Spice Village Thekkady - Covid Free & Long Term Working

Holiday with Organic food & Adventure in Periyar Kerala

Overview

Imagine Remote Working or Long isolated holidays on an exotic resort next to Periyar Nature Reserve, on a prestine location on Kerala High lands, where you enjoy not only the great Periyar nature reserve, but also a tiger reserve, shopping for arts and crafts and healthy organic food.

At this location you can work remotly for weeks and weeks and Enjoy every day/evening in pure nature.

Holiday Travel India is providing COVID free Long Term holidays and Remote work options In Kerala High lands, Nilgiri Mountains & Back waters, we have chosen Spice Village - An Exotic location, ideal for long term work holiday and yet fully connected with outside world with amenities like Broadband Wifi & Great organic food.

We are taking full precautions like mandatory physical distancing , shortlisting clean hotels/resorts and providing fully sanitized transportations.

We specialize in Kerala Nilgiri Mountains long term holidays and home stays Kerala with  broadband wifi, a home away from home, Working from remote options.

Resort is located at the edge of periyar Nature Reserve very near to the mountains, yet secluded and isolated, Spice Village is a perfect destination for travellers of a class, the travellers who want real peaceful, organic and healthy holidays in the green nature. In Spice village, you have no TVs, the real entertainment for you is the green canvas, chirping of Birds, fragrance of aromatic spices, live cooking demos, in the resort, Cooking live demo, real fragrance of kerala spices and cuisines, cultural shows and music, dim light dinner. It is a qaint world where you are trasported into bliss and magical world.
 
Spice Village is located at altitude of 2,000ft in the Periyar Nature Reserve. basically the resort was a ranger's home,  with vast garden, lush fruit trees, rare herbs, flowering plants. 

Though named village, but Resort is ultra modern with Modern plumbing, comfortable beds and hot showers, where Hewn stone replaces shag carpets. Birdsong takes the place of television.  Air-conditioning is not required any ways in the fine thekkady mountain climate.

Highlights of the package

• 5 Nights-6 Days tour package
• Pick & drop from Kochi Airport in AC SUV - Toyota Innova or similar
• All meals ( Organic) - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• Cooking Classes, Cooking Demo with tasting sessions every evening
• Cultural programs, Music - Bharat Natyam - Indian Classical Dance every evening
• Periyar lake Boating Trip - Morning & Evening
• Periyar Jungle Trek - One Day
• Thekkady Site Seeing in 4X4 jeep
• Lower Camp Tour of Tamilnadu

Day One - Arrive in Kochi & Stay in Chittoor Kottaram - Kochi - Your palacial Hotel

Arrive in Kochi, Pick up from Kochi Airport, Checkin to your Palacial Resort. After breakfast, we shall take you to Fort Cochin to explore its quaint bylanes. You can visit many places like the old spice markets, Jew Street and the Synagogue, the Dutch Palace, Santa Cruz Basilica, St. Francis Church, Chinese fishing nets and David Hall (The CGH Earth Art Gallery). You can so sovenier shopping in Markets next to the Synagogue, there are some very good kashmiri Emporiums where you can buy pashmina shawls.

In the afternoon savour some fusion cuisine at the Brunton Boatyard followed by a harbour cruise during sunset. 

Night Stay & Dinner in your Resort.

About Chittoor Kottaram Hotel

Chittoor Kottaram is a single key hotel which means you and your companions will be the only guests. Here you will be transported back to a feudal era of nobles and princes of Travancore where you get to be the King! Arrive by boat to a traditional welcome. As you explore the palace bare foot, be prepared to be pampered silly. A general body massage or a custom-made cup of tea or a command concert performance, it’s all at your beck and call.  The sunset cruise is a fitting finale to a royal day.

Day-2 - Arrive at Spice Village, Relax and Explore (190 km from Cochin)

Arrive in Spice Village and get the God's welcome in the resort. You will be escorted into your room. You can have full relaxation, but our bet, you will close the from and immediatly venture out to examin the property, which is so exotic, beautiful and charming.Today is your exploration day with in the resort, you will explore the following..

Why Spice Village is the best Ecological and Organic as well as zero polluting Resort

• Spice Village won Wild Asia’s annual Responsible Tourism Awards in the ‘boutique hotel’ category

• Almost all the energy needs of Spice Village are met by solar power

• At Spice Village Ayurvedic facility, you will see healing herbs, the Indian Pennywort, Kalachoo and Sweet Flag, all medicinal in nature, and processed into remedies at our ayurvedic facility.

