Set amidst beautifully landscaped gardens by leading architect Made Wijaya, Indian Summer House is a luxury property nestled near the expansive Muvattupuzha River near Kochi, Kerala. When you stay you will have full use of this property, its grounds, pool and staff including Chef. A truly tropical retreat, with the design representing a marriage of traditional Keralan architecture and contemporary styled interiors. The property complements indoor/outdoor living. We run Writers Retreats, Yoga Retreats, Product Launch events, Weddings and Family gatherings - please ask about these.
We arrived at Indian Summer House late at night night and our host Don was there to welcome us with a jasmine flower lay and a welcome drink. As soon as we entered we knew that we were going to have a lovely relaxing stay. It felt so tranquil, from the tropical gardens being softy lit, to the ornate architecture. Our very spacious room had everything we needed including an indoor and outdoor shower. We started each morning with Yoga and as Yoga is new to us we found our instructor Riju to be the perfect teacher. Our week at Indian Summer House was a great mix of relaxation and adventures. A couple of our adventures included a trip to the Tea Plantations (Munnar) and Fort Kochi. Both trips were so beautiful and amazing. Our driver Bju who quickly became our friend was so knowledgeable and nothing was too much trouble for him. One day after a local tour to taste some Toddy and to see how it is tapped from the palm trees, Biju even took us for a visit to his home. Another highlight for us was a trip across the river in a canoe and then walking through different tapioca, rubber and banana plantations. We finished this off with afternoon tea with Mohanan at his traditional Tea Shop. The tea was the best tea I’ve ever tried and the local delicacies were delicious! During our week we also had a few days of relaxation at Indian Summer House. This included days by the pool which is surrounded by tropical gardens, massages and just having some peaceful time in different secluded areas of the property. Each day of our stay we would look forward to breakfast lunch and dinner. Raj is an amazing chef and so happy to cater for anything we asked for. His different suggestions for meals over the week were spot on and after each meal we would look forward to having a chat with him. On our departure I felt like we were saying goodbye to our new friends. Everyone was so warm and friendly. We look forward to seeing you all again next time we visit the beautiful Indian Summer House.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Don49778, Owner at Indian Summer House
Responded 16 Feb 2020
Your week with us gave you enough time to enjoy the property and the community but also to explore Kerala on your day trips! A perfect combination of relaxation, exploration and experiences. We hope to see you back in the future. Kind regards Don
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What a stunning place. We had a wonderful visit and wished that we had booked for longer. The pool was beautiful .....large, just the right temperature, delightful secluded setting and we were entirely left undisturbed until we needed something. The food was cooked as we requested and all the staff were extremely helpful. We enjoyed our visit to the market and the canoe across the river to the tea house The story of the building, and of Mini and her family who lived here before this beautiful place was built, is fascinating . Worth a visit to look at the architecture alone plus the use that was made of local craftsmanship. Great attention to detail about everything from the moment we arrived. Did I say how lovely the pool was! We tried the yoga too. Great
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Don49778, Owner at Indian Summer House
Responded 9 Feb 2020
The pool is a beautiful feature and very welcome after a day out travelling and touring. We are so glad we have inspired you to introduce yoga into your home routine. I hope the youtube videos help. It was unfortunate that you couldn't stay for longer. Ideally 3 nights here is a minimum to enjoy all that Indian Summer House has to offer. Kind regards Don and the team here
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We’re flying back to the U.K. tomorrow and it’ll be such a wrench leaving this beautiful place. It’s our second time at ISH and it won’t be our last.
Staying here is like visiting friends.....if your friends live in five star luxury with their own cook (ask Rajesh to make you a mutton biriani, best I’ve ever tasted); pristine rooms (thank you Sidhu, you are the quiet hero of the place); a yoga teacher who salutes the sun with you before breakfast; massage facilities (try the hot oil dripped onto your brow, it’s so trippy!); huge gardens and a fab deep pool. Oh and don’t forget the Bollywood Dance lesson, didn’t want that to end.
