Tea Bungalow

Café du Mahé serves up Keralan and more continental dishes, which you can enjoy in dining room or al fresco on the patio. Lined with polished granite and turquoise Italian tiles, the pool is surrounded by loungers and plenty of greenery. Although the pool is on the small side, most things at the Tea Bungalow are pretty compact. Decorated with model ships and mini paintings, the Travancore Lounge also comes with a home theatre and library.

The bungalow's 10 spacious rooms each have an en-suite bathroom with handcrafted sandalwood soap and a rain shower complete with shrubbery and a pebbled floor. The dark wooden furnishings include a double bed and small lounge area. In shades of pink, orange and green, the rooms are decorated with mini (and regular-sized) paintings and come with a TV, tea/coffee maker, air con and wardrobe. Most top-floor rooms open onto a veranda with a sitting area while some have a small patio.

From its quiet corner of the city, the Tea Bungalow is just a scenic walk away from Fort Kochi Beach and the historic Chinese Fishing Nets, the unnofficial emblems of Kerala's waterfront. Stroll through the streets of nearby Mattancherry with its grand Dutch Palace and the ancient synagogues of Jew Town. You can also catch a performance of Kathakali, which is one of the nine classical dances of India and began in Kerala. For an added dose of nature, enjoy a ferry ride to the secluded Vypin Island!