*** Eco Friendly ***
If you care about the ecology and want to see nature's ebbs and flows unfurl before you. If you believe a little slice of paradise just for you to enjoy can be found quite easily. Then breath in the fresh salty air of the Arabian Sea, sit silently with the amazing view of a lagoon, the sand and the sea pounding the shore. Breath easily again as you watch the fisherman haul in their nets, hear them chant. Men, youths and boys of all shapes and sizes come to say their prayers and bath in the dawn light. Green egrets sit hunched like feathered old men on the wall nodding to the kingfishers sitting on my handmade country boat. They in turn are watched by the terracotta brown, white necked fishing eagles as they soar above searching for breakfast. It's coming to the end of a rather long monsoon which started in June and has just finished. Monsoon is not what you expect, in the main it rains at night max an hour during the day, so we still have lovely sunny warm sunbathing days. However, when it rains it really rains, the wind blows with all its force and nature takes control, giving me the inspiration to start a blog to tell you all about it.
When I say 'we' it is in the hope that you out there are as batty about animals as I am. There is Scottie the cat. Indigo the dog, and the latest new baby to adopt us Angelina, Buster and Gigi the very tiny tortoises found outside my bedroom and office.
pip.pip. Davina
Yoga originated in the Indus River area of Harappa in 3300 BC. Ancient tribes lived in this vast area along the river and there is much evidence of them being a highly developed and advanced civilisation.
Archeologists have found artifacts showing yoga asanas from even earlier times although the official date is 3300 BC The name 'Yoga' comes from the Sanskrit word 'Yuj' meaning 'unity of body mind and soul' Therefore by practisng here in India you are in the very birthplace of Yoga
Praveen Das
Lagoona Davina's Yoga Master
and Meditation Guru
Sivananda and Hatha Yoga for new and experienced students
One of the most ancient ways to exercise and re-balance the body and mind for holistic health. Yoga revitalises inner organs and outer appearance by regularising breathing and stretching the muscles, thus increasing oxygen throughout the body and brain. By stretching muscles and re-aligning joints and bones, yoga improves posture and gives greater mobility. Meditation pervades the mind and body, reducing stress and the terrible effect stress has on the body and mind. Most of us dream of inner peace, yoga helps us achieve it. The beginner feels the benefit after only a few lessons. The experienced know they can only go from strength to strength in achieving the ultimate balance between body and mind.
You will look and feel Healthier and Younger
Remember the song
'Don't Worry Be Happy'
The Economy certainly is in a mess.
What - have - those executive chaps been doing over their long lunches, cigars and brandy?
Clearly not counting the billions going out each month in a privileged direction, or the billions more dollars in many other badly thought-out money draining directions often rewarding bad judgement.
Why should those who long for a break suffer - Not much we can do about it, I hear you say
But you - can - do something, you can manage your own Joy.
Krishnan the elephant doesn't care so long as he gets his bananas. You don’t have to be in the executive chaps mess either. You too, even with all that's going on, can get what we all long for:- Relaxation, Simple Fun, Good Food, Wine and Hap hap happiness.
Things could get worse, but for you things could get an 'elephant' lot better.
Don’t give in to the down, down, dooby blues - take life in both hands - go for it.
Let’s face it, all of you reading this and I who am writing it, are in better shape than the millions out there in the wilderness who really are having a hard time, floods, fire and famine. So - let's go.
Let’s have that change - starting with ourselves.
Life - can still be great, life can still be fun, still be healthy and happy if we P.M.A. it (Positive Mental Attitude it)
To get things rolling I have already discounted the prices at Lagoona Davina by 40% until the end of October.
And bearing in mind that you out there need a bit of distraction, need to get back to nature and simple pleasures, I have decided to give you even more Yoga and massage facilities than before.
Get onto the internet, grab a cheap flight and get your act over here.
Its lovely, its natural its peaceful, wonderful food even cheaper than at home. We do give you the newspapers but you don’t have to read them.
Return home toasty brown, body supple, relaxed and beautiful - ready to face the madness of the world we live in these days.