This time, the owners Don and Mini were onsite. Nothing is too much of a bother, they really welcomed us into their amazing home. What a special couple.
See you next year, India Summer House
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Don49778, Owner at Indian Summer House
Responded 16 Feb 2020
Your Bollywood Dance Class was the highlight for me and I can't wait to share the video on my youtube channel! Your 2 teachers put on a great performance too! Hope to see you next year or for our Boxing & Yoga Retreat! Kind regards Don
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Indian Summer House was our third and best hotel in Kerala! On our arrival we were welcomed by all members of staff and treat to a wonderful flower garland which made us all feel very special. The accommodation was first class with inside and outside shower facilities. Air con and fans made the rooms very comfortable. The sleeping table tennis equipment was brought into action with assistance from the staff and formed a good leisure activity during our quiet times. The trip to the tea shop in the Ambassador was very pleasant and Leo chose the seat that Don from the hotel preferred! Mohanan impressed with his production of Chai and the tit bits to accompany it particularly liked were the banana fritters! We felt special in our chauffeur driven Ambassador. The pool was the biggest and the best of our trip and was impressively surrounded by trees and vegetation, together with many statues. Rajesh was a superb chef, nothing was too much trouble and we accompanied him to the market and joined in the making of some sauces for our future benefit at home. One of our members insisted on a visit to a tea plantation and factory. We were lucky enough to be joined by Rajesh who showed us his parent's home and the plantation they worked at. The visit to the Toddy shop on the way home will be remembered. We would like to congratulate all staff and say how impressive it was that Albin got up at 5.00am to wish two of our party, farewell! If perfection was not reached it was as near as possible endorsed by our superb Barbeque on the last night,4 ate and we think 12 were catered for! Fantastic! We hope to visit again in the not too distant future and once again congratulate all members of staff for their care an attention.
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Date of stay: January 2020
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Room Tip:all rooms seen were good. Very comfortable
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Don49778, Owner at Indian Summer House
Responded 4 Feb 2020
Hi Leon, thankyou so much for your review. The team are still talking about your family and how great it was to meet you all. I am glad you took the opportunity to enjoy some of the local activities on offer it means so much to those small businesses and the people that run them.
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The communication with Don ahead of our stay was excellent. Raj and the team were incredibly attentive from the minute we arrived at the property. We loved spending time with Raj on our excursions, in the kitchen and especially eating his food.
If you are lucky enough to stay here DO NOT MISS:
Daily Yoga from Riju. The Ambassador tour for tea with Mohanan at his traditional Tea Shop enjoying local delicacies with our chai (pazham pori, bananas, tapioca chips and pappada vada). Market tour, School visit and cooking experiences with Raj Joined Rajesh for a visit to his home in Wagamon and experienced his world and enjoyed the beautiful views of the tea plantations The wonderful poolside BBQ option to finish off the perfect holiday!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Don49778, Owner at Indian Summer House
Responded 12 Feb 2020
Wow! Thankyou so much. The kids at the local Nirmala school loved your visit. They study so hard and appreciate any new experience. Sounds like a great conclusion to what was a wonderful journey for you all. Kind regards Don
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We started our journey through Kerala here to rest after a long journey and it was exactly what we needed, it’s such a beautiful place. All the food is delicious, serving either local or western breakfasts and the staff attend to your every need. There’s a large, relaxing pool area and lots of restful places to sit. For me, an outdoor shower in a tropical climate is the epitome of happiness.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Don Vandepol, Owner at Indian Summer House
Responded 24 Jan 2024
Bathing in Kerala is a ritual and in the old days was often in the open next to the well or down at the river. Nowadays we have created lovely private outdoor hot/cold showers to enjoy this simple pleasure. Thanks for your lovely comments we all really appreciate it! Kind regards Don and the Indian Summer House Team
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An amazing experience all around! Mini and Don, our hosts, were friendly, welcoming, and went above and beyond to make our stay pleasant. The grounds and rooms are beautiful, the food delicious (some of the best Indian I’ve had), and excursions/experiences unique and fun. I would highly recommend the Indian Summer House for guests who want to just get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and relax with nature. One small but important thing that stood out for me is that all tap water is filtered and purified so there was zero concern about water/food safety (which one cannot say for most of the country!). As a first time traveller to India, this made my stay just that much more enjoyable and stress free.
