RSS
You think Kerala, you think Ayurvedic pampering and idling along the state’s jungled backwaters. Think again. Centered in the district of Wayanad, a new breed of hospitality venture is sweeping India’s southern tropics: luxury tree houses. Set amid a waterfall and a century-old plantation of cardamom, coffee and cloves, Blue Ginger Wayanad Resorts is the latest such retreat to up the ante on the traditional perched hut experience. Just opened last month, the lodge is already rushing to complete another 15 more tree houses by August. Tranquil Resort’s “tree villa” is tricked out with TV, minibar, refrigerator and bathroom with massage shower heads. Rising from a private coffee and vanilla plantation, the 515-square-foot tree house can be even be reached in ease — via a gently sloping walkway built from areca palm. Green Magic Nature Resorts, however, wins the award for rustic grandiosity. Suspended 86 feet in the air, Kerala’s highest tree house is more like a townhouse. Its three floors, connected by a spiral staircase, boast oversized bamboo beds and sweeping views of the spice hills. All you need do is negotiate the indigenous “cane lift” to get there.