PS we also have chocolate
pip pip Davina
From the Management Team
By the way - Can you live with a magical 180 degree view of nature at its loveliest. Can you live in a room hand painted in the colours of India with the animals of India painted on your bathroom wall. Can you live with well water that is completely pure but comes out a little brown in colour at times. Will you notice energy saving bulbs, occasional power cuts, thatched roofs, no air conditioning (lots of fans) a pool that is not very large, but you swim looking over the lagoon and the Arabian Sea - in your little slice of paradise. Will you allow us to pamper you with delicious 'fresh each day' south Indian food, adapted by Davina to reduce the fat, salt, and high levels of chili, baskets of exotic fruit, banana bread and croissant, serve you fresh eggs laid by our own ducks and chickens. Can you handle delicious desserts and home made sugar free dreamy ice creams. Could you allow ayurvedic masseurs to caress you to total relaxation, our yoga masters to bring back youth and unstressed muscles, mediation to find your centre, the centre where your mind dances with joy. IF you can manage all this and more - then send an email, hop on a plane, Lagoona Davina's car will meet you.
IF on the other hand you cannot handle all of the above, let me know, I'll book you into a five star energy guzzling hotel. However you might be very lonely without my charming staff and sweet animals.
pip.pip. Indigo
My Cheesy Story by Zebe
Not because I have truly ‘gorgeous ears’ and am a blogger extraordinaire, I am called Zebe because I look a bit like a zebra!!
Mummy Davina is not making goat cheese just yet, but she certainly intends to one day, once I have grown up married and have 'kids' of my own. You may also know she gave my goat mummy and sister as gift to a blind man who is vey old and does not have much pocket money. In the past she has given a few mother goats with a female kid to children who are both blind and deaf, and in one case also had spinabifida. All the female kids grow up and have a family of their own for the children to enjoy and their parents to earn money by selling the extra milk. After a very short time the family has a herd, so you see we are a very practical gift for a family who may not have as much pocket money as most of us have.
I Zebe
(my picture again)
I have decided to stay on at Lagoona Davina as a friend to Indigo the dog and to help with the cheese project. I will be here at Lagoona Davina to update you regularly in this blog with ‘goat express’ news and update on the cheesy situation. 
You can even ask me how to get involved the 'Give a Goat to the Blind' project it only costs £75 = E80, I may be small but I am pretty intelligent and clued up on all the details, it comes from eating lots of milk and greens. Sorry, I shouldn’t speak with my mouthful but its lunchtime
Weather Worldwide
As you read your papers, watched the news and looked out of your window, you no doubt noticed the whole world was having some pretty ferocious and in many cases un-seasonal weird weather. Kerala is no exception. Luckily if it does rain it is only at night, so we always have glorious sunshine every day. Angelina (seen here) reads the weather forcast daily and assures me no nasty weather will spoil your holiday at Lagoona Davina With Angelina's help I am able to UP-DATE this blog and inform you that the rains have stopped. Clear blue sky all day. You can sit in the garden overlooking the sea - OR have a candlelight supper on my boat on our backwater. Remember we are only 8 degrees from the equator - and always will be - therefore warm breezes caress you into relaxation, the daytime sun toasts you to a golden brown. Wonderfully fresh healthy food, yoga and massage take years off your face and body – friends may ask if you (even the chaps ) if you have had a face lift. As always - little brown bodies are leaving here looking and feeling as wonderful as they had hoped they would. ***Room tariff has been discounted by 40% September / October *** just to help you with world economic downturn Want to come - Send an email: lagoonadavina@hotmail.com pip pip Davina
*** Some Guide Book Reviews***
National Geographic
Hip Hotels - This article also appeared in The Guardian Travel Section July 2004
National Geographic - April 2003
The Guardian - March 2007
Alastair Sawday's Special Places to Stay
Davina has played out all her fantasies here. A cultured, attractive English lady in her fifties, she was evidently seduced by the raucous colours and textiles of India. This is not so much a resort as a sophisticated traveller’s den. Yogic-looking European ladies sit cross-legged in conversation on palm-shaded, low, cushioned platforms overlooking the lagoon, wearing flowing cotton dresses and mirror- embroidered bags bought from the lean-to boutique, while their personal flunkies make sure that their every need is tended to. The rooms are fantastical, like a clairvoyant’s tent, all billowing ceiling drapes, gold stencilled borders, rich, ochre walls, old inlaid wooden trinket boxes and four-poster beds all under thatch. The whole place feels handmade. Some rooms open onto the sandy waterfront garden where books are read in hammocks and food is served at cloth-covered tables. Others are tucked around the hack, with small sandy alleys running between them to create a village feel; some are very small. People come to practise yoga, experiment with Ayurveda, or just lounge in this lovely retreat.
