Shalimar Spice Garden

Rooms

All 24 suites have thatched elephant-grass roofs, ensuite bathrooms and private verandas (with divans and cushions for the cottages). In some cottages the double beds can convert to twins, so state your preference when booking.

The rooms are simple but tastefully decorated, with colourful lamps and cushions, white walls, terracotta-tiled floors and wood panelling dividing the bedroom from a little corridor with a desk.

The cottages have flower and bamboo arrangements, individual colour schemes and mellow, atmospheric lighting throughout. Eleven of them are roomier Elegant Cottages, complete with day beds on their verandas and coloured lights to guide you home. There are also two extra-secluded and petal-strewn Pool Villa Cottages, one at the bottom of the garden by the lily pond, the other hidden behind the swimming pool with a ladder to its loft bedroom.

Complimentary fruit bowls, water bottles, Ayurvedic bath products, bathrobes and slippers are all provided, with hairdryers available on request. None of the rooms or cottages are air-conditioned, but the mountain climate means nights stay cool throughout the year and heaters and extra blankets are provided.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• WiFi

Eating

Meals are served as a buffet when more than 10 rooms are filled. Otherwise, they can be eaten in the semi open-air restaurant, at one of the stone tables in the garden, by the swimming pool or on your own veranda.

Breakfast can be fresh fruit, a continental spread of eggs, toast and jam or Indian dosas, uppumas, bhajis and parathas, washed down with locally-grown tea and coffee.

Lunch and dinner feature a tasty and light selection of fresh salads, vegetables, meat and fish marinades, grills and bakes. This includes a comprehensive range of local delicacies and North Indian favourites such as Meen Pollichathu (spicy fish wrapped in a banana leaf) and lots of chunky fish, chicken, mutton and paneer curries. During high season, Tandoori dishes using a range of fish, chicken and vegetables are also available. Pasta is another specialty thanks to Shalimar’s Italian co-creator, and our Arrabbiata accompanied by triangles of garlic toast was delicious, as was our super-spicy vegetable soup, fish curry and cardamom soufflé.

With the evenings being so cool – and very wet in the monsoon season – the restaurant is set behind glass walls around the main foyer, giving an intimate feel, with views over the whole property. Pre-dinner drinks are often taken around the fireplace in the lobby.

Features include:

• Breakfast
• Kids' meals
• Restaurant
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Indulge in a massage using natural Ayurvedic oils - you can have treatments all day if you so wish
  
• Practice yoga at one of the morning or evening classes (available by request)
  
• Take a dip in the large swimming pool, secluded in a natural sunbowl at the top of a hill
  
• Explore the 5 acres of woods and gardens and look out for birdlife, including ducks floating gently on the stream
  
• Take a tour through nearby Periyar Wildlife Reserve (in Thekkady). One of India’s most beautiful, it has a lake at its centre and is home to elephants, macaques, sambar deer, langur apes, antelopes, Indian bison and wild boar. If you visit after dark, you may also spot a leopard or tiger

  
• Stroll down to the local town, Kumily (5km away), and get an auto-rickshaw back up
  
• Visit a nearby tea or spice plantation
  
• Take a day trip to the forests and waterfalls of Cardamom Hills
  
• Enjoy the wonderful mountain views on an organised hike (such as the Sabarimala pilgrimage) or car tour
  
• When 10 or more rooms are full, you can watch traditional dance or music performances in the lobby or restaurant

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Ayurvedic treatments
• Birdwatching
• Hiking
• Plantlife / flora
• Private guided tours
• Safaris
• Traditional cultures
• Trekking
• Well being
• Wildlife
• Yoga

Kids

There are no particular kids facilities here, but the setting is great and it's well located for Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and the nearby lake. Over 3s only. Those under 11 stay for free when sharing their parents' bed.

Best for:

Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Elegant Cottages and Elegant Rooms are your best bet: add an extra bed to either. If you have 2 children, you will need to book an extra room, and since the cottages are spaced throughout the resort, it might be best if you're bringing older children. All cottages and rooms have showers, not baths.

Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport 4.5 hours
• Medical facilities: 10 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Shalimar Spice Garden is located in a village called Murikkady, 6km from Thekkady and easily accessible from Cochin (180km/4.5 hours away) and Madurai (140km/3 hours away).

By Air
Cochin (Kochi) International Airport (150km away) is the closest. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving it.

From the Airport
The hotel can arrange taxi transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle - worth the supplement in hot weather (see Rates). The journey by road itself is an experience, passing through bustling towns in the plains, rubber plantations on the foothills and undulating tea gardens on the mountains.

By Train:
The nearest railway station is Kottayam (100 km/3.5 hours away). Enquire about transfers from the station.

Getting Around
Rickshaws are a cheap and convenient way of travelling around the local area. The hotel can also arrange guided tours and sightseeing trips.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Kerala and getting around