Rest, relaxation, rejuvenation, rediscovery… all this makes for a great holiday, but why do some guests keep choosing a particular destination? We find that our guests have a definite inclination for a particular resort, so we asked them,

What keeps you coming back?

My wife Paola and I have been holidaying at various CGH Earth resorts for over 20 years now. In fact, we were among the first guests to the beautiful island of Bangaram—a jewel—of which we could not seem to get enough; we went there 15 times. People sometimes complained about there being no hot water or about the quality of water, but we found these to be minor issues. When we could not go to Bangaram any longer, we checked out SwaSwara and this time, we are at Marari Beach. We keep coming back primarily for the quality of staff. Many of them are our friends now. Paola is a good cook and she used to exchange cooking tips with John, the chef at Bangaram, who used to rustle up the most amazing things with the limited resources at the island. Also, we appreciate the cleanliness here. We feel absolutely safe with the food and with the quality of drinking water. Of course, the style of the resorts is beautiful. We feel at home here and there is a sense of family.
— Yves Bensoussan, retired UN official, Italy

When I bring a friend over from Canada, they can see both sides of Kerala here… the traditional bits and also our love and respect for nature. I first came to Spice Village six years back, and it is still as beautiful and unspoiled as it was then. When my friends say that they had a peaceful, reflective holiday here, it makes me proud to be a Malayali.
— James Panikulam, Roman Catholic priest, Canada

SwaSwara is not a spa, not an ashram, not a “bling bling” resort. It is unique and hard to describe. I was here a year back for two weeks and thought that I wanted to come back this time for three. I brought my step-daughter and a friend who recently lost her husband. I felt that she could really feel at peace here. SwaSwara is peaceful and harmonious, but difficult to describe to someone who hasn’t come, because it is an emotional and personal experience; one can put down one’s baggage—and I’m not talking luggage—here. It feels peaceful and harmonious, and the ideal place to practice yoga. The water is welcoming and beautiful and of course, the staff is lovely.
— Marsha Crouzet, used to work in fashion and textiles, France