You are here » Home
:
Ayurvedic
Spa Vacations in India :
Spice Village, Periyar
SPICE VILLAGE, PERIYAR
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, who 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 ride 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
eMail:
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. It's 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 wellbeing.
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
Home