Kerala Holidays, India

Philip Kutty’s farmstay is literally a world apart from the rest of the state. Occupying its own tropical islet in the backwaters, the property can only be reached by boat. Anu and her family’s warm hospitality define the experience from the moment you step ashore and are shown to your pretty,
Keralan-style waterfront villa, which opens to spacious, cool, airy, open-plan interiors. After a tour of the exotic crops grown on the estate (vanilla, banana, cocoa, pepper, nutmeg and other spices) there’s not much to do beyond observing backwater life drift past from the comfort of your verandah – and look forward to the wonderful meals served at a large round table in the communal dining hall.