Making a Traveller out of a Tourist

Narratives for Vasundhara, a resort in the
backwaters of Kerala

Less known and less celebrated in Kerala are the many surprises thrown up by a vibrant popular culture, reflecting an eclectic attitude in everyday life.

A traveller immerses himself in the local culture in order to experience new things and, unlike a tourist, thinks of a trip as a journey rather than a destination. In this project for a resort in Kerala we aimed to make travellers out of tourists, integrating narratives across print, digital and immersive experiences. These go a long way in creating an emotional connect with the brand, and guests become ambassadors as well. At Vasundhara resort and around, a guest experiences popular folk and classical culture up close: tea at a local tea stall; local cuisine and drink at a toddy shop; and classical or folk music on the edge of the backwater lake.

We designed digital, print and spatial interfaces for guests at the resort to encounter classical and popular narratives of Kerala through illustrated myths on walls, craft, motifs and cuisine. Potential visitors can read on the blog and also pick up printed postcards as a token from their visit, that cover a range of subjects from classical to rock music – or how the typical Malayalee man dresses.

Read more on this project here

In Kerala, tea stalls are ubiquitous and tea is consumed through the day. Heated discussions and long discourses on movies, local, national and international politics, must always follow each slurp and sip. On the Vasundhara blog you can read about meeting Mohanettan in his quaint chayakada at the edge of the resort as he produces cup after cup of steaming hot tea, along with crisp banana fritters.

As a guest you can even visit the “kitchen” of a toddy shop. The local kallu, or toddy, shop dishes out a range of sea food, in kitchens using firewood and mud pots. From the blog you can download authentic recipes from toddy shop kitchens.

On the blog or on wall posters you can read about how Kerala has an unusual demand around August: pot-bellied men. The bigger the belly – the better. Pot-bellied men, disguised as tigers, dance during the harvest festival of Onam on the streets. The Play of the Tigers, or Puli Kali. is a tradition which dates back to two centuries ago.