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Taj Malabar

Taj Malabar Cochin- Kerala

One of the most fascinating and significant islands of Cochin, the Willingdon Island is not a natural one. It is a result of the efforts made for deepening the port of Cochin. The material dredged for the purpose formed the island. Lord Willingdon, the British Viceroy to India, who had a hand in the project lent his name to the island. Today, the Willingdon Island is both a commercial as well as tourist hub with a number of hotels and trading houses. Moreover, the Island also houses the the Government of India Tourist Office, the Southern Naval Command Head-Quarters and the Cochin Port Trust.

Located on such an important Island is the Taj Malabar, a 5 Star Deluxe Hotel, which promises to give you a stay for a life. A part of the highly renowned Taj Group of Hotels, the Taj Malabar presents before you a blend of classic and contemporary. Staying at Taj Malabar is quiet a perfect way to feel the magic of an erstwhile era while enjoying all the comforts of modern times.

The Rooms and the Suites

The rooms and the suites of the Taj Malabar exude the tasteful elegance of Victorian style. There is the Tower Wing rooms that offer some really sparkling views of the sea along with the Chinese fishing net. It is said that outside China, Kerala is the only place where Chinese fishing net are spotted. Standing in your room, you can catch the glimpse of these Cheena vala that are a minimum of 10 m in height and have outstretched net suspended in the sea water.

Then, there is the Heritage Wing built in 1935. The rooms here are a classic example of the Victorian interior decoration. The arched pillars, specially, are the highlight of these rooms. The Executive suites are extremely spacious with a separate living room as well as bedroom. Lying on the four poster bed, you can examine the traditionally carved ceilings or come out in the balcony and enjoy the views of sea waves rising and falling every minute.

Deluxe suites too have Victorian interiors, separate living room, a bedroom and king size bed. However, it also has a private terrace garden with a balcony that opens into the backwaters.

Varying Options to Enjoy your Meal

Dining in Taj Malabar is more than just having a relishing meal. It is actually about enjoying the entire atmosphere and the manner in which the food is served. At most of these places, you are at a leisure to dress up in a way you like, however, lending more charm to the entire atmosphere, there are dress codes fixed in some of the places.

The Pepper is open 24 hours and does not demand any of the formal dress up. The menu card here lists dishes that are a mix of Mediterranean, Italian, North Indian and Kerala cuisines. For a special dinner, you can opt for five-course candlelight dinner with special table settings.

The Rice Boat - this one is open from 7.30 in the evening till midnight. And the speciality ? Well, the menu card offers three different sea food styles - Kerala backwater cuisine, exotic ocean catch food and Internationally-renowned seafood. In the first one local sweet water fishes are used while in the second one catches like Lobsters, Scampi, and Mussels form the main ingredients. The third one offers sea food, like the Norwegian Salmon, Octopus, Oysters, and Clams, that have found worldwide appreciation.

Moreover, the show kitchen of the restaurant invites you to get inside, have a word with the chefs and modify the preparation of your food as per your wishes. Great! Isn't it? And, once your dish is served, you can feast over it while enjoying the scenes of open ocean.

The restaurant is actually the place if you are an avid sea food lover.

A bit of different cuisine awaits to water you mouth at the Thai Pavilion. Fresh vegetables produced in the hotel gardens form the main ingredients here. The restaurant is open for lunch (12:30 pm - 3:00 pm) and dinner (7:30 pm - 12:00 am).

Open from October to March is the Dolphin Point which is surrounded by water from two sides and offers a buffet dinner with barbequed kebabs. Sitting right under the sky, the dinner here tastes extremely tasty and satisfying.

The Mattenchery Bar is the place where you can not only drink some exotic wines but also enjoy the atmosphere enlivened with the lilting sound of piano. Weekends are more spirited time because it is then that the live bands let loose their melodious tunes for your entertainment.

Experience All That Make Up Kochi What It Is Today

A range of activities that enable you to understand Kochi, its history, culture and peculiarities are arranged by the hotel authorities. Start off with a Backwater cruise on a houseboat that introduces you to the more traditional aspect of the city. Also, pay a visit to the spice plantations and villages to get an actual feel of the places. Interacting with the locals at these places will give you a deeper insight into the way life moves here.

Performance at Kala Mandalam, a traditional Dance School is not just a chance to enjoy a performance, rather, it is an exhilarating and absorbing experience that will make you feel proud of the rich cultural heritage of the country. Visits to Guruvayur, a highly renowned religious destination is one unique offer of the hotel.

More outdoor recreation comes in the form of bird watching trips, deep forest nature walks, white water rafting and golf. Inside the hotel, there are arrangements, specially for the young ones, for pool games, board games and table tennis. Moreover there are story telling sessions and kite making lessons too.

Fitness Means a Lot

Seriously, for bad health means nothing in the world can be pleasant and nice for you. And it is for this reason that the The Taj Malabar Hotel offers you a holistic treatment to keep your mind, body and soul healthy. The ancient form of ayurvedic and spa treatments are offered in the Jiva Spa, a holder of Green Leaf certificate awarded by the Tourism Director of Kerala. This certificate is meant to recognize the exemplary quality of treatment offered in the Jiva spa. This also ensures you that a well qualified doctor will attend to your problems when you pay a visit here.

So, keep in mind that exhaustion and other form of stress cannot bother you for long if you are staying in the Taj Malabar. For there is the Jiva Spa, to carry away all your problems - mental or physical.

Accessibility
The Taj Malabar is located at a distance of 45 km from the Cochin International Airport, 10 km from Ernakulam Junction and 15 km from Ernakulam Town Station.