The ambience is serene, the location is typical Kerala-picture-postcard perfect! You wake up to a cool morning to the call of birds like the Drongo, Cuckoo, Kingfishers and many more – you could take your binoculars and sit by the Kadambarayar river spotting these and other birds all day long. But you will have plenty of time to take in all these things and more if you choose to live at The Verandah Gardens (VG). We did! And we have lots to share with you…

Fun fact – Verandah is an Anglicised version of the Hindi word ‘baraa-ma-da’, which is believed to be the original word. In Vaastu Shastra, there is a mention of these structures in ancient building techniques. It was constructed to cool-off in the afternoons and early evenings, serve as a social place for neighbours to chat or kids to play.

Here at VG you can definitely chat or watch from the top floors when the men engage in a game of badminton or play pool in the atrium. For those who love to relax and play card games or chess there are plenty of tables. And for the quieter ones, the library is stocked (and being stocked) with books in Malayalam and English. Take your pick!

We moved in on February 01, 2023 and will soon be completing 1 year. Hooray! We are enjoying our life here, after having lived abroad and in other Indian cities. Of course, it has not been all roses and cream, but what is the fun if it is that way? It takes all sorts of people to make a community and the community here is true to that and that is what makes it fun, funny and funnier. Perhaps you could find one of life’s funniest moments too, as time goes by – we are all seniors, mostly above the age of 55, active and in good health, with a bit of grey hair, a bit of forgetfulness, and a bit of quirkiness. But we have a lot of vim and vigour and enjoy every moment every day, as is evident from our wonderful celebrations for Independence Day, Onam, Christmas and New Year.

More about food, available services, accessibility in my next blog…Ciao!

Young at heart and mind, Jessica is a part-time senior model, coach and colour consultant. She loves to travel and experience life and culture first-hand. Having written many motivational articles before, Jessica now shares her views and thoughts via blogs and reviews. She’s also a proud owner and is amongst the first residents of The Verandah Gardens.