The Honeymoon

So, the wedding day was over, my husband and I had enjoyed breakfast at the hotel with our nearest and dearest before heading home, and we settled down to open our cards and presents.

This was a really great time. I would recommend having a bit of time together before jetting off on honeymoon and getting things in order a bit so that when you return it’s not to chaos.

Our paradise holiday was 10 days in Kerala, India. We flew from Gatwick on a Monday evening, two days after the wedding, and, via Delhi, landed in Cochin about 12 hours later.

Cochin is a busy city, so much so our first night was a little overwhelming and we went to bed early as we had a tour of the popular Fort Cochin the following day.

We were up bright and early and as the sun shone down our enthusiastic guide helped to make it a really wonderful first day as we wandered the streets, saw the harbour’s Chinese fishing nets, the fish market, the Mattancherry Dutch Palace, which is known for its spectacular murals and the area’s churches and cathedrals.

We also spent a little time in Jew Town, lined with lovely little shops, and a wonderful Spice Market. That night we were taken to witness a Kathakali dance performance in a small city theatre – an experience we will never forget.

The following morning we were driven in an air-conditioned car to our next destination ‘Backwater Ripples’. As we were shown round the luxury complex nestled on the side of the Vembanad Lake in Kottayam we couldn’t help but smile….the word idyllic was created for this hotel.

We spent three days sunbathing, taking a dip in the never-ending pool that adjoined the lake, relaxing on sunbeds and in hammocks and enjoying traditional Keralan food.

We also spent a morning in the Vedasparsh Ayurvedic Centre on site. Ayurveda is one of the things visitors head to Kerala for treatments to rejuvenate, relax and distress as well as aiding weight loss and ailments.

I went for a Udwarthanam, a herbal powder massage, where the entire body is massaged with herbal powder to clean the skin and burn localised fat accumulations. I loved it. My skin was so smooth afterwards and I was really relaxed.

My husband was cajoled into a full body oil massage which, as he had never done anything like it before, he was a little nervous about…but he survived and was glad he experienced Ayurveda.

We also took a morning out from the hotel and took a trip in a tut tut to the Bay Island Driftwood Museum. I had read in guide books about this unique attraction, Kerala’s only special interest tourist destination, which opened in 2001.

It features driftwood moulded by the sea into shapes that resemble animals, symbols and well-known objects. They were all collected by Mrs Raji Punnoose, a retired school-teacher, who established the museum with no external funding.

It was a wonderful place to visit, made all the more special because Mrs Punnoose herself showed us around and was able to explain where and when she had found each piece, including one she pulled virtually from the mouth of a crocodile.

And during the trip we were lucky enough to pass an elephant strolling down the road opposite…

Our days at Backwater Ripples came to an end when a traditional houseboat pulled up at the hotel jetty to take us on a trip up the backwaters.

This is an experience no-one must miss if they take a visit to Kerala. Our boat was for two people and it was just us, our driver, our cook and our waiter!

We were greeted with fresh coconut drinks and a garland of jasmine and treated like royalty the whole time.

The backwaters were stunningly beautiful and you can see traditional Kerala village life as you float by. The memory we will always take away from the houseboat experience will be the food…for those of you that saw Gordon Ramsey’s tour of India where he found his favourite fish from a lake in Kerala, we can tell you he is not wrong.

We were served up the fish on the boat, cooked traditionally in spices, along with five or six other traditional dishes – it was fantastic and with a cold Kingfisher beer and the views of the lake it was indeed my paradise.

We only stayed on the boat for one night so after getting up early and watching the sun rise above the backwaters we disembarked at Alleppey and were driven in our air-conditioned car to Kovalam the beach resort.

Our final four days were spent here, lounging by the pool, reading books, gazing at the beach and again enjoying the food.

But it was in Kovalam that we met JJ, the owner of a local beach restaurant called the 3rd Rock Cafe, who provided us with shelter and a cold beer when the heavens opened one evening as we were walking on the beach.

JJ was wonderful, his English was good therefore he spent time chatting and he was really interested in his customers and why they had decided to visit Kovalam. The following night we decided to go back for dinner and were welcomed with open arms. JJ remembered our names and seated us at a beautifully romantic table on the beach, with the sea crashing on the sand next to us.

The food was fantastic and the service second to none. We could have stayed there all night, we didn’t, but we did go back the next night – our last in India.

The trip truly was one to remember and we are so pleased we decided to spend our honeymoon in Kerala. Its people are polite and friendly, it’s food is truly wonderful and its scenery is heavenly.

So good in fact we are already planning an anniversary trip back!!!

Read Part One – Preparing for the big day

Read Part Two – The Big Day