Kerala, also known as "God's Own
Country" is one of the most popular tourism destinations
in India. It's tropical climate, beautiful palm-fringed
beaches with pristine stretches of sand, the serenity of
the backwaters and the clear blue Arabian Sea, make Kerala
one of the most beautiful destinations in India.
"This place, Surya Samudra is
like a setting in a James Bond film," said a friend. Quite
so: exotic wooden cottages, coconut trees, a fine beach…This
is a place for dreaming, in the silence and the sun and the
roar of the waves. Kerala has no beach resort like it.’ -
Inside Outside, August 1993 "Situated on a rocky promontory
between two deserted beaches, Surya Samudra is the kind of
place you could easily imagine Hemingway or Somerset Maugham
retreating to for weeks at a time to bash away at a
typewriter in splendid isolation. It’s that kind of place."
- Herbert Ypma, HIP Hotels Escape Book, Thames & Hudson
THE RESORT : "Resort living is not the usual
image that springs to mind when thinking of India. But in
Trivandrum…the Surya Samudra Beach Resort rates up there
with the worlds most charming escapes" - Jill Mullens, The
Western Australian, 25-4-1998.
ROOMS: 83 Superior and well appointed rooms range
from the Deluxe Suites, Exclusive Executive Floors to the
option of the regular Deluxe Rooms to suit your budget.
Surya Samudra began as a single octagonal stone house thirty
miles from the tip of India and just a few minutes from the
historic Vizhinjam Harbour (pronounced as Virinyam) Today,
it has grown into an eco-friendly beach resort with 23
houses spread over nearly one-third of an acre of private
space and each house comes with a luxuriant foliage of
coconut, palm, bamboo, banana, wild shrubs, flowers and the
chirping of birds.
"Surya Samudra projects a new trend in eco-friendly beach
resorts" - Tourism India, April 1999. Individual cottages or
houses make up the resort, call bells at the door have been
avoided since the sound is jarring and each house has a
granite-topped table and stools cut from granite pillars
where one can sit and watch the waves lash against the cliff
throwing little water beads against the azure sky.
HERITAGE COTTAGES
"Waves lash against the shores, the wind murmurs as it
rustles the bamboo clusters and caresses the rustic
wooden walls of the houses which are a hundred or more
years old. Surya Samudra, the first heritage hotel in
Kerala, stretches out across two beaches facing the
Arabian Sea with a cliff anchored in between." - Tourism
India, April 1999.
An impressive line-up of 21 antique granite sculptures
of lions welcomes every visitor into the reception area
of Surya Samudra. They are positioned against the
backdrop of an unpolished granite wall.
A pathway laid with
rectangular granite slabs, reminiscent of the outer
courtyard of traditional Kerala temples, ends in front of a
pair of carved granite pillars. From there, steps lead
towards houses so positioned, that each house offers an
unrestricted view of the sea and the beaches. Further, sand
paths couched in rich foliage, link the houses. The land is
terraced to prevent erosion and the cottages are placed at
different levels hidden from each other by vegetation.
Guests are accommodated, not in mere rooms or suites but a
choice of modern or traditional houses, the former built of
stone with soaring roofs…the others are traditional Kerala
wooden residences, transplanted from their original sites."
- The Western Australian, 25-04-1998.
Whole Tharavadu (traditional Kerala houses) have been
purchased and reassembled here as cottages. They have been
converted into elevated structures, keeping in mind the need
for free flow of space to facilitate unhindered movement and
natural ventilation. Windows serve as doors while writing
desks face the sea. Bathroom-cum-toilets or ’bath gardens’
are open air, protected by the slopes on all sides and each
house has an open-air cafeteria.
"More than 100 years old, with intricate carvings and heavy
shutters…these cottages have outdoor garden showers, wide
verandas and, like all the accommodation, are surrounded by
terraced tropical gardens. Bliss. Recommended: the Ibis or
Myna rooms furnished with squatter chairs, bamboo beds and
mind-blowing views of the ocean." - Jill Mullens, The
Western Australian, 25-04-1998.
