The effortlessly quaint little home of Neema and Capt. Francis Veliyath, The Bungalow, rises above the lush foliage around Fort Vypeen in Kochi. Their 90-year-old home was erected by Neema’s great-grandfather Joseph Puthepurackal, who was the first native manager at a British-run firm. Speaking about her heritage home, Neema says: “Francis was in the merchant navy and the family was constantly travelling around the world, till one day in 2006, we decided to settle in Kochi.” That entailed restoring her much-cherished family home. “Many tourists who passed the house would ask if they could look around the property. Some even suggested that I convert some of the rooms on the first floor, which were lying idle, into guest rooms,” she says.
The Bungalow has a mixed architectural style – the ground floor is Portuguese-inspired, the first floor is Dutch, and the attic is typical slant-roof Kerala-style. There is generous use of teak and rosewood on the first floor and the attic. There are only two heritage homes (so bookings much in advance are a must) named after great explorers Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus.
Tariff: Rs 4,500 (A/C extra); Reservation: 09539300010, thebungalowhomestay@gmail.com; Best time to visit: September through February
Basu and The Bees 