IndIa's Pool sPa Bath MagazIne
www.wavesmagazine.in NOV/DEC 2010 VOLUME1 ISSUE3 `100
Minimal is more
Bath Design Advice
tips for finding the right pool
builder
10
PRIVATE POOL VILLASREINVENTING THE INDIAN RETREAT
Perhaps Dante was referring to Coorg, a
place that will haunt you forever.
Described as the Scotland of India, Coorg
or Kodagu means 'dense forest on a steep
hill' and lies at an altitude of 1,525m above
sea level. Coorg is located on the hilly
Western Ghats, about 250km from
Bangalore in Karnataka. Set amidst
majestic mountains, green valleys and lush
forests, this is truly one of the most
beautiful hill cities you’ll ever visit. Misty
hills, acres upon acres of coffee and tea
plantations, orange groves, and breathtaking
views are what make Coorg an incredible
holiday experience.
What really adds spice to the tale of
Coorg is the dash of legend and local lore
that resonates here. Legend has it that
during the conquest of Alexander the
Great, many of his Indo-Greek soldiers
migrated south and married the natives.
The traditional kupya costume worn
by the men resembles the Greek
toga and their fair complexions
and prominent features mimic
Grecian traits. We wondered if
any Gladiator fights took place
here long ago…
COVER stoRY
PRIVATEReinventing the Indian Retreat By Sandeep SharmaPHOTOGRAPHS PROVIDED BY ORANGE
COUNTY RESORTS & HOTELS LTD.
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“NATURE IS THE ART OF GOD.”
COORG
AND
ORANGE COUNTY
ResoRtsPaRt I
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COVER stoRY
COFFEE, SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICEMuch like India’s wealth attracted invaders
in the past, Coorg’s beauty, abundant water
sources and fertile soil lured in rulers from
surrounding areas. It’s neighbours coveted
the vast rice fields, succulent spices and
torrential rains. Soon, the British brought
in coffee cultivation on a large scale and
left behind a colonial lifestyle that is still
followed today. The brief imperial rule left
behind a legacy that is the source of
Coorg’s identity and income – the
cultivation of coffee and spices.
While cups brimmed with coffee, the
alluring hills of Coorg were the supply
depot for the famous spice coast of Malabar.
Pepper, Cloves, Cardamom, and other stars
of the fabled ‘spice route’ are residents of
these hills. Coorg Pepper is considered the
world’s best and since ancient times, traders
have landed on the neighbouring Malabar
Coast of Kerala to pick up loads of this
black treasure. The ancient Greeks, Romans,
Arabs and Chinese then carried it to
different parts of the world.
ORANGE COUNTY RESORTSWhen visiting Coorg, don’t miss the
opportunity to experience nature by day
while escaping to your own private cottage
by night. Let’s take a closer look at why
World Travel Awards picked Orange
County Resorts as Asia’s best themed resort
for 2010. There are two Orange County
properties located 2 hours from each other,
Orange County, Coorg and Orange
County, Kabini. Both properties are
supremely beautiful and perhaps that is
why they are so famous. Around the mid
1990’s the Ramapuram brothers started
Orange County Coorg with just 12 Tudor
style bungalows and named it after the
orange orchards in the area. The plantation
was originally purchased by their
grandfather from the British in 1926.
Orange County, Coorg, offers plantation
style cottages with an ethnic character and
rustic in its beauty. You can enjoy a
soothing evening in your very own private
sit-out overlooking the plantations that
offers stunning views of the nearby hills.
Each cottage comes equipped with plenty
of facilities designed to help you forget the
world you’ve left behind.
While there, be sure to experience
rebirth at the Ayurvedic Spa, Vaidyasala, and
enlighten yourself with ancient secrets of
the world's oldest healing system to
rejuvenate and revitalize your body and
mind. For more rest and relaxation don’t
miss a peaceful respite at the Coffee
Lounge which overlooks the lush paddy
fields and coffee plantation.
Orange County hosts a range of
activities, themed around Coorg’s unique
geography and culture. Coorg presents the
perfect weather and opportunity to
discover the naturalist in you. A visit to the
nearby Dubare Elephant Camp across the
river Cauvery, is a great half-day trekking
experience. Visitors can participate in
bathing and feeding the elephants and
complete the visit with an elephant ride
through the forest to a nearby waterhole.
Another great feature of this resort is the
guided tour of the 300 acre working coffee
and spice plantation by foot. Learn first
hand the differences between Arabica and
Robusta and discover how the Malabar
blend got 'monsooned'. Surely a treat for
even the casual coffee connoisseur!
As poet Rabindranath Tagore said, “Trees
are the earth’s endless effort to speak to the
listening heaven.” Nowhere is this truer
than in Coorg, a magical and mystical
heaven on earth. If you're the type who
likes to rendezvous with nature, romance in
the mountains, feel the sensual cool and
gentle breeze, and hear sounds of birds
delicately fill the air - then Coorg is just
the place for you. You might leave Coorg,
but Coorg will never leave you.
MISTY HILLS, ACRES UPON ACRES OF COFFEE AND TEA PLANTATIONS,
ORANGE GROVES, AND BREATHTAKING VIEWS ARE WHAT MAKE COORG AN
INCREDIBLE HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE.