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Date of stay: April 2024
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Location
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Don Vandepol, Owner at Indian Summer House
Responded 2 Oct 2024
We are very glad you enjoyed your stay and felt safe with our purified water! All the best and thanks for the review Don Mini
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We chose to stay at The Indian Summer House as part of our honeymoon trip to Kerala in January 2020. From the moment we were in contact with Don we knew we were in for a treat. He had lots of advice on Kerala and helped us finalise our itinerary and arrange a driver (Biju ) for part of our stay.
The Indian Summer house is an oasis in the middle of Kerala and is everything we could have dreamed for as part of our honeymoon. All of the staff were super friendly, the accomodation is beautiful and the food cooked by chef Raj is to die for. We stayed at a 5 star resort in the maldives at the end of the trip and we both said how the ISH offered better service and exclusivity. It is a must if you are visiting Kerala!
We would love to return one day and think it would be a great place to stay with family or a group of friends.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
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Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Don Vandepol, Owner at Indian Summer House
Responded 15 Aug 2020
So nice to hear from you Heidi and I am glad we were able to be part of your honeymoon experience. We have recently started hosting small weddings and zoom cooking classes to keep us busy. Kerala has handled Covid remarkably well and we look forward to welcoming guests back when it's safe to travel again. Wishing you both a lovely future together and thankyou so much for the review it is much appreciated. Don
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We had an amazing stay at ISH. We've visited Kerala many times and this was our first visit to ISH. It was an oasis of calm, perfectly situated within walking distance to the vibrant town of Muvattapuzha.
Don and Mini have created a wonderful property, fantastic Keralan architecture in beautiful grounds with comfort at the forefront.
The food prepared by Rajesh was delicious - wonderful curries and a brilliant banana pancake! We were looked after by Mobin and the rest of the staff brilliantly, nothing was too much trouble.
The experiences that are available are fab - really well thought out, I don't think we'd have had the confidence to visit a tea shop with the locals on our own to have Chai and tasty snacks. Going with Rajesh we learnt so much. And we felt privileged that Don and Mini took us to their local temple for a Pooja. The surrounding area is interesting to visit and see more of beautiful Kerala.
Daily yoga with Riju was great and we enjoyed some excellent Ayurveda treatments with Leela - mum even had a foot massage by the gorgeous pool.
Overall a fantastic stay (I've run out of superlatives). Would totally recommend. Thank you so much for looking after us so well.
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Date of stay: January 2023
Location
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Don Vandepol, Owner at Indian Summer House
Responded 13 Jan 2023
The team really appreciate the comments above as they all work so hard to welcome you into our home and into their lives here in Muvattapuzha. They have really enjoyed creating and delivering these experiences with Mini and I. We have lots more on our list so please do come back for more local adventures and a nice relax by the pool. Kind regards Don and Team
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This is an excellent place to stay. All the staff are well trained and friendly without being overly so. Our room was modern, well equipped and the shower room was palatial - there was even a rain shower! The food was excellent and the cook even came through after each meal to make sure that we had enjoyed the food and that we could ask any questions. The House is built around a central garden with a veranda which allows ready movement even in heavy rain. Added to this, there is a large swimming pool. We would strongly recommend this little palace!!
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Date of stay: January 2023
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Don Vandepol, Owner at Indian Summer House
Responded 30 Jan 2023
Thankyou so much for your lovely comments. The team enjoyed having you both stay and enjoying the property. I know you particularly enjoyed our large pool. We hope to see you back! Kind regards Don and the Team
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"Carry insect repellent, sun screen and a hat. Take advantage of the activities provided and don`t be afraid to ask for what you need, the staff will always try to help."
There are more places to choose from in the Muvattupuzha area.
LOCATION
IndiaKeralaErnakulam DistrictMuvattupuzha
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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