The hotel comprises of 32 rustic, thatched roof
villas located on the periphery of the famous
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. This charming
resort, 2,700 feet above sea level boasts of
spacious rooms replete with fine wood décor and
adorned by beautiful natural fabrics. The resort
allows you to live in the midst of nature in
absolute luxury.
Taj Garden Retreat
Located 135 Kms. from Madurai, 180 Kms.
from Cochin International Airport, 110 Kms. from
Kottayam Railway Station. Thekkady is only 01
Km. from Kumily Bus Station. Transfers can be
arranged by advance request from the Guest.
Formerly a 3.5 acre coffee plantation, it's
bushes still rampant on acccount of our cottages
being built on stilts (11 feet off the ground).
Here, at the quaintly rustic Taj Garden
Retreat, Thekkady.
Ecological conservation is the order of the day
for this hotel built on the periphery of a 777
sq. km. wildlife sanctuary called Periyar. Home
to nomadic tribes of wild elephant, boar, deer,
bear, the great Indian tiger and more.
A scenic 3 hour drive from the nearest airport
at Madurai. Or a 4.5 hour ride from Cochin, the
Taj sits pretty at 2,700 ft. And a 10 minute
drive from the gigantic man-made Periyar Lake.
Where you can glide by the occasional cormorant
or turtle. Or even shoot a panther in the wild,
if you get lucky and if your camera's ready to
go!!!...
On your way back to the hotel, you could stop at
the local bazaar and pick up some fragrant
spices or handcrafted jewellery. Or else you
could visit one of the many tea and coffee
plantations along the way.
And, if neither of these constitutes being up
close and personal enough with Mother Nature,
you can always opt to go on an overnight trek
into the Periyar forest ( in groups of 4 or 5 ).
Well chaperoned by forest guards and native
Mannan tribesmen to ensure your safety.
But, your experience of being in the wilderness
will continue long after this jaunt. For the
lush cotton and cardamom bushes, the elephant
hay thatched roofs and the night sounds of the
jungle will serve as constant reminders even as
you walk to our multi-cuisine restaurant. To
sample our chef's famous Cardamom Souffle (
guess where the ingredients for this dessert
were picked!!!)
Gazing down at the brightly lit pool from your
vantage point in the restaurant, we can hardly
begrudge any guest who is tempted to sneak in a
few laps before turning in to their spacious
cottage for a well earned respite.
In good weather, try out the Bonfire bar before
heading to the restaurant for dinner.
Types of Accommodation
32 centrally air-conditioned rooms in cottages
built on stilts.
All rooms are elegantly appointed and have
private balconies. Guest amenities include
international direct dial facility, mini-bar,
channel music and colour television with
satellite programs.
Recreation
The recreation facilities include a pond
shaped swimming pool, a floodlit badminton
court, boat rides on lake Periyar for game
viewing, jungle treks, visits to spice
plantations, Ayurvedic oil massage, nature
library, activity centre with a selection of
indoor games and services of an in-house
wildlife expert. We also have bicycles for guest
use and a model tree house for children.
Facilities and Services
24-hour facsimile/copier facilities, car
rental, currency exchange, safe deposit lockers,
and doctor-on-call. Laundry service also
available.