Plantation Style Cottages
Pool Hut Bathroom
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IMPERIAL POOLS MASTERFULLY CREATED A SERENE AND TRANQUIL
GETAWAY FOR EACH PRIVATE VILLA.
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Jacuzzi Hut Courtyard, Orange
County Kabini
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PRIVATE POOL VILLAS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE POPULAR IN
INDIA AND FOR GOOD REASON. WHAT BETTER WAY TO ESCAPE THAN
SWIM IN YOUR OWN PRIVATE POOL?
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Private Pool Villa Coutyard, Orange County Coorg
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The private pool villas at both
Orange County properties
are so marvelous and
breathtaking that we
decided it needed its own
‘private’ section. Private
pool villas are becoming more and more
popular in India and for good reason.
What better way to escape than swim in
your own private pool? As Mr. George T.
Ramapuram, Managing Director of Orange
Country Resorts explains, “The private
pool villa is inspired by ethnic Kodava
architecture and aims to offer the ultimate
in luxurious seclusion, offering you the
privilege of your very own
personal swimming pool and a
lovely pool view from two
spectacular sit-outs!”
Luck was on our side as
we were able to contact
the pool builder who
designed and constructed
the various pools found at
each resort and discuss the Orange
County pool projects at length. Imperial
Pools was chosen to design and construct
all the swimming pools and jacuzzis for
both resorts (except for 3 pools already
built). Prashanth Prabhu, the owner of
Imperial Pools, shares his design
philosophy and project challenges
exclusively with WAVES.
IMPERIALLY DESIGNED “Firstly, I consider myself fortunate to have
been given a free hand in designing the
pools by the MD of OCR - Mr.George
Ramapuram who is an excellent architect
himself and a very knowledgeable
person with whom I share a
great relationship with over the
past few years.” Mr. Prashanth
further elaborates, “The pool
design had to gel with the
rest of the architecture
which is rustic in both the
projects. Even though each
cottage is very large and spacious the pool
could not take up too much space as ample
area had to be provided for soft scaping.”
Imperial Pools masterfully created a
serene and tranquil getaway for each
private villa. Still, there were challenges to
overcome during the construction phase.
“We had challenges with an extremely
compact plant room, earth settlements, etc
but my team and I have enjoyed working
on each and every pool,” Mr. Prashanth
remembers. He looks forward to the next
resort project from Orange County and
so do we.
POOL TRENDS ON THE HORIZONMr. Prashanth shared his thoughts
behind recent pool trends and waterscape
designs. He explains, “With almost
every major pool manufacturer showing
interest in the Indian pool industry, the
range of equipments now available in
India is very much the same as the rest
ORANGE COUNTY HOSTS A RANGE OF ACTIVITIES, THEMED AROUND COORG’S
UNIQUE GEOGRAPHY AND CULTURE. COORG PRESENTS THE PERFECT
WEATHER AND OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER THE NATURALIST IN YOU.
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BEHIND THE
SCENES
IMPeRIal PoolsPaRt II
of the world. The range of pool
finishes is also improving in design and
quality. Therefore, the options at the
disposal of pool owners are great,
though they are not utilizing it to its
fullest extent.”
Mr. Prashanth agrees that pools have
become more affordable lately but reminds
us that there are only a fraction of
residential pools in India when compared
to the US or even small European
countries. Despite the numbers, there is
definitely an increase in demand. “More
and more pools are coming up in the
residential segment,” he added.
What about pool products for the
Indian market? “I think that salt water
chlorinators would be useful in India. It
is widely accepted in USA but I am not
sure why it hasn't caught on here. Perhaps
it is because they are misconstrued to
cause bleaching and hair loss.” When
asked what India as a country could do,
Mr. Prashanth without hesitation replied,
“I would like to have the government
THEREFORE, THE OPTIONS AT THE DISPOSAL OF POOL
OWNERS ARE GREAT, THOUGH THEY ARE NOT UTILIZING IT TO
ITS FULLEST EXTENT.”
“WITH ALMOST EVERY MAJOR POOL MANUFACTURER SHOWING INTEREST
IN THE INDIAN POOL INDUSTRY, THE RANGE OF EQUIPMENTS NOW
AVAILABLE IN INDIA IS VERY MUCH THE SAME AS THE REST OF THE WORLD.
upgrade our public pools to a degree
which would be acceptable to a much
wider public usage, thereby helping to
promote swimming as a sport.” We
wholeheartedly agree.
POOLS, A LOVE STORYMr Prashanth’s love for swimming pools
began long ago. He fondly recalls the days
his father started the business back in 1973
and how he was instrumental in shaping
the industry. “During those days the pools
were mainly built for the Government,
Army, Navy or Air Force and generally the
pools were either 25 meter or 50 meter
competition pools. I like to think of him as
one of the pioneers of the swimming pool
industry in India. In early 2003, I took
over the business after I returned from the
USA completing my MS in Mechanical
Engineering. If it wasn't for my decision to
return back to India, I guess I would still
be working at the same patenting firm in
Chicago. I became infatuated with the
swimming pool work which turned into
an obsession. “An obsession with pools? He
should come work for us!
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