Akkara Ayurveda: A 200-Year-Old Family Mansion in Kerala

Perched by the Meenachil river, surrounded by Ayurveda, and preserved by a family, is the 200-year-old Akkara Homestay in Kottayam, Kerala, that promises to be your perfect hibernation destination far secluded from the monotony of city life.

Owned and nurtured by the Cunnumurath Kurien family, this home takes you down memory lane with ancient family stories brought to life with a cup of evening chai with the hosts. What adds to the experience is Mrs. Shanta Kurien’s hospitality; she attends to each guest personally and makes them feel at home.

Akkara’s quaint rooms with terracotta and mosaic floors, period furniture, and a large open courtyard with steps leading to the river are vividly reminiscent of period cinema. Situated on Meenachil’s riverbend, beyond the tranquility of an ancient home and big-hearted pastures Akkara offers traditional herbal spas, Ayurvedic healing, yoga, and meditation retreats.

Akkara is not just a homestay, this is where you can switch off and appreciate the serenity of a slower life. One can tread by the Meenachil river, experience spa and healing inspired by Ayurveda, live in a kettuvallom – a houseboat on the Meenachil, savor traditional and homemade Malayali Syrian Christian cuisine, explore the waterscapes in a canoe, and perhaps learn traditional fishing techniques with local fishermen. All of these and more immersive experiences await at the Akkara Homestay, an ancient family home located in God’s Own Country.