Spice Village
Periyar

Spice Village fames itself for its prime location set within the Periyar Tiger Reserve, among the rolling hills of Thekkay. Hidden beneath lush greenery and the cooler highland sun, the architecture of this remote village-style hotel is inspired by the jungle dwellings of the surrounding area; thatched cottages and elephant grass, scattered through a garden filled with mature trees and spice plants.

Typical of Keralan hotels and the CGH Earth ethos, an ecological approach is taken throughout the hotel, from water harvesting to solar power energy resources, and modern amenities have been put in place to combine traditional and contemporary comforts. The comfortable cottages blend in with the natural surroundings and bring it back to nature; traditional coir mats dress the stone floors, the furniture is made from recycled light pinewood, and natural materials are used throughout the interiors. There is no air conditioning either, just the naturally cool spaces and airy porches so that one can be enveloped by the sounds and scents of the surrounding forest. Choose between Spice Village’s spacious Deluxe Cottage with your own private garden or the cosy Spice Garden Cottage for the perfect jungle escape.

Known as the ’50-mile diet’, all the ingredients used at Tamarind Restaurant are locally sourced within a 50-mile radius of the hotel in order to create a tasteful and fresh menu. Periyar is the land of Karimunda Pepper, and Spice Village grows many vegetables from their very own organic garden, automatically reducing Periyar’s carbon footprint. Delicious dinners are served from the chef’s buffet, offering those local exotic spices and aromatic herbs but with a modern twist, to tickle everyone’s taste buds. To delve deeper into Periyar’s dishes and learn the secrets of traditional Keralan cooking, demonstrations are available to take part in during the evenings. 

At the heart of the property, you can cool off at the generous swimming pool whilst surrounded by nothing but the sounds of nature, or unwind at the Ayurveda centre, which offers a range of relaxing traditional herbal therapies. As well as long or short treks and safaris across the reserve, you can choose to get active at Spice Village’s sport grounds, including basketball, badminton and tennis courts. Try out some authentic paper making techniques with a member of staff who collects paper waste from the resort and recycled to create items such as notepads and menus. Make something special for friends and family or treat them some local Keralan arts and crafts from the gift shop.

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson