The Indian Subcontinent - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 337

Stay at home in Kerala

Kerala is known for dazzling beaches, luscious tea estates and the impressive
houseboats that idle along its backwaters. The best way to savour these attractions is to
base yourself in the homes and family-run guesthouses of its residents, where you can
sample authentic Keralan food, learn a few words of the local language - the lilting, but
very difficult, Malayalam - and revel in their generations-old stories and customs. Below
are six of the best.

460 Learn to cook, Keralan style
Whether it's a masala dosa , idli or a fiery
chutney, after a couple of days at The Pimenta
on Haritha Farms, you'll be amazed at how
many new vegetarian dishes you have in your
repertoire. The Mathew family runs the farm,
and head honcho Jacob is also in charge of
the kitchen; a calm, authoritative master of
Keralan cuisine, he will help you get the most
from the flavoursome spices and fruits that
are grown on the estate. The Pimenta offers a
variety of holiday packages, combining cooking
lessons with unusual trips such as visiting a
small factory that produces Bombay mix and a
fascinating three-woman rubber band-making
enterprise. A cooking holiday here ensures you
take home more than just a few new recipes.

461 Spice up your life at Vanilla
County
A large spice plantation surrounds this 60-year-
old former tea-estate bungalow in the hills of
northern Kerala, so there's little chance of you
being bothered by the neighbours. And as the
organically grown vanilla, pepper and cardamom
are used to flavour the traditional Keralan
dishes - served up here by Rani, who is head
chef in the home she shares with her husband,
Babi - you'll be tucking into some delicious,
aromatic food too. The estate is high enough in
the hills to escape both the mosquitoes and the
humidity, and after a long walk through the
plantations, a swim in the nearby natural rock
pools is a wonderful way to cool off.

Need to know For directions, prices and details
of activities see W www.vanillacounty.in; T +91 482
228 1225.

Need to know For directions, prices and
packages see W www.harithafarms.com; T +91 485
226 0216.

Jacob Mathews and
students at his cooking
school at Haritha Farms

462 Have Thottada beach to yourself
If all-night parties and banana boats are your
thing, you're on the wrong beach. Here, on little-
known Thottada beach in northern Kerala,
you'll get a length of palm-fringed shoreline to
yourself, bar a few fishermen hauling in their
catch. Kannur Beach House, two minutes from
the beach and next to a freshwater lagoon, is
the place to stay: the comfortable rooms have
wonderful views of the pristine sands, the
friendly owners cook and dine with you, and
will take you on various trips to hand-looming
workshops and traditional Theyyam (dance)
festivals - there's even a boat you can borrow,
but you'll probably have to row that yourself.

Need to know For directions, rates and booking
visit W www.kannurbeachhouse.com; T +91 984
718 4535.