SPICE VILLAGE:
 A
5 hour taxi drive from Cochin, set in the heart of the Cardamom
Hills of Kerala, Spice Village is in Kumily, a small
settlement 3Kms from Thekkady, the main entrance to the Periyar
Tiger Reserve.Spice Village is the ideal getaway for nature
lovers, the ambience of the resort, brings in the local tribe
atmosphere.Coffee and tea plantations nearby also add to the
atmosphere of a rustic getaway. The design of each cottage was
inspired by the native tribesmen of Periyar, the Oorali
and Mannan, who lived in similar dwellings.
 The
cottages are spacious and furnished with simple sophistication,
terracotta tiled floors, wooden beds and chairs, and whitewashed
walls. There is also a telephone, a fan, an en suite bathroom
with hot running water, and an efficient laundry service. A
'verendah' runs round the entire cottage, and each dwelling
is set its own land, altogether there are 54 cottages.
At the centre of the village is a swimming pool, surrounded
by tropical trees and lawns with the buffet restaurant, which
serves a wide range of traditional Indian and International
delicacies.
 Spice
Village has an exclusive ayurvedic clinic, wel-equipped for
treatments like pizhichil, njavarakizhy, dhara and other
natural therapies. The village offers many other facilities,
including a conference hall and games room, complete with table
tennis table, carrom and chess boards, and a floodlit outdoor
badminton court. The highlight, though, is the garden itself,
bursting with a rich array of spice trees and business. Each
plant is carefully marked (giving the English and Latin names),
and there is a botanist at hand to answer questions.
 Water
safari and Trecking: The most popular way to explore the
Periyar Tiger Reserve is by boat, which allows
visitors to watch animals drinking at the lakeside. Two hour
trips are booked at Spice village, and the best chance of sighting
animals is in the early morning or at dusk. Many animals come
to the water’s edge and it is one of the few places in the world
where elephants can be observed at close quarters. Trecking
into the tropical forests accompanied by a tribal guide, and
then getting dropped off by boat at the far end of the lake,
from where you proceed on foot.
Address: Spice Village, Kumily Road, Thekkady, Kerala
- 685 536.
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