Somehow arriving anywhere by boat is special – arriving at Coconut Lagoon is very special indeed. You are greeted with a serenade by flute and a freshly cut coconut to assuage your thirst and then it is time to relax, birdwatch
or just wander through the property watching the fishing canoes paddle out onto the lake and just let the world drift by.
Our villa had its own small pool and a sitout overlooking a flooded paddy field – much beloved by the local bird population so bee eaters and kingfishers flashed across the water and turtles paddled in the shallows as we sipped our breakfast coffee and watched the sun come up.
You can take the sunset cruise and watch the sun set on Lake Vembanad, sit and watch the daily fly past of fruitbats as the sun goes down – one of my favourite places – ever! 
Well how about this for breathtaking scenery! Day 2 saw us driving up and up – and up- to Munnar weaving our way through the tea plantations. The scenery was simply stunning and served to distract us from precipitous drops and hair pin bends, along with the usual extra excitement of Indian bus drivers- a unique breed who seem to specialise in roaring up behind the vehicle in front honking wildly and lurching in and out until overtaking becomes even a vague possibility. How we love them as the disappear in a cloud of black smoke and noxious fumes! However arrival at our hotel dispelled all thoughts of crowded roads and noise. We were at The Spice Tree perched on the edge of the valley and a haven of peace and birdsong. Two days of doing not a lot restored our equilibrium and dispelled jet lag and sitting on the balcony with a cool breeze, the birds and the sound of temple music drifting up from the valley below was just a magical start to our travels.
