Akkara is a wonderful house set in a very quiet area next to and running directly on to the river outside Kottayam. Go there if you want to be in a beautiful setting with fantastic food and a feeling, like me, that your wonderful grandmother was reincarnated and feeding you up, just like old times. The atmosphere and smells reminded me of my childhood (odd as it happened thousands of miles away) and made me very wistful. The rooms are beautiful, old-fashioned but beautifully clean. The river is also wonderful - lots of friendly kids swimming and I saw a huge flying squirrel when canoeing down it. Go there for a rest but also amazing food and a very intimate experience. A couple of days will do it nicely, tho you could stay there for months if you had the time. Only issue to be aware of is that the owner and her helper are very hands on and will knock on your door if you are late for dinner (and join you at the table) - you need to be feeling sociable and hungry!! Hope you love it.

A beautiful house in a lovely setting and your host will help arrange visits to the local attractions. The cooking was wonderful and it is a good place to relax and unwind. The only caveat is that you should be prepared to be treated as a guest of honour or long lost member of the family and this can actually be a little disconcerting. As an example, your host does not join you for meals but instead stands over you to ensure you savour every mouthful!

Unless you have deep pockets, avoid this place. This place is also in the middle of nowhere, but right on the river's edge, so you need transport to go anywhere and they know this and charge you plenty!!