A Beach Symphony

Four beautifully furnished traditional fishermen’s cottages on Marari's white sandy beach - a symphony of serenity, warm hospitality and private dining

Belgian husband-and-wife team Jan and Christel have been in the hospitality industry for 14 years and A Beach Symphony is their dream project: an intimate, luxury hideaway that’s designed to make every guest feel blissfully at home. Originally a backpackers’ guesthouse called Motty’s Home, these 4 charming cottages (more are planned for future years) are now lovingly decked out in richly-coloured fabrics and carefully chosen Keralan antiques.

Set in a sandy garden dotted with baby plants, hammocks and tall palms, they’re only yards from Marari’s stretch of unspoiled white beach and the sound of the waves lapping on the shore shushes you to sleep. All have air conditioning and private, shaded verandas for dining and daydreaming and most have open-air showers; one cottage even has its own plunge pool. There’s a huge turquoise swimming pool and a garden pavilion for lounging in the sun, but if you want to escape for the day the owners will arrange a tuk-tuk tour of the area or a boat trip on the backwaters, before you return to enjoy delicious fresh seafood, serenaded by bird song.

Highs

• The beautifully decorated cottages are set in a lovely garden, right beside the beach
• You can enjoy delicious dining on your private veranda
• The owners and staff make you feel perfectly at home
• The peace and quiet is blissful, with birdsong and waves to lull you to sleep
• Three cottages have open-air showers and one (Violin Cottage) has its own plunge pool

Lows

• A light undertow and occasional high swell can make beach swimming tricky (and dangerous for unwatched children)
• There’s no official drinks licence or bar yet, although there is a small stock of beer and wine which is available on request
• The mobile phone reception is poor (or is this a plus?)
• There are some cheeky crows which occasionally invade the open-air bathrooms and wreak havoc
• In Nagaswaram Cottage (where we stayed) the bed sits in the centre of the room, meaning there are no bedside tables or reading lamps