Spice Village Thekkady - CGH Earth

They call this 'The Spice Village' because they showcase the local spices in their cuisine, decor, vegetation, and gardens. It isn't the spice that makes this the 'Spice Village'; the people do. You go there for the views, the weather, the food and, most of all, the utterly hospitable people. You go there to cajole Ms Shirlin to give you a better room, you go there to ask an intricately customised dinner from Mr Prince, you go there to convince Mr Gireesh that it was indeed a great Indian Hornbill that you say and not a Malabar Grey Hornbill, you go there to walk through jungles, dams, waterfalls, and the clouds with Mr Ashley; you go there to catch a golden-backed frog and a cicada with Mr ***eesh, you go there to desperately try to beat Mr Francis at a game of snooker (and fail miserably); you go there to ask Mr Joseph to go out of his way and make you absurdly large amounts of coffee; you go there to miss them all terribly when you leave. You go there to catch a glimpse of the Nigiri Langur and escape from the falling ***goes that they drop, you go there to sneak up on the resident Malabar Giant Squirrel, who will tick you off, you go there to wonder why the resident racket-tailed drongo has lost one streamer, and you go there to watch your child run after the guinea fowl. You go there to go to a community. So go there. Go make it a home for a while.

FROM THE RECEPTION AND BRIEFING ,TO THE COTTAGE, THE FOOD, THE ACTIVITIES LIKE THE DANCE PROGRAMMES, THE GUIDED TOUR AND THE COURTESY AND CARE , ALL HAD US FLOORED. ADDITIONALLY THE ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR BOATING AND THE MORNING GREEN NATURE WALK, WHERE A WELL INFORMED NATURALIST ACCOMPANIED, WAS FIRST CLASS.

Serene and calm, a good break from the city's concrete jungle and fast-paced life, special thanks to Mr. Shravan and Mr. ***ish who made this vacation truly memorable. Mr. Shravan showed us around the property and explained about various activities while Mr. ***ish guided us ***** the pugmarks trail and the spice plantations, a very knowledgeable naturalist. Good food and ambience as well.

I had a magnificent time visiting Spice Village. The staff were true experts, kind and eager to help with anything needed. Sravan set up my visit and suggested some great outings. Naturalist Ashly led a fun and educational visit to a spice plantation where we could see, smell, and taste all ***ner of herbs and spices growing in a small family farm before sharing a delicious lunch with the family. This was followed by a night time hike with Naturalist Betsy into the Periyar reserve, led by a reformed poacher who is now a professional guide and guard. We had a great walk through the forest and meadows seeing birds, Guar, and Sambar deer. Near the end of the hike, we were enormously lucky to see a large Sloth Bear sleeping on a rock at a distance! Apparently such rare sightings only occur a few times a year! The next morning, I had another hike, the Green Walk, with Ashly and a different guard. In the daylight, we saw ***y birds, flowers, insects, and more Guar. The highlight of this trip were done clear views of a Great Indian Hornbill, another lucky sighting. The enthusiasm and knowledge of both the naturalists made each hike even more enjoyable. Since my hikes were late/early, I missed the official meal times twice. Each time, the staff was aware, and Prince had some food put together for me upon my return. So, you know they are looking out for you at all times. The men in the gift shop also helped me book my departure taxi, and ship a parcel of spices back to my home in the US At check out, they wanted to celebrate the bear sighting from the previous night. All of the lead staff gathered, and the chef had baked a bear cake for us all to share with the hope of giving luck for more sightings. I had great fun, and appreciate the wonderful staff they have across the entire resort. Thank you Spice Village!

Our group of 17 persons spent a full week at Spice Village on a yoga, chanting, meditation retreat. The experience was outstanding! Let me count the ways: The quiet serene ambiance of the property which is ecologically integrated with its surroundings the comfort and cleanliness of the rooms the food was varied and excellent most importantly, every member of their staff was friendly, extremely helpful, and accommodating of all our special group requests. While it is unfair to single out any person, we all became very fond of young Aishwarya, the bubbly and very skillful chef who ***ned the egg counter. She also gave us a cooking demo of her unique special omelette. Mention must also be made of the team that kept cleaned and tidied our rooms. In our case, it was Ruk***i who was the invisible hand that returned our room to perfect order as we returned each day. All in all, a wonderful week and we will be back.

I just finished the Spice Plantation Tour with naturalist Ashley, and another expert local guide. I was amazed to visit a shaj family farm which has all ***ner of herbs and spices growing right next to each other! Getting to see and taste these things directly off the plant was an eye opening experience, and exactly what I was hoping for when I booked the tour weeks ago. The lunch with the family was delicious, and before the end of it more family members had joined for conversation. I'm so impressed that they could fit such a good time into only 3 hours!

A quite exceptional hotel in a richly tropical setting. All foods are sourced within a 50 mile radius and much is grown in the beautiful gardens within the hotel. Only natural materials are used. The pool is surrounded by fruit trees adjacent to an outstanding restaurant where the menu is explained clearly by expert cuisiniers. Reception staff helped me with a tricky visa problem and were unfailingly smiley and expert in all their dealings. Outstanding.

Beautiful, tranquil property. Minimalist but very comfortable cottages. We stayed for one night only but wish we had more time. Everything from checkin, welcome was very smooth. The tamarind restaurant serves amazing local food. There are some nice activities for adults and kids like vegetable harvesting, and cooking demo by the chef. The cocktails at woods bar were great. Wonderful and helpful staff. The property is right across the entry to the Periyar reserve. We had a lovely trek and boat safari where we spotted wild elephants and deers. Would love to visit again soon for a longer duration.

A wonderful eco resort experience with 5 star facilities. The thatched bungalows are more than comfortable, the pool area well maintained, the dining options are excellent and all the staff are attentive and do their very best to make your stay delightful (special mention for Ashley the on site naturalist and ***n in the dining and bar area). You can do as much or as little as you want, but you will be impressed with the eco concept and the staffs’ commi**ent to it.