AYURVEDA
"Ayurveda here is on a luxurious scale. My rejuvenation
massage was an hour and a half of nirvanic bliss. I felt
as if I’d been on holiday a month, instead of just
arriving" - Hallie Campbell.
Surya Samudra has an Ayurvedic massage centre and a yoga
centre whose treatments customers swear by. The word
Ayurveda is composed of two terms. ’Ayus’ means ’life’
and ’Veda’ means the knowledge or ’Science’. Thus,
Ayurveda means the science of life. Ayurveda lays a
great deal of emphasis upon the maintenance of positive
health of an individual. Ayurveda evolved around 600 BC
in India. Ayurveda has been practiced ever since. Today,
it is a unique, indispensable branch of medicine - a
complete naturalistic system that depends on the
diagnosis of the body’s systems, to achieve the right
balance. Ayurveda believes in the treatment of not just
the affected part, but also of the individual as a
whole. It is a natural way to refresh oneself, to
eliminate all toxic imbalances from the body and thus to
regain resistance and good health. Kerala’s equable
climate, natural abundance of forests (with a wealth of
herbs and medicinal plants), and the cool monsoon season
(June - November) are best suited for Ayurveda’s
curative and restorative packages. Traditional texts
reveal that the monsoon is the best season for
rejuvenation programmes.
The atmosphere remains
dust-free and cool, opening the pores of the body to the
maximum, making it most receptive to herbal oils and
therapy.
"Exclusive features at the beach resort include an Ayurvedic
centre and a cultural centre" - Radha Radhakrishnan, The
Business Line, 04-3-1996
Surya Samudra keeps Kerala’s Ayurvedic medicine alive in an
uninterrupted tradition on a luxurious scale. After a
consultation, one can choose from a variety of soothing
treatments. An expert massage using traditional medicinal
oils prepared from natural ingredients by the masseur can be
enjoyed. Excellent results with all types of pains in the
joints and the muscles, and with prophylactics and relief
from rheumatism and arthrosis have been seen.
THE SWIMMING POOL
"We spent days lolling by the pool created from an old
quarry where sculptors from Mamallapuram have carved
underwater artworks in the original rock." - Jill Mullens,
The Western Australian, 25-4-1998. "The swimming pool here
has a line-up of Balikkallu, small granite usually seen in
the inner courtyard of temples which add to the rustic
ambience of the resort." - Tourism India, April 1999.
Perfectly in tune with nature, the swimming pool is a
natural rock pool without any tiles on the floor.
Tariff in Indian Rupees from October 01, 2010 to September
30, 2011 on room and breakfast basis, per day, on double
occupancy.
Winter
Christmas / New year
(*)
Summer
Category
No. of
rooms
Oct 1
to
Apr 15
Dec 22
to
Jan 8
Dec 31(**)
Apr 16
to
Sep 30
Banyan Tree Bungalow
1
Rs 42900
Rs 64000
Rs 83800
Rs 22400
Octagon
1
Rs 28200
Rs 41600
Rs 54400
Rs 14700
Heritage - Premium
5
Rs 25000
Rs 37100
Rs 48000
Rs 12800
Heritage - Superior
5
Rs 18600
Rs 28200
Rs 37800
Rs 11200
Heritage - Classic
6
Rs 15400
Rs 22400
Rs 30100
Rs 9000
Rock Garden Classic
4
Rs 14100
Rs 20500
Rs 27500
Rs 8300
(**)The rate quoted for December
31, includes complimentary beverage, gala buffet dinner,
special entertainment and cultural programmes. (*)Minimum
4 nights stay during the Christmas / New Year period.
Single occupancy room
rate is 10% less.
Extra bed charge is
15% of the room rates. Children below 6 years stay free,
if no extra bed is required.
Above rates are
exclusive of 12.5% Luxury Tax on room tariff.
Check in time: 1400
hours / Check out time: 1200 noon
The resort facilitates
currency conversion through authorised dealers.
Taxes are subject to
change as per Government notifications.
Room tariff is subject
to change without prior notice.
Rates for other
facilities in the resort are available on request
