Title : OASIS Home Stay
“This has been a place where no one ever thought of stepping in” says Mr. Shoukath, who is the master brain behind the start of Oasis Home Stay in Kappil, bordering Trivandrum and Kollam. At present this is a famous place where every tourist dreams to spend in. The place has already generated news and has come in the news papers like Kerala Kaumudi and Malayala Manorama. Before getting into the venture it is very much significant as to find out how such an idea came up in his mind.
Mr. Shoukath born into a poor family and has done only his primary education, found it hard to earn his daily bread. This made him to steal coconuts which put him into a number of troubles. He therefore left Kappil, shifted to Kannur in 1996, and got married from there. As time passed it was really hard for him to sustain there, which forced him to return to the home town.
Thus he started his venture in Kappil as a fisherman. It was he who identified the unused 50cent plot which was of the government, near the place where the lake and sea merges. He planted trees, built a hut over there and started living. People started calling this place as Kadappuram Veedu, which really was an attractive spot.
It was in two Swedish women who first approached him asking whether a stay can be provided. They identified this place while boating through the lake. The Swedish ladies stayed there for two months and they were the persons who suggested the name OASIS. Shoukath was happy in naming it as Oasis. The reason he says is that, the name will always make him remember the time spent with those two.
As time passed, more and more people started asking for the possibility of staying in this place. This was the moment which made him realize that there is something special about this place which tourist would like.
He never tried to bring in concrete buildings, but built few more huts which fully were of natural materials. Roofing was made with bamboo sticks and walls with brick. He also planted more trees which made the place look like old age village. Now he has plenty of tourists visiting, both foreigners and domestic.
Shoukath holds the entire responsibility in the functioning of the home stay. The food is prepared by his wife. He is having two sons both above 20yrs, but Shoukath says that he never entertained them coming there due to their bad character. He also says that many persons have approached him for giving this land to them for starting big hotels.
Shoukath says that never ever since the start of this venture in 1997 he got a complaint from the tourists. The primary concern for Shoukath as far this venture is concerned is the security and the food that he delivers to the tourists. There are incidents where tourists who even stayed for one day happened to be his permanent customers. It is really interesting that he hasn’t spent a single amount for its promotional activity. The visitors he is getting are permanent and through their reference.
The factors that make this tourist stay special is that here we can’t find any thing common. No bed, no power, nothing of that sort. Mr. Shoukath says that this is one of the attractions for tourist where they find this place as close to the earth. Tourists coming here have several likings such as good food, sleep on the floor and require silence which is of course their primary concern. This are all rightly looked up by Mr. Shoukath.
For Shoukath it’s not the money that matters and this is clearly depicted in the way in which the rent is charged. He never fixes rates for the tourist but they pay him according to their capacity. Shoukath is even glad in saying that he receives rewards from the visitors for his service. There has been a remarkable change in the place due to start of Oasis. Since then several businesses related to tourism have made their mark, roads were built, price of the land has shot up by manifold. Every thing happened only because of him and his unique idea. Shoukath also started arranging boating facilities, and site seeing facilities, if required.
Shoukath hopes that near future itself OASIS will be known through internet as two of his continuous visitors who are engineers have agreed to prepare a website for Oasis.
As Shoukath stayed for 10 years in this place, now he has got the right to own this property. As time passes one thing remained unchanged in Shoukath’s mind “never make earth an artificial place to live in’. Shoukath hopes that Oasis will be a brand in promoting tourism in this place as well as in entire Kerala, where people will be coming to enjoy the beauty of “God’s own country” and the untouched 50 cents which will always remain the same.
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