There is something quietly magical about Thekkady, a place where you get the most out of it when you come without any set plan in your head and just an open mind instead. Nestled within the Cardamom Hills of Kerala, Thekkady is a misty hill town bordering one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries of India, and the air is filled with the aroma of spices like cardamom, pepper, and cinnamon. If you have been dreaming of a luxury weekend escape to Thekkady, here is the truth: the best version of that trip requires less planning, not more. All it needs is the right base, the right mindset, and a few well-chosen experiences.
Choose the Right Luxury Resort in Thekkady First
Your choice of accommodation can make or break any good weekend getaway, and in Thekkady, choosing the right luxury resort takes most of the planning work away from you. Elephant Route by Vasudha Hospitality, located on Anavachal Road next to the well-known Elephant Camp, is a premium luxury resort in Thekkady that provides comfort and luxury hassle-free.
The resort has luxurious rooms such as Super Deluxe Non-AC rooms which cater to people preferring to wake up in the refreshing mountain breeze, Super Deluxe AC rooms for people opting for a comfortable and luxurious experience in a controlled environment, and Suites for people looking for additional comforts in their stay. The luxury resort has more than 3,000 reviews on Google along with a rating of 4.8, making it a highly recommended luxury resort by discerning tourists. The price of rooms starts from INR 2,500 only. The resort’s hospitality, based on Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam philosophy, takes care of everything else once you check into your room.
Let the Periyar Tiger Reserve Set Your Pace
The biggest advantage of spending time around the Periyar Tiger Reserve is that there is no need to seek out the wild – it comes to you. Spanning more than 925 square kilometres of territory, the reserve is inhabited by elephants, tigers, leopards, sambar deer, and a diverse and unique bird population that is different in the morning, during the day, and in the evening.
Instead of packing many excursions into your schedule, pick one or two times with the reserve. For instance, the early morning boat trip on Periyar Lake is perhaps the most peaceful way of observing elephants collecting at the lake. The reserve offers both nature walks and bamboo rafting if you are keen on being closer to the ground. It is essential when visiting Thekkady not to plan too much, and this is exactly how one can feel the rhythm of the forest and not fight it.
A Spice Plantation Tour in Thekkady That Feels Like Discovery
The visit of any spice plantation in Thekkady can never be considered as a part of the tour unless one gets a glimpse of its spice gardens. It is a part of the country that is known for being the largest producer of spices in all of India, and visiting such a plantation becomes more of an educational experience than mere tourism.
During such spice tours, one can see cardamom groves, the climbing pepper vines in the shade trees, vanilla orchids, cinnamon barks, nutmegs, and clove trees. By the end of the tour, one will understand not only the origin of the spices in their kitchen, but the very connection between them and the land they come from. At the end of each spice tour, there is also usually the opportunity to enjoy spice teas that in Thekkady can rightly be called a luxury experience.
Wildlife Safari in Thekkady — Book One, Savour It Fully
The urge for any nature-filled adventure is to indulge in every single wildlife safari. Resist it. One single, well-planned wildlife safari in Thekkady, preferably in the morning when the animals are very active, is better than three hasty ones. There are jeep rides, border hikes, and trekking tours guided by skilled naturalists in the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
The uniqueness of the wildlife safari in Thekkady does not lie in the assurance of spotting a tiger (it is quite common though). It lies in the total experience of the jungle – the birdsongs, the play of light in the jungle, and the silence that warns about some large creature near you. Plan only one safari, be well-rested, and then experience it wholeheartedly.
Luxury Dining in Thekkady — A Feast Worth Slowing Down For
Not all luxury dining in Thekkady requires fancy crockery and candle lit dinners, although those have their own charm too. But what luxury dining in Thekkady is about is getting to know the tastes of the state of Kerala – from a resort restaurant where the focus of every meal is the local cuisine.
Vasudha Hospitality has an in-house restaurant that offers you authentic Kerala cuisine prepared with all the care and freshness of local produce. You have a slow cooked fish curry seasoned with the freshness of raw mangoes, accompanied by an appam and the rich aroma of the stew that goes well with it and payasam that makes the end of a meal truly sweet like any good Kerala dish should be.
A Luxury Weekend Escape to Thekkady Is Best Lived Slowly
The most frequent error travellers commit in Thekkady is that of treating the place as if it were a task-oriented destination. The waterfall, the safari, the plantation, the boatride, and the cultural performance, all crammed into a span of 48 hours. The outcome is exhaustion and not rejuvenation.A luxury weekend getaway to Thekkady should ideally be done by opting for lesser number of activities and experiencing them in entirety. An early morning safari in the wild reserve. Afternoon spent amidst the spice gardens. A luxurious meal under the starry skies. Sunrise from your private suite balcony at Elephant Route in Thekkady while you are the first to witness the mist rolling down from the Western Ghats.
It can only be achieved through Vasudha Hospitality where with easy and free transportation, personalized services, and central location that ensures you have access to all the best in Thekkady, Elephant Route offers you only what you need and nothing more. Reserve your stay now at vasudhahospitality.com.
