Elakai Munnar

My wife and I stayed at Elakai for 4 nights. It was definitely the highlight of our month-long Kerala trip. The property is beautifully landscaped, and you have the whole villa to yourself. There are 2 identical bedrooms and bathrooms, one on each side of the villa. Both have comfortable queen beds, spacious bathrooms with walk-in showers and free-standing bathtubs, sliding doors onto the veranda, and A/C splits. In between the bedrooms is a massive living room and dining room. There is ample seating for relaxing and dining. The whole room has floor-to-ceiling windows with sliding doors onto the veranda, which runs the length of the villa. The veranda overlooks a hillside with lush vegetation and has a distant view of the lake. There are two dining tables with chairs on each side of the veranda, and we enjoyed our breakfasts and lunches out there. Birdwatching was good from the veranda and we also saw a Malabar Giant Squirrel. We were amazed by the lack of bugs at this time of year. It was so great to be able to leave the sliding doors open during the day and also sit outside unmolested by insects. We cannot say enough good things about the staff. Sanjeev, the manager, took great care of us, as did his assistant, Vishnu. They were both welcoming, smiling, professional, helpful, and respectful of our privacy. We had a problem with the hot water initially, which Sanjeev was able to remedy. After that, we had abundant hot water. The chef, Dinto, is amazing. He checked in with us at least twice a day to ask our preferences for meals. For breakfast, we had eggs cooked to order, an Indian dish, homemade muesli, fresh fruit, a different fresh juice each day, and toast with butter/jam. Since we weren’t very hungry at lunchtime, we had excellent soup and chapatis or chapati wraps with spiced vegetables and chicken. For dinner we had something different each evening: Kingfish (the best we’ve had), beef curry, butter chicken, and Arabian chicken. We also always had a fresh salad, rice, vegetables, and potatoes or bread. One night we had the most delicious fried zucchini with Indian spices. Desserts were elegant and delicious. Everything was so good and we ate too much! We cannot recommend Elakai highly enough. Some might think at first glance that the villa is too isolated, being an hour from Munnar. We are now in Munnar and while the scenery might be grander, it is much more congested with traffic and crowded with tourists. We loved our early morning drives with our driver around the cardamom and tea plantations near Elakai. There was little traffic or people out and about at that time of day. We also enjoyed sitting in the living room or on the veranda, quietly reading and looking out at the scenery. WiFi is good if you want to surf the internet or need to work.

A hidden gem. Just one huge two bed cottage on a cardamom estate. We were treated like royalty by Sanjeev and his team. Food on the table,at any time.. excellent chef catered to all our requirements. Plenty of space to relax after a days touring. Great location for touring the area. Definitely recommend this lodge

It was an absolute amazing stay! The view is breathtaking. Cardamom plantation all around and giant mountains visible from your bed. Everyone was so helpful and lovely. We enjoyed our stay and the food was really good. We received warm welcome from the property manager and then everyone at the property was so nice to deal with. We were always met with smiling faces. Staff was always ready and even went out of their way, to help us with anything we requested. We will definitely stay again if we will be back in the area:) Suggestion: if the chef is gonna keep cooking amazing food, then you should have a treadmill here to exercise:)

What a wonderful team. We felt like royalty with our own chef catering to our every whim. Sajeev the manager was extremely good. This home stay is stunning and extremely quiet which is a nice contrast to the hustle and bustle of India. We never expected such luxury designer accommodation.

The 2 day stay at Elakai was the most relaxing experience in our Kerala Trip. Excellent property and well managed as well. Also, the views from the balcony were amazing. The service from the whole team was prompt, which made our stay even better. Would definitely recommend this as your place to stay in Munnar.

An oasis amongst the tea plantation and nature. Gorgeous view, comfortable stay and friendly staff. Slight adventurous road from Main Street, best to have a 4x4 to reach this spot but worth it. Food tasted amazing, customised to your taste. Night recommend this place if you’re looking for peace and isolation.

Truly unforgettable- the villa has the most stunning views and because of its unique location high up on a cardamom plantation you really feel like you’re nestled in the heavens. The team that looks after you is really superb. Sanjeev the property manager looks after your every need including personally giving us a tour of the surrounding areas and lake. He even helped us spotting elephants! The food is seriously delicious ~ the in house chef makes sure every palate is delighted with his blend of international and Indian cuisine. A perfect place to relax and take in the wonders of nature.

Excellent location and fantastic property away from city with great hospitality. Personalized attention from Chef Dinto, Mr. Sanjeev and Vishnu. Home away from home for a nice break. Rainy weather gave a different experience.

Best place to stay! Everything has been perfect! The staff is very kind, good facilities, there are many interesting activities in the surroundings, and the food cooked by Dinto is delicious. Thank you for making our stay with you so pleasant!