Our place is set on a beautiful, small farm island, which was actually reclaimed from the backwaters (Vembanad lake near Kumarakom) by the family. The farm is about 35 acres and is the largest farm on the island. The island is a reclaimed property which was built in the early 1950’s by my husband’s grandfather. The island is called Puthankayal (‘Puthan’ means new) as it was the last island to have been reclaimed in the backwater region for agriculture. The Villas has two separate en suite bedrooms and a common living room with spacious, independent and located on the outer dyke facing the peaceful backwaters. The villas are named after popular local flowering plants, trees and birds. The villas are furnished with antiques, including some beautifully carved and crafted doors and windows, which were meticulously collected over a period of time. TV and a land-line telephone are available at our residence, whilst ceiling fans assure a cooling circulation of air at all times. We have installed air-conditioners within the cottages for your comfort. An Internet facility through Wi-Fi is available free of cost to the guests. The signal can be best accessed from our porch area, the sitting room and the waterside jetty. There is a refrigerator and an electric kettle in each room with tea and coffee making provisions. The villas are well furnished with two large single beds, wardrobe, cupboard, writing table, and chair, settees, and chairs in the ‘sit-out’. There is a clean, dry and spacious bathroom in each villa. Extra beds are available if needed, and there is also a generator to backup the electricity in case of a power failure. All windows are netted to check the entry of insects. There are plenty of doors and windows in each villa (18 windows and 8 doors) which open on to the farm, garden and backwaters, allowing for excellent circulation of fresh breezes and fascinating views from within. This is in keeping with the tradition of typical backwater bungalows. The idea has been to make each villa an integral part of the surroundings so that by living in one you are not cut off from nature, but feel at one with the beautiful environment. The floor is finished in rustic clay tiles and the ceiling in wood. There is also a small verandah finished in traditional red-oxide which runs around each villa. To complement the villas, there is a beautiful thatched pavilion on stilts, overlooking the farm with views of the backwaters. The pavilion opens on to a small, neat courtyard under an old mango tree. Most communally served meals are served in this delightful setting. We are also delighted to announce the completion of our new ‘jetty’- a covered pavilion built on the quayside where you can sit, admire the stunning views, watch the occasional houseboat glide by or just relax and soak up your surroundings and feel the cooling breezes from the nearby lake. In designing the villas, we kept in mind all the traditional features, but also the fact that we were designing a house where you would feel at home, and not a typical hotel room with its sterile, uniform, contrived atmosphere. When all this is combined with the traditional, homely hospitality, you might just think that it is your second home.