8th April 2016
Just imagine the perfect holiday moment; you hanging in the hammock in the shadow of palms, sipping fresh coconut and listening to the sound of waves crashing on the nearby beach. What an awesome dream! Nearly unreal… right?
Let me tell you a secret – this place really exists! You can find it near the southern tip of India, in a beach town of Kovalam. The resort in called KTDC Samudra. In translation, it means “ocean.”
THE LOCATION
Kovalam is one of the favorite places of all sun seekers visiting Kerala. The state stretches along the Malabar coast and offers almost 600 kilometers of sandy coast line. This is the closest beach from the airport. Only a short 16 kilometers away makes it possible to jump into the waves in about half an hour after landing. ☺
From quite a lot of resorts that are available, KTDC Samudra stands out with premium beach front location. It’s positioned uphill of the main beach and guarantees amazing ocean views. My favorite feature is the stunning garden. It is definitely one of the best ones I have ever seen at one of the many resorts I have stayed at.
Staying at Samudra, you are surrounded by plenty of palm trees, hammocks, and amazingly soft lawn that once you touch it you never want to put on shoes again!
THE ROOM
I will tell you the truth since you would notice this anyway: this hotel isn’t quite new. The buildings and the furniture would certainly deserve some renovation. If you are a person who wants to stay in newly designed hotel that features the latest possible passion, you might not find this hotel as great.
Needless to say, with this amazing garden around and and the beautiful beach and swimming pool, it would indeed be a crime to sit inside and complain about the aged furniture.
I stayed in the deluxe room with AC on the ground floor and I can honestly that it satisfied my needs. The room featured a double bed, extra seating and an office table. My favorite feature was the outdoor seating. I loved to spend the time on the little terrace.
All in all, I had one problem about the room. It was the humidity. I sometimes noticed the walls and the floor being completely wet. Seems the problem is that both of the neighboring rooms had AC frequently on, while mine was off most of the time.
The wifi was working fast, but it was not available at all times. It was above the average of the hotels in India. The Internet was fine mainly around 9 pm. For some reason, I had better connection during the day from the beach than from the hotel itself☺
THE FACILITIES AND SERVICE
The service of this hotel works perfectly! The sophisticated receptionists and carrying (caring??) restaurant staff can take care of most of your needs. I also have to say that there were not any non-Indian guests during my stay, so I enjoyed quite some attention☺
The food is fine also for non-Indians. One gets to try the local cuisine, but there is always lots of various food around, so one can always find something. Also, I enjoyed being able to order international food. For example, eggs were not typically served at breakfast but if asked the staff was welcoming to the idea.
When going sunbathing, there is both a swimming pool and the beach. I usually went for the second option. (I love the sea too much!) The beach isn’t private to the hotel, but it isn’t totally busy either so one can enjoy peaceful moments without being too exposed. The lounges and umbrellas can be rented for 200 rupees per day.
MY PERSONAL HIGHLIGHT
I loved the rocky coast around Samudra. Both mornings I went swimming and on a short walk exploring the area. The rock formations are interesting and a bit mysterious.
Plus, the sunsets are stunning here! No wonder Samudra is a preferred resort for honeymooners from across India. It’s so romantic!
BOOKING
Where can you book the hotel and what is the starting price 3 400 INR (50 USD). You can book the room on Agoda. The price includes breakfast. For more info about the hotel, visit it’swebsite.
Photo credit: Thanks to Andreja from Adventurous Journeys who always takes some awesome pictures.
