Kahani Paradise

The dream escape of a well-heeled British family, Kahani Paradise manages to maintain the feel of a home rather than a hotel, with plenty of nick-nacks laying around the place, and clutter, of the good sort. A grand Pan-Asian style villa, the colonnaded living area and dining pavilion benefit from that breezy indoor-outdoor style of tropical living. Dine al fresco, overlooking rice paddies, and a glimpse of the bay below. No menus, no prescriptive meal times, instead, dining is based on guests’ preferences, and what’s available in season. For breakfast, colourful platters of exotic fruits are accompanied by cold-pressed juices, followed by freshly-laid eggs to order. The catch-of-the-day fish tikka, steaming ‘thukpa’ and ‘momos’ (the chef is Nepali) and a very gooey double chocolate brownie are all delicious. Each of the six suites is a joy to retire to, decorated in individual colour palettes, geometric patterns, with modern artwork and prints. The Queen Suite is the only room with a bath — all en-suites make a statement with floor to ceiling polished concrete. A smart new arrival in what is dubbed as the last bastion of India’s hippie hangouts!