Check into these unusual, dreamy havens, ideal for the discerning traveller in India looking for something different, say Gustasp and Jeroo Irani
The Tree House at Pepper Trail
If the idea of playing Tarzan and Jane appeals to you, the tree house at Pepper Trail, Wayanad, in North-east Kerala, may well be the ideal setting. Far from being a rustic bolt hole, the two tree houses, built 40ft high in soaring jackfruit trees, come with luxurious bedrooms and a wood deck for a ringside view of squabbling monkeys and lush foliage.
Set in the midst of a 200-acre colonial plantation and encircled by tropical rainforests, Pepper Trail makes it easy to slip into the wild rhythms of nature. There is enough to keep visitors occupied for at least a four-day stay…
Birdwatch from the wood deck where some of the nearly 300 species of birds come calling every morning and evening; embark on long plantation walks that yield unexpected encounters; explore a Jain temple that was a sultan's armoury, and ancient caves with engravings that go back 6,000 years…
At Pepper Trail, enjoy sumptuous Keralan meals by Chef Mani.
Our advice: Spend two nights in the tree house and two in the Mackenzie suite of the 140-year-old colonial bungalow, steeped in silence.
Contact: www.peppertrail.in
Tea Nest and Tea Nest Annexe
The planter's bungalow stands marooned in a sea of green. You sit in the veranda and sip tea and survey the surroundings. Pluckers in colourful garb work the plantation. A handsome bison grazes in the channels that run through the carpet of stunted tea bushes.
At Tea Nest, a tea-themed homestay in Upper Coonoor, the kitchen is inventive. Try their 'tea menu'. Every item in the meal has an element of the brew. Fish steamed in tea leaves, for instance.
Tea tasting in the evening! As you sip each offering, a tea sommelier fills you in on the details and explains what makes the brew so special.
At night, a crackling wood fire keeps the chill of the Nilgiris at bay. At Tea Nest and Tea Nest Annexe, you get to live the privileged life of a planter without the headache of running a plantation.
Tea Nest is a colonial bungalow of six rooms, while Tea Nest Annexe is a stately mansion snuggling in 1,800 acres of tea plantations.
Contact: www.natureresorts.in/teanest
Solita in Summertime
There's total quietude at daybreak, except for the sound of water slapping the sides of the classic 42ft yacht oozing oomph and style.
Romantically named Solita, it is Goa's first luxurious boat available for charter. With three decks, cozy niches for reading and sipping cocktails, a lounge with a pantry and two teakwood cabins that exude an aura of easy elegance… the Solita may well make you feel like a wannabe Jacqueline Onassis.
Plunge into the Mandovi river for an early morning swim; go dolphin spotting; float down Goa's backwaters.
Drop anchor and stay for a night or two at Summertime, a luxury villa owned and run by the owners of Solita.
Sitting pretty on a hill slope, near Calangute and Candolim, Summertime yet holds on to its aura of tranquility and exclusivity. The three-suite villa encased in tropical gardens lets the outdoors breeze in but keeps the outside world at bay.
Pssst: You can even breakfast in your bathrobe! The villa, its owners and staff prize the guests' privacy.
Contact: www.summertimegoa.com
The Chamba Camp
As you step out of your uber-luxury tent, the Thiksey monastery, draped across a hill in front of the camp, rises in homage to the gods.
The 13 plush tents that grace the 28-acre Chamba Camp could have been plucked from a luxe private South African game lodge. They embody the concept of 'glamping' or glamorous nomadic camping. Each one has en-suite facilities and a butler. Meals are an elaborate a la carte affair in a chandeliered tented restaurant. One can choose to eat in shaded nooks in the lee of ancient chortens or with an unimpeded view of the Thiksey monastery.
And should you want to leave the exotic comfort of the camp and explore Ladakh, Chamba will do it in style for you. Join the lamas in the monastery as they chant their morning prayers; meet an occult soothsayer; visit the many monasteries that stud the crest of surrounding mountains.
Contact: www.chambacampthiksey.com
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