BUSYBEE wrote in January 1997: My favourite holiday is disembarking on Cochin and driving across to the Taj Malabar, which must be the prettiest site that the Taj has, far better than the Udaipur Palace, with a not particularly clean lake surrounding it. The Malabar is situated on the river, a few hundred yards before it meets the sea. Giant Chinese fishing nets stand between the river and the sea, filtering the water as it were.

But there is enough space for medium-sized ships to wander in and up the river. And with them come rice boats, tug boats, launches, barges. The Malabar has a coffee shop on the quayside. Sitting there is better than sitting under a coconut palm. The earlier mentioned boats all pass by, it is a crowded highway, and when there is a little break in the traffic, dolphins tumble out of the water and take the sun.

It is true, without doubt, the Taj Malabar on Cochin�s Willingdon Island must be the hotel group�s best property in the country. Built on the curving hook of an artificial island that is lodged permanently in the gullet of Cochin harbour, at sunset, the hotel stands suspended between wind and water. It opened on March 8, 1935, as the Willingdon Island Hotel. The Malabar Herald wrote the next morning, �...The hotel belongs to the Cochin Port and is primarily intended for ships� passengers and possibly for large lunch parties from the ships. The floors are of polished teak and the site is magnificent. For health, scenery and general interest, there is nothing to compare with it. It is a very Victorian type of hotel. The sort of place you go to along with your family on a special occasion.�

The Taj Group of Hotels took over in 1986. And though now the Taj Malabar is freshly refurbished, with a Tower Wing offering rooms with a unique mix of classic and contemporary that command a spectacular view of the Cochin harbour, the Heritage Wing retains its elegantly designed rooms with Victorian interiors that evoke understated luxury. It is the perfect place to start any journey through Kerala. And tourists foreign and Indian are known to do just that. They begin their holiday in Cochin by staying at the Taj Malabar before going on to discover Kerala�s long shoreline of serene beaches, the tranquil stretches of backwaters, the lush hill-stations and exotic wildlife, waterfalls, sprawling tea plantations and paddy fields, the Ayurvedic health holidays, the enchanting art forms, Kathak and Kalaripayattu, magical festivals with caparisoned elephants and snake-boat races, historic and religious monuments, the exotic cuisine...

The exotic cuisine, of course, it is entirely possible to experience at the Taj Malabar itself. Either sitting at Dolphin�s Point, the hotel�s open-air restaurant by the bay, waving to people in the boats (why wave, you could almost shake their hands) while carefully treading your way through an extremely bony but tasty Karimeen Pollichathu, done in a puree of red chillies, cooked in leaves. Or at the Rice Boat, its exotic seafood speciality restaurant that offers an unique ambience with its boat-shaped structure by the waterside and an interactive show kitchen with a catch of the day displayed. Executive Chef Nabhojit Ghosh is the presiding deity here, and his writ runs large, over Dolphin�s Point and Rice Boat and even the all-day dining restaurant called Pepper that offers Mediterranean, Italian and Kerala-Indian style cuisines; the Thai Pavilion restaurant that uses ingredients grown in the hotel�s gardens, the Mattancherry Bar and the Aquarius Bar, and the Tea Lounge with teas from estates in the hills of Kerala and coffees from around the world.

The food apart, the Taj Malabar also has the Taamra Spa offering Ayurvedic massages, Jacuzzi and steam rooms over the choice of working out in a state-of-the-art gym, and a luxury yacht called the Cinnamon Coast gently bobbing by the pier and waiting to take guests for a cruise down the harbour to discover Kerala.

Taj Malabar
Willingdon Island,
Cochin 682 009.
Tel: (91) (484) 2666811/ 2668010
Fax: (91) (484) 2668297
Website: www.tajhotels.com