Red Dot Tours | Kerala Hotels | Spice Village, Periyar Wildlife Reserve

Spice Village, Periyar

Price Guide: ££

Location

Spice Village is set in Kerala’s Western Ghats, on the edge of the Periyar Wildlife Reserve. It lies in a vast wooded arboretum originally founded by W.A. Woods, an Anglo-Indian Forest Ranger in the 1930s. The extensive gardens are laden with fruit trees, rare herbs and flowering plants. It is 80 kms from the Munnar hills to the north, 190 kms from Cochin Airport to the west and 140 kms from Madurai Airport to the north-east in Tamil Nadu.

Introduction

Spice Village resembles a tribal village with an eco-friendly philosophy that has won many accolades. It is in every respect an exemplary and adventurous holiday retreat. Sleep in comfortable elephant-grass thatched cottages, dine on delicious Kerala feasts cooked with aromatic spices picked from the gardens, relax with a sundowner at the Wood House bar or venture off on an adventurous trek on foot into the Periyar Reserve where wild elephants roam free. The `Tiger Club’ – their in-house nature centre headed by an experienced Naturalist -- plays a vital role in creating wildlife conservation awareness. One of several `CGH Earth’ properties across Kerala owned by the Dominic family, Spice Village is yet another fine example of their vision of providing guests an authentic experience of the surrounding location and village community, it’s culture and heritage, connecting with nature and ecology. The philosophy of CGH Earth says: `We have discovered ourselves through nature, learnt that less is more, that luxury lies in simplicity, that reality is more enchanting than fantasy and that magic lies in what you already have.’’ This deep-rooted philosophy resonates throughout every one of their hotel properties. In recognition of their contribution towards protecting the local environment and developing the surrounding village communities, Spice Village was awarded the 2007 Responsible Tourism Award by Wild Asia.

Photo Gallery

Accommodation

There are 47 standard Spice Garden Cottages and an additional five Private Garden Cottages. All have a/c and are built in the form of the tribal jungle dwellings still found within the Periyar Reserve. The walls are of brick and roofs are thatched with elephant grass and spilt bamboo. The cottages are scattered around the tranquil gardens and are filled with fruit trees and spices including cloves, cardamoms, and pepper vines. The rooms are not luxurious but spacious, clean and very comfortable with nice private verandas. The ensuite bathrooms have bathtubs and h/w showers. Other in-room facilities include a mini-bar, coffee / tea making facility, and telephone. There is no television by choice, but a full orchestra of birds and cicadas should keep you pleasantly entertained throughout the night.

Facilities

The Wood House Bar on a small hillock stands gloriously in memory of W.A. Woods, the forest ranger with a passion for nature who literally planted all the trees and foliage around the Spice Village. The Bar was originally Woods’ home and retains its characterful colonial architecture. Hundreds of photographs that tells of days gone by, a 150-year-old billiards table, and a barman of great longevity and with interesting stories to tell makes the Wood House Bar a must for cocktails. The main restaurant is located just opposite the bar overlooking the swimming pool. Here you can choose to sit indoors in the main hall or sit out on the veranda and dine alfresco. Authentic Keralan cuisine is served along with a few western dishes. Cookery demonstrations are held each evening where the chef shares his special recipes with the guests. There is also an Ayurveda centre providing relaxing massages and curative treatments supervised by an in-house Ayurvedic doctor. Yoga and meditation are conducted daily. The `Tiger Club’ located by the restaurant consists of an excellent wildlife library and meeting room where the Naturalist conducts educational programmes, discussions and slide shows. Recreational facilities include a swimming pool, badminton and tennis courts. The hotel’s gift shop has a range of Indian products and books to choose from. Shopping is also possible just outside the gates of the Resort in the village of Kumili lined with interesting wayside shops selling spices to silk shawls. Like the other CGH Hotels, Spice Village also follows a strict nature conservation philosophy including rain water harvesting, waste management schemes, use of bio-gas, vermiculture and composting, organic farming, and maintaining `chemical-free’ zones. As a part of their efforts at community development and preserving nature, the Kumili villagers are educated on organics farming methods and are employed to work the Resort’s organic vegetable gardens.

Excursions

Go on an adventurous trek on foot to Periyar Wildlife Reserve accompanied by the naturalist. Boarded by the Periyar Lake, this wildlife sanctuary covers about 775 acres of mixed grassland and vegetation including tropical rain forests. The Reserve is home to scores of elephants, sambar, the Nilgiri Langur, numerous species of birds, and the tiger. According to statistics, there are around 40 tigers in the sanctuary that are all elusive and almost impossible to spot. There are several tribal villages within the Periyar Reserve that can be visited on your trek. These indigenous people, constantly challenged by the fast developing world, still carry on with their age old rituals, and livelihood of herding and bee-keeping. Other adventurous activities offered by the `Tiger Club’ includes bamboo rafting, bullock car rides and guided nature walks within the Spice Village, and visits to a spice plantation.

Spice Village, Periyar South India