Cochin, Kerala Holidays, India

Dominating Fort Cochin’s iconic waterfront with its arcaded galleries and red-tiled roofs, CGH Earth’s Brunton perfectly captures the grandiloquence of the late colonial era, when the port served as the headquarters of South India’s leading tea and spice exporters. The rooms are all furnished in period and most face the sea (ships literally chug past your window and the Chinese fishing nets are just a stroll away).

A breezy harbour-side pool, with palm-shaded terrace, is the perfect place to beat the mid-afternoon heat. And there’s a gourmet restaurant specializing in seafood whose terrace looks across the water to Vypeen Island.