Eco Cottage in Thekkady

Indhrivanam, located in Kumily Thekkady in the South Indian state of Kerala, is a unique place to stay with only one detached stone cottage available for tourists. The cottage is situated in a small private forest with hundreds of rosewood, almond, mango, jackfruit and orange trees, creating a setting you won’t find elsewhere in Thekkady. Indhrivanam is ideally suited for a couple or small family, Indian or non-Indian, who want to get away from the crowds of India, for people, for instance honeymoon couples, who would like to enjoy their holiday in privacy, and for anyone wanting a stay that is low impact on the environment, fauna and flora.

Property
The size of our property is 1.6 acres. It is unique in the sense that is has almost continuous tree cover of a few hundred old rosewood, almond, mango, jackfruit and orange trees. Under the canopy grows coffee (Arabica, Robusta and Liberica), but as the priority is to create a space where fauna and flora will prosper, the property feels like a small forest, an oasis away from the concrete jungle and mono-crop plantations where most of the tourist accommodation in the Thekkady area is located. On the property, there are around 60 different bird species, and mammals like slender loris, wild boar, giant squirrel, porcupine and mouse deer.

The property has two buildings made of hand-chipped stone: a house (where the owners, Sarah and Morten live) and a cottage/cabin (for guests). The guest cottage is in its own private and quiet part of the property (1 acre) where no one else has access. The main building, is located 50 metres from the cottage. Breakfast (complimentary) and (free) laundry facilities are available in the main building. The property relies on rainwater harvesting, and the buildings sport the world’s most beautiful dry toilets! Free ADSL wifi.

Food
Indhrivanam is a B&B in that breakfast is the only meal that is provided. The exception is when there is a strike in Kerala (which is often!) that affects local restaurants. All meals are vegan.

The breakfast consists of homemade bread with various homemade nut butters, relishes and a very tasty cashew cream cheese. There will also be fresh fruit, e.g. oranges, papaya, water melon, pineapples and/or bananas. There may be homemade scruffins (a small cake that is a cross between a scone, rock cake and a muffin). If you prefer an Indian breakfast, dishes like “adai” with sambar and chutney, or vegan Indian omelettes, will be available. Coffee, tea, lime juice, and, on good days, cakes are available for free throughout the day in the main building.

There are around 100 restaurants located within 1 to 10 kilometres from Indhrivanam. For lunch, which is the most important meal for local people, South Indian thalis, priced at INR 50 to 100 and available in local style restaurants, are recommended. For dinner, the cuisines in restaurants range from North Indian, South Indian, Italian, Middle Eastern to Chinese. The average price for dinner for 2 people, is INR 500 to 1000 in the more upmarket places, but, if you prefer, you can easily spend INR 4000 to 5000 in the 4-star or 5-star resorts and hotels. There are also cheaper, local style options, e.g. in Kumily Town there is South Indian street food for people who are so inclined. For non-Indian guests in particular, seeking out local food is highly recommended as experiencing the various Indian cuisines is an important part of experiencing India.

Area
The main attraction in Thekkady area is Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR). Activities like the Nature Walk (6 km), half-day Bamboo Rafting (15 km), Border Hiking (22 km) and the overnight Tiger Trail (35 km) are the recommended activities in PTR. There are also the opportunity for local walks of any length and intensity, various cultural performances in Kumily Town, and short trips into Tamil Nadu for village walks, temple visits and a taste of the local cuisine which is quite different from the food in Kerala.