Tharavadu is a pleasant enough small hotel in Kumalakom in the backwaters. The best part of this stay was the trip to the bird sanctuary in th early morning. Make sure you go with a guide in the canoe - no motor boats you need to be quiet. We didn't take a houseboat as they seemed expensive - there were lots around - a bit of an oversupply apparantly. The town itself wasn't great, typically small indian town. The staff at the hotel were friendly although I thought they could have been a bit more proactive in suggesting trips, but there are travel agents in town who can help. The room itself was good enough for the price, even a small balcony to sit out. Food was good, chef made a good effort, served on our balcony. - there is no restaurent and nothing much in town to eat at. Remember to order in advance as the chef has to prepare freshly for you (good as its fresh, but a long wait). Beer can be brought in for you.

We booked for five days and were told that they would show us to our room but that tomorrow we were going to be moved to a more spacious room. To be honest the first room was lovely the second was more spacious and had a nice view over the garden. There was some outside space with chairs and a table, a good menu of food which was delivered to your room. We ran a tab for all of our meals and given experiences with overcharging elsewhere we were a little concerned but on checkout we found the bill exactly as we expected. The staff here were all exceptionally friendly and helpful even when we got a huge spider in our room that needed evicting. The only downside of this place is that it’s a little remote although on a bus route and if you are a light sleeper you may find the early morning call to prayer from the mosque a little too much which is why i have marked down sleep quality and location.

We had been here in september:

Pros:
1. Heritage style rooms and unique bathroom.
2. Very spacious Balcony in rooms for relaxing
3. Hospitality and the value for money
4. Can get cycle ( old type ) on request
5. Bus stop right opposite to hotel

Cons:
1. Located little off the lake and need to go about a 2km to reach lake
2. Need to order for food in advance as food is not prepared in same place
3. Do not try the Auyur vedhic massage organised by hotel.

During our week long travel in Kerala we stayed our last night att Tharavadu, The location alongside the river is perfect and the old houses are very well kept and the architecture and atmosphere is stunning, We loved staying so in the middle of the village, and the praying sounds from the temple across the river only contributed to the positive experience. Our room was very nice, tidy and clean - the pillows were not so good though :) Our main complaint about this place was the service level. Slow and slightly confused service made us wait for more than one and a half hour to get our dinner served outside our room. The food was Ok though. Compared to many of the other stays on our trip (f.ex the Cardamom Club in Thekkady) the friendly welcome and intimate atmosphere left a lot to be wished for. After all, this place offers great value, we'd expect it to be at least twice as expensive as it was. Definately a memorable stay while in Kumarakom, we recommed you to stay in one of the heritage rooms.