Activities & Interests

Cookery Classes

Due to Malabar’s historical openness to the wider world, the cuisine in this part of India is very varied. One of our specialities at the Hermitage are local Malabar dishes usually not seen in international hotels, along with mouthwateringly fresh fish bought daily from our local fishermen.

We offer regular Cookery Classes for our guests under the tutelage of our resident chefs. So you can not only enjoy our food while you are here but take a nourishing skill back home with you.

Bekal Fort

Over three and a half centuries old, Bekal Fort looms large against the backdrop of the Arabian Sea. Soaring observation towers, once cannon emplacements, splendours of the sea that spread to the north, south and west and the rich naturescapes to the east, a water reservoir with a long flight of steps and a magazine for storing ammunition add to the mystery of the place.

Walking in the Western Ghats

The rolling hills of the Western Ghats - stretching some 1,600 km from north of Mumbai to the southern tip of India - are a treasure-trove of biodiversity that contains a large proportion of the country's plant and animal species, many of which are only found here and nowhere else in the world.

Backwater Houseboat

Behind the Hermitage lies a network of secluded backwaters that feed the local paddyfields and eventually open out into the sea. Attractive and spacious houseboats, converted from traditional Keralan rice barges, provide the perfect setting for cool, tranquil and relaxing cruises to refresh the mind and enliven the spirit.

During the day one can watch the local life as it unfolds unhurriedly along the banks: people washing clothes, collecting water for the home, working in their gardens, fishing with traditional nets, going to the temple. In the evening the wide variety of local birdlife gathers in flocks to roost for the night while the sky is ravished by a spectacular sunset. And to round it all off, what could be better than a romantic dinner and candlelit concert of classical music under the brilliant canopy of stars?

Cycling

Behind The Hermitage stretches a large network of small roads and lanes that give the visitor a wonderful experience of local life. The ideal way to explore this hinterland is by bike. You will enter a world of paddy fields, garden compounds, shrines, temples and mosques, and can follow a lovely coastline along which lie traditional fishing villages where boats and nets are made and repaired.

There are several intriguing routes, taking anything between an hour and half day or more to complete, depending on how long you like to linger and explore. Why not take a picnic out from the hotel and make a real adventure of it? However long you spend, you will find that the local people are very friendly and will be intrigued by you in the most polite and good-humoured way!