• Increase your botanical knowledge without leaving your verandah

• Most plants on the grounds are labelled, helping you to identify the flora

• Self-sustaining fish pond was inspired by similar ones in Ooralie villages. 

• Discover that neem and lemon grass oils are marvelous, biodegradable pesticides.

• Pepper directly sourced from tribals, 

• Fully organic food, free of chemicals, sourced from organic garden, putting fresh produce on the table each day.

• The whole of Spice Village is a chemical-free zone. The sprayer you'll hear most afternoons is actually helping the ecology, not harming it. 

• It uses only oils extracted from the forests, mixed with a little water. 

• Little clay pots dotted about the grounds provide natural mosquito control, as does the camphor burner in your room and the incenser we use in the afternoons. It burns Black Damur, a powerful tree resin that insects hate. 

• Even the strings of aloe vera plants hanging from the verandah thatch serve a purpose, keeping flying pests away from the dining areas.

• Anything from 250 to 400 kg of daily waste is recycled in the vermicompost plant at Spice Village and this organic manure is used to fertilise the two acre vegetable and herbal gardens of the property.

In the Night back to Spice Village and Enjoy the Cooking show, Fresh Organic Food with Drinks, Live cultural shows with Indian Classical dance and soothing music. You dwell into a world only reserved for Gods.

Day-3- Periyar Nature Reserve Tour - Morning Trek, Boating, Evening Trek

Get up early and proceed for a full day dedicated for the pariyar nature reserve tour starting with Morning Trek, followed by Baoating and finally evening trek.

About Periyar Tiger Reserve

The timeless wilderness of Periyar Tiger Reserve is just a short distance away from spice village. It is spread more than 925 sq. km and has more than 62 species of mammals, 320 species of birds, 27 species of amphibians, 45 species of reptiles, 38 species of fish.

Boating in Pariyar lake - Morning Time

The park's main attraction is the lake situated in the middle of the park, It is a great experience to have a boat ride in the fresh water lake, the journey becomes veru dramatic with dried tress rising in between the lake and boat passes through these trees. You will see birds nests on the top of the these hollow trees.

The Journey becomes more dramatic, when you see wild life strolling on the shores including cheetal, barasingha, herds of elephants.

You will also see tribals roaming in the dense forests, picking up herbs, wild mushrooms and even fishing with their rods.

Trekking in Periyar Forest - Morning Time

we arrange 2-3 hours treks in periyar, Trekking is also not less dramatic, you need to wear the Leech proof socks, cross the lake on a raft pulled from the otherside of the bank, and venture into the deep forest with your tribal guide.You can spot sambar deer, bison and elephants in their natural habitat. And if you are lucky, you can even see a  leopard- or ilusive tiger!

Trekking in Periyar Forest - Night Trek

A night’s trek in Periyar is too enchanting, The real forest comes alive after dark. As you trek in periyar in night trails, you witness most elusive creatures such as the rare fruit bat, nilgiri-flying squirrels, owls and nightjars..

We recommend one full day tour of Periyar nature reserve with Boating Trip, Morning Trek as well evening trek to absorb the jungle fully.

In the Night back to Spice Village and Enjoy the Cooking show, Fresh Organic Food with Drinks, Live cultural shows with Indian Classical dance and soothing music. You dwell into a world only reserved for Gods.

Day-4 - Relaxation & Inhouse Activities ( You need rest - Tired after periyar)

In your itinerary, we have kept full day relaxation and in house activities only, so that you can full relax and explore 18 acres of Spice village fully as well as its eco system.

IN-HOUSE ACTIVITIES

Yoga & Meditation, 7.30 am - 8.30 am

Regular classes that keep you both energised and calm 
 

Pepper Vine Tour
Twice a day, we have an hour-long property experience tour highlighting spices and conservation.
 
Wildlife Slide Show
Highlighting history, native community tourism and local biodiversity.
 
 

Exploring Nature
Perfect for the kids, a walk through the property penning down botanical names.

Hand-made Paper making
As a local employment initiative, we've created a space for waste-paper recycling on site. This is how the notepads in your room are born

Introduction to Spices, 6.45 pm-7.30 pm
Our naturalist and chef guide you through the region's abundant spice wealth and its uses in cooking

Sari Demonstration,8 am to 5 pm

Our staff will instruct you in the gentle art of sari tying, anytime during the working day.

Classical Dance,7.30 pm - 8 pm.

