An Anniversary well spent @ Raviz Resorts & Spa, Ashtamudi

On the occasion of our 3 rd Anniversary, we decided to pamper ourselves with some five star treatments. We came to know about Raviz Resorts and Spa Ashtamudi, through Trip Advisor. We booked their Superior Room for 2 nights as their lake facing rooms were fully occupied. We packed our bags and got ready for the day.

Day 1:

Raviz Ashtamudi is only 3.5 hours drive from Kochi city and the journey is scenic with a lot of trees along the roads, beach coasts and long bridges across the lakes. We could see flashes of the property from the road leading straight to it and it looked like a palace owned by Travancore rulers. We were greeted with warm smiles at the drive way, where we gave our car for valet and walked in. At the entrance we could see 2 Kathakali statues and a walkway with Koi ponds, on either side, which led to a humongous 2 storied lobby. The lobby had a snake boat at the center which had partitions filled with Kerala spices.

The reception counter had a huge modern art painting, which looked very attractive, though we dint get a gist of what it meant ???? and they had wooden fans that were leaf shaped on the side walls of the lobby. To the right of the lobby we could see their Bar 'Zircon' and Restaurant 'Keraleeyam' and to the left was their coffee shop. The lobby was very arid, as the other end was open to a set of stairs that led to the waterfront, the one and only Ashtamudi Lake.

Do watch the travel highlights below:

We had to wait for about 20 minutes to get our rooms, there were too many people in the lobby, as they had a couple of programs being hosted in their premises and the hoteliers were very busy. They showed us to our room and we started to unpack and freshen up, as we were told that they had free boat rides for the in-house guests and also free coffee/tea and snacks being served just outside lobby, towards the lake. We liked the room ambience, as we were at the heritage wing and the room was very cozy.

Superior Room video uploaded in the link below:

We set out of our room around 4 P.M and took a quick walk around the property. We could see that there were many activities provided by the hoteliers, which could occupy us all day. They provide fishing equipments on request and we can do fishing, take a speed boat ride, banana boat ride, canoeing, pedal boating as per request (note: will have to pay at the hotel). The outdoor play area had hammocks and swings and apart from that there were badminton and basketball courts as well. All we decided to use was the swing and their free boat ride around the Ashtamudi lake (we are very lazy people :P) .

After the boating we took a cup of coffee and some snacks and spend time watching the sunset at the coffee tables by the lake.

We walked back in, and noticed that there was live classical dance performance at the lobby and stopped by to see it. This is another facility provided for free to the in-house guests. After which we walked over to the Koi pond and watched the fishes and clicked a couple of pictures before we went in for dinner @ Keraleeyam. The dinner buffet was around 1000+taxes Rs per head, but the spread was worth way more. They served delicious Indian cuisines as well as continental dishes and had a large variety. Though the spices were very minimal, as in most of the 5 star hotels, to suite people from all around the world, the food was delicious. We were greeted by the F&B team and when they came to know that it was our anniversary they offered to give us a free upgrade the next day.

Day 2:

We set out for breakfast around 9A.M and decided to use the pool after that. The breakfast spread was pretty impressive and had a very good live Dosa and Omelet options as well. The F&B head Mr. Jain contacted us and informed that our new room will be ready by 11 A.M. So we spend some time at the pool area and went on to try our new room. They provided their King Suite room, video of the room and facilities are in the link below:

We were awed by the room size and its hi-tech facilities. The view from the room was breath-taking. We were super surprised to have it as an anniversary treat by the Team of Raviz.

After having a good time in the room we decided to visit 'Thangassery light house'. It is an active lighthouse which is about 15 minutes drive from the hotel. The light house and its surroundings are very well maintained. There is INR 20 per head charge and a camera fee of INR 10. We can either choose to climb its steep circular stairs or can take the elevator and climb 2 floors up to top. The time we visited, it was pretty crowded, as it was a weekend. But it was all worth the visit as the view is mind blowing. The view of the sea from the top and heavy winds makes it pretty adventurous. We spend around and hour there and drove back to the hotel on the way which we stopped at a local restaurant to experience the taste of Kollam delicacies.

Once we reached back at Raviz, we went back to our room for a nice nap. We spend the evening strolling in the premises. Again we had options to take the free boat ride on Ashtamudi, but we preferred to stay back and capture some photos and videos at the hotel and sipping hot tea at the waterfront.

Another surprise that came by was an anniversary cake sent over to our room that evening along with an invite to dine at Raanthal, their floating restaurant (the best ambience for an anniversary dinner). We were shocked and very thankful to the team for making our stay so memorable.

Day 3:

Nice hot cup of tea, a chair at the balcony, of your room, that faces the beautiful Ashtamudi lake was a refreshing feel on its own. Went down for breakfast and again an amazing spread. Spend some time at the dock and speaking to a couple of Hoteliers about the architecture and the flora. Must say it is best place to visit if you are a plantman. They have some of the rarest species of medicinal plants and trees. The property took over a decade to be completed and must say that the architecture is all worth praises. The property has 2 cottages that are worth mentioning:

Anchal : One of Raviz's exotic rooms is a 300-year old ancient heritage structure called 'Mana', a traditional Brahmin home that was also transposed from Anchal to the Ashtamudi property brick by brick incorporated with the luxurious amenities like outdoor swimming pool, bath fittings etc.

Eerattupetta: It is a 200-year old structure that has been successfully transposed from Eerattupetta to the premises of Raviz Resort & Spa Ashtamudi. The designs and the material have been retained to keep the authentic flavor alive and utmost care has been taken to give to the true look and feel of the place. This as well has been incorporated with luxurious amenities like bath fittings, grand tubs, mini fridge, wi-fi etc.

After this we had a group photo clicked with the Team Raviz and started back our journey to Kochi with heart filled with loads and loads of memories to cherish about.