The Land Where Pepper Grows
Spice Village is located in the Periyar wilderness, high in the western
ghats of Kerala. For centuries, the area attracted voyagers and adventurers,
mercenaries and empire builders, kings and merchant princes. Men and women
drawn not only by the lure of spices, but by the romance and wild beauty of
the land.
The Portuguese and the Jews of Cochin visited as
traders, turning the natural bounties of the area into wealth. Pepper and
cardamom, cinnamon and ginger, nutmeg, mace and anise the Periyar hills
became nature's taste factory in the 14th century, as Cochin became nature's
harbour, the port of lading for a spice-hungry world.
Later, the
area came under the Kingdom of Travancore, and many of its plantations,
orchards and hunting lodges date from that time.
The Raj too,
left its mark on the Cardamom Hills. Early efforts at conservation came from
its dedicated forest rangers, which loved the land and its people as their
own.
Today, it's the rainforests, the animals and the vast
silences that attract the modern visitor. On the road to Spice Village, it's
easy to feel this centuries-old allure yourself. The earth boils in a
fertile outpouring, every conceivable shade of green, flecked with the
crimson and gold of mountain flowers. This is a world of forests patterned
in dappled sunlight. Plantations of rubber, coffee and spice. Rolling
highlands and crisp, cool air.
FACTSHEET
The Tribal Village Resort set in a Spice Garden.
ACCOMMODATION: Private Garden
Cottages
Spice Garden Cottages
RESTAURANTS:
Multi cuisine restaurant
Woodhouse Bar
FACILITIES:
Swimming pool, badminton, tennis, Ayurveda Centre & indoor games
Regular doctors on call
THINGS
TO DO: Boat rides in Periyar Lake, trekking in Periyar
forest, Tiger reserve, spice plantation visit, 'Learn to cook with spices'
DISTANCES: 190 Kms
from Cochin airport
145 kms from Madurai airport
SEASONS:
Jan - Mar: Cool, dry
April - May: Summer
June - August: Monsoon
Sept - Dec: Pleasant, dry
ADDRESS:
Spice Village
Kumily Road, Thekkady
Kerala, India - 685
536
Phone: 91-4869-224514-523, 222314-316
Fax: 91-4869-222317
E-Mail: spicevillage@cghearth.com
Below you, the pool is a
rippling blue patch, set in a scene abuzz with life. A Kingfisher dives low
out of a clear blue sky, hunting vainly for its fish lunch. Bees hum around
Colombian coffee bushes. Guinea fowls and ducks chatter about (amazingly
tame, because they're used to guests.) Bamboo bursts in tilting spires.
Cascades of cinnamon, pepper and honeysuckle wash down the hillside. And
everywhere, the structures of Spice Village peep out of the woods, as if
growing naturally from the surroundings.
An
Ayurvedic Holiday Spice village has the most comprehensive
ayurvedic facilities in the CGH Earth group, and it's the site of our
popular Ayurvedic packages.
Ayurveda is, of course, the ancient
Indian science of wellness, now gaining a faithful following around the
world. Its aim is to create harmony within, using combinations of
medication, massage, diets and other treatments.
The basic
principle of Ayurveda is that illness can be prevented if balance in body,
mind and spirit is maintained. A combination of three principal energies, or
Doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) determines what type of body you have and
impacts on your physical and mental well being.
In fact, spend a
little time with one of our 'vaidyars', and your entire view of Spice
Village will transform. Suddenly, it's as if you're living in Nature's own
pharmacy. For all over the grounds is the stuff of life and healing. These
carefully labeled medicinal plants can turn your evening stroll into an
education.
Perhaps the best first-hand introduction to ayurveda
comes from the magic hands of a masseur. If you aren't with us long enough
to enjoy a full course of treatment, try an invigorating leaf-bundle
massage, or one of the general oil massages. You'll soon see the difference
in your well-being and energy levels.
There
are three of these. Choose from the rustic wooden tables in the dining hall
proper, or take a heaped plate out to the long verandah and enjoy your meal
al fresco, watching the kingfishers flit around the swimming pool.
In between sips of your Bloody Mary, look over the old framed prints that
cluster on the bar's smoky timbers. They make for fascinating reading. And
for a nightcap, you can pick up one of the books on the shelves. This is our
little circulating library of paperbacks, passed around among our guests as
they move around the group's properties. For some reason, mystery novels
predominate!
The next day you should be all set for your first
venture into the hills.
There are several options. Regular jungle
treks, lasting from one to three hours, depart most mornings. Equipped with
leech-proof socks and fortified with a few of chef Velayuthans appams, you
can go on for ever! The Periyar Tiger reserve sprawls over 777 sq. km. of
diverse biosphere, including some of the most pristine tropical rainforests
in the world. It's home to an astonishing variety of life. 140 species of
orchid alone thrive here, as do tiger, elephant, leopard, varieties of deer
and rare species such as the lion tailed macaque.
Click
Here for Reservation
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