Greenwoods Resort Thekkady

These cottages at Greenwoods are spacious and comfortable, built over two floors; the cottages contain a bedroom and an ensuite bathroom. The rooms are filled with dark wooden furniture, which create a traditional and natural atmosphere, with a cosy double bed sat in the centre of the bedroom covered in crisp white bed linens and plush pillows. The ensuite bathroom contains a spacious walk-in shower.

The cottages come with a sit-out area on the ground floor, and a private balcony on the first floor, where guests can unwind after a long day with a sweeping view across the luscious lawn and trees.

Perfect for honeymooning couples, the romantic Rithika Villas are similar in decor to the Aranya Cottages, and are filled with dark wooden furniture. A large double bed is covered in cosy duvets and pillows, and offers guests a comfortable night’s sleep. A wide window along the front of the villa fills the room with bright, natural light and offers guests a view of the surrounding luscious trees and colourful flowers. After a long day guests staying in a Rithika Villa can unwind and catch a refreshing dip in their private turquoise, sparkling plunge pool.

The Indeevaram Villas at Greenwoods are the most spacious accommodation option available to guests. The suites are bright and modern, with exposed granite brick walls running throughout the suite. A living room offers guests a place to unwind if the weather is cold, and the suite also comes complete with an ensuite bathroom. In the bedroom, a grand double bed is covered in crisp white bed linens, and colourful cushions and bed runners.

A private terrace area includes two sun loungers, perfect for catching an afternoon nap, and a sparkling pool – perfect for a refreshing dip on a hot afternoon.

Multi cuisine restaurant situated next to the lobby, with terracotta floors, granite pillars, ethnic artefacts and prints on the walls, and an entire length open to splendid views of the garden. An open air Tandoor is functional during dinner beside the pool. At Amrutham, ethnic Kerala style dishes are cooked using traditional recipes handed down generations. The emphasis is on fresh ingredients abjuring the use of artificial colours and preservatives.

The coffee shop serves excellent blends of tea, coffee, fresh fruit juices and beverages besides a range of Indian snacks. Built in the manner of a ‘machan; on long stilts, with wooden walls and thatch roof, guests enter over a rope bridge. Inside, the decor is reminiscent of the popular tea houses of rural Kerala with rustic wooden and bamboo furniture and a counter adorned with cinema posters. Set high amidst the trees and open on to the surroundings on all sides, nestled in the canopy, the view is breathtaking.

Being a treasure trove of both classical and folk art forms, Kerala can offer guests a unique evening of performances. Performers are invited to Greenwoods every week, and a performance is staged every evening for the benefit of guests.

The chef at Greenwoods will conduct daily half-hour cooking demonstrations and explanations of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes which highlight Kerala’s ethnic cuisine. Guests may also take lessons in learning how to cook these dishes.

The Thekkady area is multifarious in scope and impossible to experience in its entirety during a brief visit. The resident naturalist at Greenwoods will conduct an audio visual presentation on the many fascinating aspects of the geography of the Thekkady, its fauna and flora, and the cultures of indigenous people who are forest dwellers.

The nature tours start at the resort, where as part of the conservation awareness initiative the resident naturalist will take guests walking through the property. A profusion of flowers, fruits, spice plants and trees all thrive and are home to a fascinating variety of endemic and migratory birds. The trees and plants have all been meticulously tagged with their botanical names and places of origin. Guests are also encouraged to plant a tree during the course of the tour.

Not only do trees absorb greenhouse gas emissions, but they also improve the quality of air and help to recycle water. The simple act of planting a tree will help to sustain the environment of the property, and in a small way contribute to the larger mission of environmental protection. The Plant a Tree program at Greenwoods makes it easy for guests to help offset the effects of carbon emissions and global warming.

After the nature tour, guests are taken to the resort’s waste management where organic waste is treated.