You are only about 5 kms away from the hustle and bustle of Munnar’s main market, but it feels like you are located in remote mountains. You have left the highway, crossed a bridge on the Munnar headworks dam and have kept ascending the narrow winding roads till you have been surrounded by tall mountains, grasslands, lush forests and plantations. This area is called Pothamedu and the road that you took to reach here is called the Bison valley road.
It is here that you can spend a luxurious plantation holiday amidst pristine and beautiful nature and the place that can offer you such a luxurious experience is the Windermere Estate in Munnar. The Windermere Estate is made up of some 100 acres of cardamom, pepper and tea plantations and in between these plantations are located traditionally styled luxurious bungalows where you can chill during your Kerala mountain holiday.
Gorgeous Nature
At Windermere Estate, the smell of fresh pepper and cardamom wafts in the air. Consistent chirping of birds greet you almost always here and early mornings and late evenings can specially be a riot of bird sounds. Lush greenery is omnipresent. Only the plant type varies. While colorful flowers adorn the walking paths close to your bungalow, fruit orchards can be found a little further away and beyond that you are surrounded by lush green and tall mountains of the Western Ghats. And if you feel like a much longer walk or hike, you can walk deeper into their plantations or climb the mountain peak just opposite the property.
And if you climb the peak (the in-house tall rock) during early mornings and late evenings, you can catch some surreal views of the special Pothamedu sunrise and sunset along with the view of the mountain ranges that rise above the mist. And during the rains and the cold winter months, you almost always walk in dense mist especially during the early mornings, late evenings and nights.
Lip Smacking Food
Stunning nature is one of the highlights of a holiday at Windermere Estate in Munnar. The other key highlight of a holiday here is their food. Their in-house chef Jobi and his team serve you a diverse range of foods ranging from traditional Kerala cuisine to north Indian, continental and international. I absolutely loved their freshly squeezed juices, the different teas and coffee from their plantation, their omelettes and their traditional Kerala lunches. Their desserts are legendary and certainly a must-experience. You definitely need to keep some space in your stomach just for them. Their food is so good that one can certainly stay here just to eat, relax and sleep.
Large Luxurious Rooms with Traditional Decor
One of the other highlights of Windermere Munnar are its massive sized rooms that come with lots of open spaces, traditional design elements and modern day luxuries. It offers the perfect environment for sleeping, relaxation, yoga, reading, quality family time and what not. Their bathrooms are much bigger than normal sized hotel rooms, so you can imagine how big the actual room would be.
Cosy Library
If you love reading and/or music, Windermere Estate has the perfect place for you. Completely designed and styled in wood like a tropical wooden cabin, the Windermere library overlooks the swimming pool, the mountains and the tea gardens. This is the kind of place where you roll into a ball and read your bag while sipping on a hot cup of tea or coffee. You could also catch on a post lunch siesta while listening to some of your favorite music in this cosy environment.
Swimming Pool overlooking the Tea Gardens
While Munnar mornings and evenings are usually chilly and nippy, their mid mornings and afternoons get get unusually warm due to the tropical mountain sun. The swimming pool next to the library and overlooking the tea gardens offers the perfect place for such a hot day. You could either relax here soaking in the morning sun or you could indulge in some fun time with your family and friends. And once you have worked up an appetite with your swimming and water games, you can happily indulge in the delicious food, before planning for a long afternoon siesta. Sounds like a dream, right?
Lovely Hospitality
In addition to all of the above highlights, I loved the people running and managing this place. Not only did they listen and cater to my every whim and fancy, they did so with a big smile and they were always eager to serve more, be it food, hospitality, local knowledge or simply love for mother nature. In my mind, people make a good place and Windermere Estate is that kind of place.
And when you wish to take a break from the luxury of this plantation getaway, you can choose from a wide variety of itineraries that include day trips, half-day trips, treks, birdwatching, insect watching, shopping and much more. Windermere Munnar have in-house naturalists and travel guides who make sure that you get the most unique experience.
For example, they helped me discover local strawberry wine in a village near Munnar. They helped me sight the largest mass bloom of the rare Neelakurinji flower. They helped me discover some of the highest motorable roads in peninsular India. They helped me trek on the ancient highway from Munnar to Kodaikanal via a pristine tropical rainforest.
Like this, they helped me discover many offbeat experiences near Munnar. If offbeat luxury and plantation holidays are your thing, I would definitely recommend that you give Windermere Estate a look. I am pretty sure you will be smiling from ear to ear post your trip!
Windermere River House – Luxury Riverside Retreat at Kothamangalam
Windermere Retreats has another property under its wings and it is a luxury riverside retreat close to Thattekad bird sanctuary. While Windermere Munnar is great for family holidays, Windermere River House is perfect for couples. As it is run by the same management, it enjoys all the above mentioned highlights. In addition, it enjoys a remote riverside location and is just a couple of hours away from Windermere Munnar, which means that you can plan a lovely vacation that includes both these places. To know more about this property, read my detailed article on them.
Types of rooms offered at Windermere Estate, Munnar:
1) Garden Room – these are the entry level rooms that are great for a couple or for a couple with toddlers.
2) Estate Room – these are mid level rooms perfect for a larger family and also for teenage kids.
3) Planters Room – these are the largest level of rooms offered here and can easily accommodate multiple families. These rooms also enjoy a view of the vast mountain landscape.
How to reach here:
The nearest domestic and international airport would be Kochi in Kerala. From here, it should be a 3 hour winding mountain drive to the property. The distance is not much, but due to the narrow mountain roads, it usually takes a bit longer. This drive is also a good excuse to soak in the beauty of this part of Kerala.
How to book this place:
You can either book online at Windermere Munnar website or Rare India website. Alternatively, you can also call them on their phone numbers or go through physical and online travel agents who book here.
Best time to visit:
Munnar is open all year around, though if you ask me, I will say go during the rains as that is when the nature dons its best colors and this also happens to be the lean season. People usually flock to this hill station during the summer and winter holidays and also during long weekends and festivals.
Nearby Tourist Attractions:
There are a whole bunch of places worth seeing and experiences worth having near Munnar, but if you wish some of the most offbeat ones, do read my recent blog article on 11 offbeat experiences to be had near Munnar, Kerala. For the other main ones, read my list below:
1) The Nilgiri Tahr at Eravikulam National Park
2) Vattavada, a quiet vegetable and fruit farming hamlet
3) Pampadum Shola National Park
4) Thattekad Bird Sanctuary
5) Mattupetty and Kundala Dam
6) Top Station view point
7) The various tea estates all around Munnar
8) Marayoor Sandalwood forest
9) Umpteen waterfalls located all around, including the big Attukad waterfall
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