Hip Hotels Beach 
Imagine this. You arrive at the international airport of Trivandrum (or Thiruvananthapuram to give it its full Malayalam name). You make your way past the throngs who swarm the airport and emerge into the humid heat of Kerala, the southernmost state of India. You are picked up by an ambassador, the quirkily Indian karma Cab, and whisked off to the beaches and backwaters that have made this part of India famous since well before Vasco da Gama landed here in 1498. The further you get from the airport, the greener the landscape. Soon the car stops, the bags stay in the trunk, and you are guided down to the water, where a wooden dugout canoe awaits - a canoe shaded by an ornate silver and gold umbrella. The car disappears down the road, and you slide away down a broad river flanked on either side by row upon row of swaying palms, punctuated by the occasional picturesque village. After half an hour or so of seemingly effortless gliding, you hear the sound of the sea. And then the waterway opens into a broad lagoon. On one side is the ocean, on the other is a beach facing the lagoon. You have arrived it Lagoona Davina.
*** Some Guest Emails ***
From : KellyNick
To: lagoonadavina@hotmail.com
Sent: 18th January 2007
What a wonderful visit! We enjoyed everything the peace, the food, the scenery. The perfect way to start off our visit to Kerala. We will certainly recommend the Davina Lagoona. And especially a thank you to Renjith for making our stay so easy.
Kelly and Nick London, UK
From: Lowri
To: davina@india.com
Sent: 19th January 2007
What an amazing and idyllic place this is! I loved every second of my stay – such a relaxing time. The food was always excellent and the staff friendly, thanks especially to Joseph.
I will be telling all my friends!
Lowri + And
Boumenoth, UK
From: Pim Iwale
To: davina@india.com
Sent: 19th January 2007
Well, if this isn’t a little corner of paradise, then tell me where else! A relaxing and beautiful place is hard to find. A big hand to Davina for her vision and attention to detail - and Joseph make our all to brief stay and absolute delight.
All the best see you again
Pim & Rina Iwale
From Theo and Mary
To: lagoonadavina@hotmail.com
Sent: 7th March 2007
Dear Davina & Team,
‘Incredible India’ firs this place very well. Lovely on the beach enjoying fishermen, theatre the sound of waves and beauty of flocks and fauna. Paradise. You spoiled us as you promised. Finally a team with smiling faces doing a great job.
We’ll come back and you Davina we most welcome in Delhi to be our guest.
Theo
After arriving worn and weary from London like we were transposed to this idyllic corner of paradise for one of our most perfect holidays ever – Thank you.
Our week has been made all the more special by Ramesh the lovely ladies who cleaned our rooms and all the staff who have looked after us so well.
Mary
lagoonadavina@hotmail.com Printed: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 4:21 AM
From : flavia pertuso
Sent : Monday, August 27, 2007 1:26 PM
To : lagoonadavina@hotmail.com
Subject : RE: Pertuso 20th to 25th Aug 1 SV + 1 Crooms
hallo Davina,
unfortunately I am back to work...
I really want to tell you how wonderful has been our stay in your resort! the laguna davina lies in our heart as piece of heaven!
your staff, Ramesh and all the others are special and made our stay special!!I would ask you to say hallo to them for me and to thank them a lot!
I really hope to come again!
thank you thank you!
all the best
flavia and marco (the Rhino guests)
From: "mary humphries"
To: davina@india.com
Subject: Re: WEB SITE Lagoona Davina
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:08:34 +0000 (GMT)
Dear Davina
Today, I actually spoke with a lady who had the wonderful experience of spending time at Lagoona Davina and said what an amazing experience it was and, that she hopes to come back (health permitting).
I would be very grateful if you could put a package together for me.
