Arattupuzha · Thrissur
A boutique resort in a village in central Kerala.
Arattupuzha is a village on the Karuvannur river, near Thrissur, Kerala's cultural capital. Neelambari grew from this place rather than being built apart from it. Almost everyone who works here is from the village, and much of what we share with our guests was here long before we were — the paddy, the river, the temple and its festival.
For travellers
Stay with us
Across our buildings we have reproduced the classic architecture of Kerala in all its richness. Our central building that houses the theatre, Yoga hall, library, reception and lounge is a combination of a Koothambalam and a Nalukettu. The Koothambalam (temple theatre) incorporates several exquisite works of art in its folds — in wood, stone and murals. Nalukettu (traditional courtyard) brings to life the charm and simplicity of old Kerala households. Lots of wind and light, an informal ambience and high aesthetic quotient all blend to form spaces of great warmth and tranquillity. Our rooms continue the same traditional theme in their demeanour. They however hold spacious bedrooms and bathrooms that appeal to contemporary norms of comfort and luxury.
Rooms and rates →For events
Celebrate here
Neelambari is an ideal setting to organize the most cherished events of your life. Set in a beautiful village against a verdant rural landscape, the spaces in Neelambari blend themselves with the nature around it. We have multiple indoor and outdoor spaces to host functions of different tones and flavours. Our guests often make best use of this, planning their events across multiple spaces adding variety and colourfulness to the overall experience. Less than an hour from Kochi airport, within easy reach of Thrissur City and strategically placed between two National Highways, Neelambari has great accessibility despite its rural setting.
See the venues →About Neelambari
Part of the village, not apart from it
Neelambari is not a haven of exclusivity. We thrive in our village ecosystem and wholeheartedly share the joys and throbs of local life. The entire Neelambari team is from our village and proudly shares its fortunes and traditions.
We have curated and in some cases distilled beautiful experiences from our village and neighbouring villages and towns. Together they offer a joyous yet realistic flavour of the local life, culture, traditions and festivals to our guests.
The table
Simple, authentic, soulful
We cook the way a home does — vegetarian mostly, but fish and meat too, nothing fancy about it. There's no menu to order from: what's on the table each day is worked out with you and plated rather than laid out as choices.
“We were there for seven days and not one meal was a repeat from the other.” Tripadvisor · a seven-night stay
Experiences
Things to do, mostly nearby
River, paddy and birds
Walking is the best way to explore our surroundings — slowly, through the paddy fields, along the Karuvannur river, past the ancient village temple. The river suits a slow boat better than a fast one, and a bicycle covers more ground if you'd like to see further into the village.
Ayurveda and yoga
Neelambari has beautiful, dedicated spaces for yoga and Ayurveda. The practitioners we bring in are trained in the authentic traditions. The quiet, rural setting does much of the rest.
Festivals and classical arts
We arrange authentic performances of Kerala's classical art forms. We also offer gentle introductions to them — they are beautiful, but they assume a lot of prior knowledge. When something is on in the neighbourhood — and there often is — we tend to go too.
From our guests
“Sreeni and Meera made our stay feel more like visiting close relatives than staying at a resort. The resort itself is a work of art — it feels like it has been part of the landscape for centuries.”
Tripadvisor · a seven-night stay