Enjoy  performances of classical dance, like Bharathanatyam,Kutchupudy and Mohiniattam 

Other Things to Explore Today

A personal garden

Ever wanted a park bench to call your own? Well, here it is, with a garden attached. Our larger cottages all come with these cozy personal spaces, often hung with fruit trees (though ask us before sampling some. They won't be poisonous but they may be raw!) . Hmmm. Time to put away the ipod and let the hum of dragonflies lull you with their own special music.

The Tiger Club

The Tiger Club is where you find out everything you wanted to know about Periyar but were afraid to ask. Pictures of wildlife, images and maps of the region adorn the walls. Tigers, elephants and other animals beckon invitingly, daring you to enter their domain. The shelves are filled with a wide assortment of books, periodicals and videos that will help you to plan your treks into Periyar,and are a great learning experience.

• Sling chairs, stone paths and forest sounds
• All the comforts of home amidst the wilderness
• Spice Village interiors are warm, woody and of course, ecologically sensitive
• Relaxing can be a lot of hard work - the bed beckons invitingly
• These packed earth yards are similar to those found in local villages
   

A breezy park to call your own
No fancy carpets. Just coir mats on bare stone floors. Modern bathrooms and interiors, but with a spartan elegance based on simple, natural materials and local woodcraft.
No artificial airconditioned spaces here. Just cool, naturally lit rooms and airy private porches.  So open a window, and your mind as well. And let your senses be enveloped  by the sounds and scents wafting in on the forest air. 

The 50 mile diet

Take heart, you do not have to walk 50 miles to lunch. The name simply refers to our sourcing of all the ingredients in your food. Everything comes from within a 50 mile radius of the resort. Locally sourced food not only benefits the local communities, it also helps us reduce our carbon footprint in transportation.
 
Of course, a good bit of the food comes from more like 50 yards away. Our vegetables are grown in house at our organic farms. And fish comes in fresh from the river.  But the real magic in Spice VIllage cuisine comes from - you guessed it - fresh spices.

• The 50 mile diet The Bar & Library Okra Stew A Century-old Setting
• Our buffet offers a wide choice of cuisine styles, local and international
• Journey back in time in The Tiffin Room
• Chai (masala tea) at the dhaba, with guinea fowl for company
• Billiards and Bacardi at the Bar - a perfect end to a perfect day
• Our buffet offers a wide choice of cuisine styles, local and international

The Bar & Library

The Woodhouse Bar was formerly the home of our forest ranger, Mr. A. A. Woods. One side is given to a billiards table. For avid readers, the Library and tiger room let you immerse yourself in the history of the Periyar region and its flora and fauna. In the main bar, pictures of wildlife and royalty jostle for your attention, and with the fine selection of spirits on hand, it's easy to trasport your imagination to a bygone era. You can almost see Woods himself, gin-and-tonic in hand, calling grumpily for a refill.

A Century-old Setting

Feel like a quick bite and some old-world atmosphere? Then the Tiffin Room is just the place for you. Savour the timelessness of the place while sipping on a freshly brewed cup of tea. Antique rosewood chairs and tables will grip you with tales from a 100 years ago. They were picked up and restored from a 100 year old restaurant in the neighbouring valley that sadly had to shut down. This is also where you can pick up tips on the use of spices during the evening cookery classes.

Day-5 - Lower Camp Area Tour ( Tamilnadu) for Vegetations and Organic farms

Today we dwell down from hills of Periyar to Lower camp valley of Tamilnadu and do full day site seeing of the Lower camp area, which includes check dams, Organic farmings, Vineyards tours, sampling of the fresh grapes juices, fianlly the farmer's village.

Day-6 - Local Shopping & Thekkady Cultural centre.

Today is reserved for local shopping, there are some very good ( one is located next door to your spice village) emporiums in Thekkady, Spend good time shopping collecting soveniers and handicrafts.

In the evening head to the grand cultural centre located in the middle of the city and enjoy the kuchipudi, bharat natyam played by professionals. It is a 2 hour show, which will leave you mesmerised.

once you finish Thekkady local city, back in the comforts of Spice Village to enjoy your great spread of food with drinks..yes!! All organic...

Day-7 - Check Out - Proceed back to Kochi

Today is our last day in Spice Village, like all holidays come to an end. But before you leave, All spice village staff will come to the gate to see you off and have a group photograph to leave a lasting memory with us of your incredible stay.

We wish you return back again to experience our hospitality.