaurant right across the ocean. Food was, no doubt, good—although I may be slightly biased due to my love for Malayali cuisine. However, the resort catered to quite a few customers from across the globe, hence the food served was quite inclusive of most palettes.
The rest of the stay was on an eat-sleep-beach-repeat mode. The sunsets were the best part( remember, I said 'on the west coast'). With swimming in the ocean, we almost forgot about the pool—but didn't miss it. Also, the spa with Kerala Ayurvedic massages have always been a must for most of our 'staycation' trips. But nothing beats the ocean breeze and the feel of the water on your toes. Building sand castles and walking on your bare feet on the beach can probably be the most-loved things to do in the universe.
One of the other attractions of this area is the closeness to the Bekal fort. The view from which is breath-taking. Although, its claim to fame is, sadly, thanks to Bollywood. Gaining prominence in the Tipu Sultan era, this fort was the gateway to Kerala through the wonderful Malabar coast.
The trip was all that we wanted for a quick getaway. There are times when all you need is some good old-fashioned rebooting of the mind( call it, maybe, rejuvenation and relaxation for all anyone cares), which, I feel is best done on beaches!
Until the next time, our tryst with the Arabian sea came to a staggering halt, and with hopes to come back again, we ended this wonderful vacation only to wake up to the busy Bangalore air the next day.