The lockdown had tested my patience enough, as staying at home for almost 1 year wasn't my cup of tea. I love to travel and fortunate to explore 60+cities in 16 countries around the world in the last 10 years. The year 2020 was a deal-breaker as I had to let my passport rust in some dusty corner, Of course, I wanted to be safe and stay healthy. There was no international visa stamp on my passport in 2020, luckily I visited Malaysia in November 2019 which was just before the spread started.
As the situation improved in India, so I started exploring all the options which were safe and relaxing. Finally, I decided to visit Kerala which is famous for its natural beauty and backwaters. Its know as God's own country for the same reason. My original plan was to visit Bekal but then I stumbled across Neelahswar Hermitage resort which was around 16 KM from Bekal. Good reviews, nice location, and my eagerness to drive were enough reasons to book this trip from 1st Jan to 4th Jan.
I started from Bangalore at 7 AM which was lucky enough to beat the morning traffic inside the city. It took almost 8 hours to cover the 400 KM distance. I took Mangalore highway as Mysore road is usually crowded. Most of the road is good enough to drive, apart from some 20KM bad patches in the end.
I booked under "Kerala Flexible Package" and stayed there for 3 nights, the final bill was 60,000 INR (800 USD).
Few positives:
The resort location is right at the beach.
The hygiene level was at the topmost.
The food was yummy.
The staff was really helpful.
Few negatives:
The lunch wasn't included in the package, considering the rates.
Even though the pool villa was empty, we couldn't use it even for half day. The swimming pool was closed too.
Wi-Fi and power had issues.
The package also included one houseboat experience, we were taken around the backwater of Kerala for 2 hours which ended with a beautiful sunset view. The tea was served on board, with yummy cookies and Indian snacks.
Overall it was an amazing trip and a much-needed break from the Lockdown :)