Sincerely Mary
From: Sarah Druce
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 6:39:44 AM
To: Davina Taylor (lagoonadavina@hotmail.com)
HI Davina,
I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed staying at your place, it is absolutely stunning and was the perfect way to unwind and conclude our trip. I only wish it could have been for longer. I will make sure anyone heading to Kerala knows about your slice of heaven. Good luck with everything,
Kind regards, Sarah
From: Di Picard-Brown
To: lagoonadavina@hotmail.com
Subject: THANK YOU!
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2008 11:46:21 +0000
Dearest Davina
So lovely to be back at Lagoona again if only for a few days - as usual 'your loyal regulars' had a fab time and thank you for everything. I think our message in your 'comments book' says it all. It remains our little slice of paradise too.
Hope you enjoy the 3 litre box of chilled chardonnay we left you! I only had a glass or two from it, so lots left for stress relief.
Much love from us both
Di and Sue
From: peterk
To: Davina Taylor (lagoonadavina@hotmail.com)
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 9:34:45 AM
Hi Davina, thanks for a loveley experince at Lagoona Davina. We were so entranced that we forgot our washing. Two pairs of trousers, one shirt and one long sleeved top. Any chance that you can send them on to Surya Samudra Beach Garden please where we will be on the 13th March. Any costs to my credit card please. Thanks
Regards
Peter Kemsley
Avenue for Conferences & Events
Sent from mobile
From: sgmguill@yahoo.es
To: lagoonadavina@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: Salva arr 20th dep 24th SV
Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:50:35 +0100Hi Davina, the various friends who have been at Lagoona understand why I go back for the 4th time : addiction !. I am looking very forward to being there again with you, relaxing and talking walks in the village to admire those smiling faces that inspire me so much. On Friday there is a full moon so I think i picked the right place to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus under the coconut trees!!!.
My flight lands at 22:30 on Thursday 20th, Air Deccan from Mumbai via Kochi. I will leave on Monday morning to Delhi, back to exciting work life.
Love Salva
Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2008 13:55:24 +0530
> From: Jas and Arjun
> To: lagoonadavina@hotmail.com
> Subject: Re: Cheque today - return tomorrow
>
> Hi, Ms. Taylor!
> So sorry for the delay in responding. We've been some problems with
> the internet. Surprise, surprise.
> We had a lovely time at your place. You have great style and taste,
> Ms. Taylor!! It was a pleasure meeting you. We're not involved in the
> Hyderabad Film Club but I was thinking last month that I should
> definitely join. Films are a big part of our lives.
>
> I'd very much appreciate it if you could forward me your contact's
> info at HIP HOTELS so I can mention how happy we were at your place
> and send some info about our friend's hotel in Goa.
> Regards to you, your staff and your animal friends,
> Jas and Arjun Charanjiva
> Sunshine Crescent Apartments, Flat No. 1-B
From: Dee Lockyer
Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 1:47:29 PM
To: lagoonadavina@hotmail.com
Hi Davina,
Just wanted to say thanks very much for having us to stay on 26th March for a couple of nights. On top of a fabulous stay, the dinner boat experience was something I don't think we will ever forget.
I just wanted to ask you….. Those little double coconut bowls that the pre dinner nibbles were served in - where did you get them from? I thought they would be fab in our new flat and spent the rest of my holiday trying to find some without any luck. Tom and I are hoping to come back to India next year and I wondered if you could point me in the right direction or know of someone who could send me some?
If not, not to worry if not, hope you are well and keeping the local politicians in order!
Kind regards Dee Lockyer
Osborne Clarke
Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
A list of partners and registered foreign lawyers is available for inspection at our offices
From: "Amanda Harvey"
To:
Subject: Thank you!
Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:31:02 +0200
Dear Davina,
Thank you again for such a wonderful stay at Lagoona Davina I had such a
great time and really enjoyed relaxing by the lagoon, doing yoga and talking
with you into the wee hours, it was just what I needed to recharge.
I am back in Antwerp now and working on my portfolio before heading to
London and NY to start looking for a job. It is a bit of a shock to the
system to be back in the 'real' world, and the weather as per usual in
Belgium is unpredictable and mostly grey, can't quite believe that just a
few weeks ago I was waking up everyday to guaranteed sunshine in India!
Take care and thank you again,
Amanda Harvey
