Author: Lucie Daban

A Timeless Moment on the Backwaters

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A scenic backwaters view. Photo by S. Inman.

During my stay at Xandari Pearl – another charming property that I visited recently – I had the opportunity to go on one of the Riverscapes houseboats to have lunch and spend a few hours on the famous Kerala backwaters. I think I will remember this experience as the most peaceful that I have lived. Indeed, everything is united to provide you a relaxing and timeless moment.

Obviously the first thing that I noticed is the landscape and each element that surrounds it. It was my first time on the backwaters, and I have to say that this large expanse of water and all the green nature around it is quite wonderful. What makes it peaceful is the fact that you can just enjoy the moment and the view. You don’t have to do anything else! The best part is that except for the lapping of water and some birds, you can’t hear any sounds. It’s the best place to go unwind.

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Walk About

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A mural painted as part of the Kochi Muziris Biennale 2014. PHOTO: Rosanna
Cardamom, star anise, pepper, cinnamon.. name the spice! PHOTO: Rosanna
A sculpture atone of the stores selling antiques in Jew Town. PHOTO: Rosanna
The bell tower of the ancient Malabar Yehudan Synagogue. PHOTO: Rosanna
Street art on a street in Fort Kochi. PHOTO: Rosanna
Colored walls like these add extra charm to these colonial towns. PHOTO: Rosanna
Anoodha soaks in the art aura at Gallery OED. PHOTO: Rosanna
On location of the shoot. PHOTO: Rosanna
A chance encounter with a sculptor. PHOTO: Rosanna

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the planning and execution of a video project as part of my internship. We worked with creative director Anoodha Kunnath, who has already produced many videos about different topics.

The first step was of course a discussion between Anoodha and Raxa Collective to understand what they both expected from the video. This took place about one month ago – at the beginning of my training – so it was really interesting for me to be aware, in a different way, of the company and its philosophy. The main goal of Anoodha’s work will be to communicate all the characteristics of Xandari Harbour (one of the hotels developed and managed by Raxa Collective) and of course its fascinating location.

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Meeting within Periyar Tiger Reserve

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photo credit: Sudhir Shivaram; Barnawarpara Wildlife Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh

Just a few days ago, I went for the first time to the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Thekkady, which is one of the most important national parks in Kerala. For sure, luck was going our way! We saw so many things: different monkeys, awesome birds, multicolored frogs … but the most amazing and unexpected meeting in this dense forest was one with an animal that I would never have imagined seeing: a leopard! Even if it was obviously fleeting in one sense, it was also a timeless moment that I will remember. None of us had time to take a picture of the animal, which is why I’m using a photo by Sudhir Shivaram taken in Barnawarpara Wildlife Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh. The photo is also much closer than the scene that we experienced, where the leopard was fifty meters in front of us.

Sudhir’s quote below is a good way to show how fast it was and how lucky we are to have looked at the right time in the right place.

I keep saying – In Wildlife Photography you get 0-3 seconds to make your image, otherwise you have missed the opportunity. That’s exactly what happened to me in this case. Continue reading →

First feelings in Kerala

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View from Xandari Harbour; Photo credit: Derek Spier

This weekend I arrived in India for the first time. My name is Lucie and I’m currently studying business at Audencia School of Management in Nantes, France. I’ll spend four months here in an internship with Raxa Collective.

My first “home” with Raxa Collective is Xandari Harbour, in Fort Kochi. When I arrived the first thing that astonished me was the warm welcome from the team of co-workers, also named the “Raxa Collective Family”. To be honest, as a French girl I am not used to this kind of welcome. Right away they gave me everything I would need to be comfortable with them and my new surroundings. They definitely know how to welcome a foreigner! ​From the moment I arrived the team helped me forget my 31 hours of travel, replacing it with the knowledge of how lucky I am to be here.

If you have already read some articles on this blog, you probably will agree with my assessment regarding the link between nature and the company. Now that I know a little more about Raxa Collective it’s clear to me that we can’t talk about it without talking about nature, too. So, as much as the warm welcome, I was also really impressed by the place and the amazing landscape.

The sunset was for me the best moment.  Continue reading →