Where to stay
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The laliT reSorT & Spa Bekal kerala
This stunning resort is located in Kasargod, which despite being North Kerala’s foremost beach destination is still largely undiscovered; go there before it changes. Just a twohour drive from Mangalore airport, it’s set amid 26 acres of lush landscape fringed by palm trees and is surrounded by backwaters. Book a couples’ massage at the 20,000sq ft Rejuve Spa, which offers a range of ayurvedic and Swedish treatments, and opt for a few nights in their houseboat accommodation, Kettuvallam, where you and your partner can enjoy unhurried cocktails on the water. (www.thelalit. com) Doubles from 15,000
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karnataka
The Serai Chikmagalur
Karnataka’s lesser-known coffee country is home to miles of rolling plantations as well as majestic temples—and The Serai is bang in the middle of it. The resort, where no kids are allowed, has four private villas with pools, jacuzzis and large bay windows; book the estate Terrace which has a paddy field as its backyard. Let the pleasing smell of spices from nearby fields intoxicate you on walks. Then explore the grand Belur and Halebid temples, where Shiva and Shakti have been worshipped for centuries. After all this exercise, recoup with a deep-tissue coffee massage à deux at the resort’s Oma Spa. (www.theserai.in) Doubles from 19,700
Dining at The Serai Chikmagalur
84 Condé Nast Traveller June-July 2013