Spice Village – Thekkady
The Spice Village is hard to categorize – simplistically it’s an hotel with delightful bungalows dotted around the luxuriant grounds. However, it’s far more than a run of the mill ‘jungle resort’. It’s an eco experience, a place to get back to nature : to throw away the mobile, switch off the internet, say goodbye to the TV and totally ignore the radio. The natural sounds and rhythm of the wilderness dictate the noise levels – nature provides the entertainment. Spice Village also has one of the most complete recycling systems I have every come across in an hotel. Green is the key word here not just jungle green but eco green.
The bungalows are built upon the principles of the local tribal people’s homes – mainly using reclaimed timbers, bricks, spilt bamboo and elephant grass. Soft muted shades and ample use of wood make the rooms light and airy. No a/c here just fans to cool the body and trees to shade the bungalows from the heat.
Whilst there it was wet, wet and even wetter as it was during the main monsoon season – but to be honest, I think I enjoyed it more as the whole area was relatively tourist free. There was no rush to get a boat trip on the lake, struggle to buy spices in the local village, follow in the footsteps of a dozen others walking through the spice plantation – or wait for hours for an elephant ride through the local jungle. The hotel was about a third full – enough to make a pleasant atmosphere.
Spice Village is excellent for children with a delightful small pool, competitions and quizzes in the Tiger Club – nature orientated of course and with acres of grounds to explore.
The food was great , I loved the open style kitchen and sneaked two freshly cooked marsala dosa’s………well – I would have loved to but one was far to much for me to eat! The evening cookery demonstrations were excellent. The chef cooks whilst the duty Naturalist explains all about the ingredients – especially the spices – and then we all get to sample the evenings recipe. Delicious!
The Ayurvedic centre is perfect to pop into for a relaxing massage or to try out treatments for various complaints – under the watchful eye of a fully qualified Ayurvedic Doctor – indeed no treatments will be given until a consultation takes place.
One of the highlights of my stay was a ride in a Bullock cart – nothing special I hear you say – but how wrong can you be? This was a ride with a difference – part of a project sponsored by the hotel to help ex- elephant and sandalwood poachers to be rehabilitated back into society. Instead of sending them to prison they were turning thieves into policemen out patrolling the jungles and working with tourists taking them on nature rides in the local countryside! I listened to their stories punctuated by a sudden cry when one spotted a rare bird or lovely flower. It was an experience I will never foget sitting next to a elephant poacher and hearing him tell me how they used to elude the police!
- Learn how to cook Keralan cuisine – evening demos
- Learn about spices from the resident naturalist
- Go to see their handmade paper making workshop
- Yoga and meditation
- Learn to wear a saree – Keralan style
- Watch classical dance performances/musical evenings
- See the Tiger Club slide show
- Talk with the naturalists
- Visit the organic garden and mushroom hut
- Play billiards, tennis and badminton
- Swim
For an extra charge
- Boat safari on Periyer Lake – look out for feisty otters coming to drink or maybe a secretive tiger!
- Totally unwind with some therapeutic massages in the Ayurvedic Spa
- Nature trails, jeep safaris, rafting, trekking and hiking
- Overnight camping
- Museum visits
- Spice garden visits
- Bullock cart rides : a must do to help reformed poachers – now turned policemen of the forest – the money earned from the rides helps pay their wages and keep them from returning to their past nefarious ways.
© Why I like it
ü Eco conscious resort – including sensitive architecture: organic garden: effluent treatment plant: vermi compost: oxidised pool: solar system: mushroom farm: recycling paper: BIo gas.
ü Wonderful Keralan food
ü A place to chill out – relax- unwind
ü A jungle feel to the property
ü Labeled trees so I know what they are!
ü Terracotta statues dotted around the grounds
ü Watching the guinea fowl come rushing through in the mornings – too busy grumbling to stop and eat for more than 5 seconds
ü Really knowledgeable Naturalist who have a passion for their work
ü I visited the hotels farm – again eco orientated
ü Ideal situation for visiting Periyer National Park and doing dawn cruises on the lake
ü Nature walks in the jungle
ü Great for kids especially if they want to learn about the jungle and enjoy flora and fauna spotting
ü Bullock Cart rides – another way the hotel help the environment!
Links:
To get there:
Emirates direct to Cochin. www.emirates.com
Spice Village: http://www.cghearth.com/spice_village/spice_village.htm
Tour Operators: www.industours.co.uk