ot too many propert ies deserve the tag of being Ndestinations in themselves,

but Swaswara in Gokarna, Karnataka qualifies. A CGH Earth resort, it sets standards in hotel design and service. Of course, being located against the beautiful Om Beach on the foothills of the Western Ghats only adds to its beauty. Swaswara means the inner voice of the self and, if you allow yourself, you can hear atleast a small part of it, while here. ('Swa' means self and 'Swara' means sound in Sanskrit) Yes, the yoga and meditation sessions give you a helping hand, but it is the environment you are

in that really makes a difference. Morning starts with the sound of windchimes playing against the fresh breeze - the music touches you deep within. It is the only sound you can hear at that hour. This experience is followed by meditation on a hill facing the vast Arabian Sea in front and the sun rising behind only uplifts you further. During this trip, a niggling lower back pain had been bothering me for many days. Meditation enabled me to focus on the energy centres of my lower spine; it allowed me to imagine the deep ocean soothing the area and the waves massaging it. I am not exaggerating when I say I got cured of the pain. Was it the yoga guru, my meditation (it was the first time I meditated in my life) or the place - or a combination of all? Swaswara can claim credit for bringing it all together.

ACCOMMODATION: I f they were selling one of their 24 Konkan villas, I would be the first to buy one. My villa had an air-conditioned bedroom with a room above it equipped with lounge chairs for reading. There is an opening to the sky courtyard, leading down to a semi-covered verandah with work tables and chairs, a coffee and tea making bar, a refrigerator and easy chairs to stretch out on. This opened into a man-made lake. The bathroom was open to the sky. Made in a traditional style, the villas have high quality furnishings and fittings and all modern comforts.

SWASWARA

Gokarna, Karnataka

Perfect to uplift your body, mind and soul

The bathroom in a Konkan Villa The semi-covered verandah The bedroom

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Swaswara may be a catalyst for you to hear your inner voice, but what you achieve depends entirely on you. They may offer yoga, meditation and art, but it is up to you if you want to experience these activities or not. The place has energy, it is for you to use it to uplift your body, mind and soul.

LOCATION: A perfect setting along the Om beach in Gokarna. Accessible by air through Goa (170 kms / 106 miles) or Mangalore (240 kms / 150 miles) airports.

ACTIVITIES: Life may seem to move in slow motion at Swaswara, but there sure is enough to keep you busy. You can practice yoga and meditation - you can choose levels and what kind. Yoga includes gentle or advanced yoga, Laughter yoga, Pranayama, Yoga Nidra and Art yoga. You can also go for Chanting Meditation, Trataka, Mind Sound Resonance Technique, Chakra Meditation or Breath Awareness. Besides these, you can spend time with the resident artists and create something artistic of your own - using clay, colours or mud. And leave your 'creation' behind for others to see. A massage at the Ayurveda centre can be a great way to wind down at the end of it all.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO? Besides the structured activities, you can take a walk in the 'kitchen gardens' of Swaswara where many a chemical free fruit and vegetable are sourced for your meals. Listen to the birds and spot them too. Lie back on the hammocks with a cool drink and a book, or get involved in a game of kabaddi. Swim in the sea, sunbathe on the Om beach or follow a trail through hilly forests to other beaches around. Join the cooks in the kitchen and learn while you help them prepare a meal.

FOOD: Swaswara offers you meals keeping the following in mind: They say partaking of a diet such as ours helps in the development of 'prana' or vital energy and spiritual consciousness, while encouraging the development of the higher qualities of peace, love and humility. So what does this diet include? Chefs mostly use fruits and vegetables grown on their own farms or in nearby fields, all chemical free and grown in clean soil. Their said objectives can be met only when their chefs prepare meals using natural foods grown in harmony with nature, ripened naturally on good soil and cooked in the right manner, with the right attitude. The menu may not look like something you are familiar with, and some of your taste buds may raise questions, but you will leave the dining room pleased with what you have consumed.

SHOPPING: It is easy to be skeptical of high priced shops in hotels, but the one in Swaswara is different. Reasonably priced, it spoils you for choice and quality of goods. You can shop for toys, clothes, gifts, handicrafts and more - will prove very difficult to hold yourself back.

