NEED TO KNOW
- All the cottages have private verandas
- Spice Village is in the highlands of Kerala, amidst cool mists and sun-dappled, silent valleys which are home to vast plantations of teak, cardamom, tea, rubber and coffee
- A buffet restaurant serves imaginative South Indian cuisine
- Ayurveda is available as well as a Yoga and meditation centre
- The resort has a swimming pool
- Other facilities include badminton, billiards at the Woodhouse Bar, and tennis
THE HOTEL
Curling around a misty ridge 2,000 ft high in the Periyar fastness, an arborarium, of fruit trees, rare herbs and a profusion of flowering plants is home to the Spice Village, a truly magical destination. Recreating the architecture and atmosphere of a tribal village, it is pure, unadulterated escape in truly astonishing landscapes.
The village cottages are constructed from brick and log, whilst the roofs are thatched with the same elephant grass used in tribal huts - woven using the same traditional techniques. The comforts of a modern hotel exist, but they never intrude. Modern plumbing, comfortable beds and hot showers find their place, but in a setting stripped down to its natural essence - hewn stone replaces shag carpets, birdsong takes the place of television.
This hotel, a perfect mix of the traditional and the contemporary, is an ideal location from which to explore the tiger reserve and plantations - accompanied at all times by the heady scent of spices.
We appreciated knowing the travel specialist (Katie Sims) from the previous A&K holiday. The hotels in Grenada and Cordoba were excellent.
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