After my stay at The Raviz Calicut, I moved on to experience The Raviz Resort and Spa Kadavu which was a 30 minute drive from the city.

This is a gorgeous hotel that stands along the banks of the Chaliyar river and I got my first glimpse of it from the bridge, as it peeked out from behind the coconut trees.

The Chaliyar was a bit muddied due to the recent rains but I was told that the waters were far clearer when they were undisturbed during drier seasons.

Kadavu meaning shore, the scenic location of this shore hugging property makes it one of the most sought out resorts in Calicut.

Located just meters off the highway, a slope leads you to the driveway that circumvents a huge banyan tree whose base bears the name of the resort on a sign board.

Built along the lines of a Nalukettu, a traditional Kerala abode, the reception area is styled to resemble a huge verandah with murals and local artifacts enhancing the decor.

A life sized spice laden boat lies docked in the center and antique wooden chests and furniture lend a richness to the ambience.

A wooden chair with a leaf shaped seat and back rest draws your attention and the flautist playing soothing classical music on his flute, sits on it as he entertains you with the melodious strains.

Spread across a 13 acre expanse, 117 rooms of the resort include suites, premium river view rooms, rooms suitable for the differently abled and beautiful river facing several cottages that have a kitchenette as well. Most of the construction uses the red laterite stone that is obtained from the land itself and the sprawling grounds bear several indigenous plants.

A swimming pool, a water fountain, an aesthetically designed open amphitheater and a lone hammock lie along the path that leads to the pier where the houseboat lies patiently to take its passengers on a sunset cruise.

One would do well to take care on the steps that lead to the river because the rains render them mossy and slippery.

What is a holiday without pampering oneself at a spa and here too one can luxuriate at the Raviz signature Favorite Kerala Spa and Ayurvedic center. With traditional massages and treatments, the charmingly rustic looking spa has its own stay packages that one can avail of, complete with a tailored diet and regime.

A beauty parlor completes the picture and is a great boon on the premises since this resort is a popular venue for several functions including weddings etc.

Apart from all these amenitites, they also have a board room facility, a 5000 sq ft acoustically sound conference hall and also an enormous convention center that can host upto a 1000 people with an option of combining an adaptable open air extension in order to accommodate upto 5000 people. This is a very convenient venue which has its own separate entrance and has been used for major events including launching of new cars.

Well I felt that was big enough to launch aircraft or several elephants too, in case such a need ever arose 😀

Speaking of aircraft, The Raviz Kadavu is a bare 12 kms from Calicut International Airport and besides being the go to place for the crews of all the airlines that fly into Calicut, this is also a huge advantage in terms of accessibility for people who make this their holiday destination.

The city center, bus stand and railway station are also around 15 kms away and easily accessed via cabs, buses and even auto rickshaws.

My room had a lovely view of the river and the island beyond. The large sit out was a great place to hang out and gaze at the calm waters and the bridge in the distance. My reputation as a foodie must have preceded me because they had made sure that I was put up right next to the main restaurant 😀

The property being around 16 years old, some the rooms do have some issues which include dated linen, shaky plumbing and noisy fans but these concerns are in the process of being attended to and a refurbishing is underway.

Being a large resort, there is much to do on the premises itself and you can read about that as soon as I am done writing 😀

Photo credit – Nazim

For those who want to explore Calicut and do some sightseeing, the travel desk is happy assist with options.

Since my was stay across both the Raviz hotels  in Calicut, I divided my time and options accordingly and you can read about the places that I visited, in these links –

The Raviz Calicut/Kadavu – Calicut Sightseeing and

The Raviz Calicut/Kadavu – Local Attractions

Likewise their restaurants offer varied dining choices which we will savor in another post.

How to get to Calicut – Calicut can be accessed from Bangalore via a flight of 1 hour duration. Overnight buses and trains also ply and one can also drive down by car. The 360 kms can be covered in an average time of 7.5 hours and a part of the drive is through the scenic Bandipur forest and the ghats of Wayanad. My return journey was by car and it took 10.5 hours due to heavy traffic and my penchant for stopping and clicking pictures of everything that took my fancy 😀 But more on that later.

For more pictures see My Facebook – The Raviz Resort and Spa Kadavu

Sep 4th-6th, 2017