SERVICE: Impeccable. All staff are soft-spoken, well groomed, and always alert to your needs. They are knowledgeable, friendly and will not give you reasons to fault them.

Art by guests

Meditation point on a hill overlooking the Arabian Sea

The dining

Shopping

CGH EarthCasino Building,

Willingdon Island, Cochin 682 003,

Kerala, IndiaTel: +91.484.3011711

Email: Web:

contact@cghearth.comwww.cghearth.com

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checked into Banasura Island Retreat in Wayanad in Kerala in the Iafternoon, least prepared for what

awaited. Having driven for the better part of the day under a blazing sun, I settled into my cottage only to have a wonderland unfold before my eyes.

SERVICE: Excellent. From the owners and managers down to the support staff, everyone is friendly and always alert to take care of any needs. They are well informed, and guide you well about what you can do while in Wayanad.

ROOMS: Cottages of different sizes are aesthetically designed - suited to groups of all sizes. The rooms are clean, with fresh linen and comfortable mattresses and easy chairs.

Bathrooms have modern fittings, allowing you to have a good shower.

LOCATION: As described above, the setting does not get better. Just the place to lose yourself in the views and on the abundant forest trails.

LIKED BEST: The location and the comfortable cottages.

FOOD QUALITY: The k i tchen serves c lean, wholesome meals a lmost l ike home cooked food. Cu is ines cover both loca l d ishes as wel l as any other you may want to order in advance.

When at Banasura Is land Retreat , you have the best of a l l the wor lds . Go, leave the wor ld behind and spend some t ime here.

Located on a hill overlooking the Banasura reservoir, a water body created by a close-by dam, the view from my balcony was a sight to behold. The lake was dotted with islands (that go under water during monsoons) with hills rising up from its perimeter. And then the clouds started rolling in from a distance all the way into the balcony - bringing light showers with them. I sat, mesmerized, my tiredness a

thing of the past. So this is what they mean by Kerala being God's own country? If this is the reception I got on my first day in the state, wonder what was in store in the weeks ahead?At this point, a question popped into my head: Why don't the owners stay here itself rather than in the nearby town of Mananthavady? There is enough land for them to build a mansion here. Anyhow, they know better.

BANASURA ISLAND RETREAT

Wayanad, Kerala

What a perfect setting for a resort

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06

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Tel: +91.4936.277120; +91.94473 83503; +91.94471 33531

Email:

Web:

info@banasuraisland.com rakeshom@gmail.com

www.banasuraisland.com

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FOLLOW UStwitter @kunzum

Kunzum is a high altitude pass in the Lahaul Spiti region of the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. It was while standing here a few years ago that Ajay Jain got inspired to switch to travel writing and photography, to be able to tell the whole world about what a wonderful destination India is for travel. A start was made with Kunzum.com as a travel blog authored by Ajay. Over time, it has evolved into a publishing label where we publish books in both paper and electronic formats as well as an e-mag now. We promote photographic a r t , a n d a l s o r u n t h e K u n z u m T r a v e l C a f (http://kunzum.com/travelcafe) in New Delhi. The caf is another

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Ajay Jain is a full time writer, journalist and photographer based in New Delhi in India. He has written many books, including Postcards from Ladakh (a pictorial travelogue on Ladakh), Peep Peep Don't Sleep (a collection of funny road signs and advertisements) and Let's Connect: Using LinkedIn to Get Ahead at Work (a management b o o k o n p r o f e s s i o n a l networking using the world's most popular professional

networking site, LinkedIn.com). He has worked for and written c o l u m n s f o r n a t i o n a l publications in India including The Hindustan Times, Mint, F inancial Express, Indian M a n a g e m e n t , O u t l o o k Business, Swagat, Discover India, Spice Routes, Mumbai Mirror (The Times of India), Asian Age and Rediff.com. He has also edited a youth newspaper, The Campus Paper. Prior to taking up writing, he has pursued careers in Information Te c h n o l o g y a n d S p o r t s Management. He holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering (Delhi College of Engineering, 1992), Management (Fore School of Management, 1994), and Journalism (Cardiff University, UK, 2002). His schooling was in St. Columba's School in New Delhi.

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