A few weeks ago I joined the RAXA Collective team and have been spending time familiarizing myself with all the properties. The last location to visit was Thekkady.

As a child, I have frequently travelled to Poonjar, my grandpa’s place; each vacation was spent there until about 25 years back. That’s a long time!! Those then remained distant memories until yesterday when I had the chance to travel through the same route. Kaduthuruthy, Pala, Erattupetta, Bharananganam and St. Alphonsa’s Church were familiar small towns which I passed on my way to Cardamom County, Thekkady. Nostalgia and a sense of loss (as both my grandparents have passed) is what I felt and if time had permitted, I would have definitely convinced Amie to drop in at Poonjar for a few minutes – it was only a 5km detour….

I have a lot of places to cover in Kerala before even I think of exploring other destinations. The small coffee shop placed on a small hill which had a magnificent view to the valley and a majestic water fall was the highlights of the journey.

After a longish car drive, the yellow lights alongside the Cardamom County garden and the warm ‘garland’ welcome which I received from the staff was quite refreshing. I immediately concluded that I was going to have a whale of a time, even though the trip was official.

I remember monkeys creating havoc in my hometown, but sadly they all have disappeared into the forests or where I wouldn’t know. So when I saw a group of them in the balcony of my room, I was startled and had to rush inside. But I am told that they are only mischievous but the main rule is not to engage or provoke them.

The hotel has preserved not just the greenery of the place but has also put in an effort in keeping the tradition of the jungle by using natural materials whenever possible. For example, all the sign boards are made of wood, rocks are used to indicate the room numbers and so on and so forth. Creepers adorn the walls of the hotel and the garden is well maintained with plants, flowers and ponds.

     

Ayura Spa stands majestically in the centre of the hotel and it boasts of 7 treatment rooms and offers Ayurvedic Oil treatments and massages as well as Swedish and Thai massage. I am generally not a massage person, except on one occasion where I had to undergo a treatment for 2 weeks and I can’t say that I particularly enjoyed it. Nevertheless looking at Ayura, I made a mental note to try it out.

The hotel also has a small farm which grows all spices and other vegetables (not to mention the chickens for fresh eggs) and are also often used in the kitchen.

Thekkady is a tourist destination and in Kerala’s map is listed as a ‘must visit’ place and Cardamom County is the place to be – whether for relaxation, peace and tranquility or for adventure. I for one am in awe of the place.