Spice Village - Cgh Earth

Resort is pretty and has lovely huts with traditional roofs. My rating has to do with the food. Restaurants close between lunch and dinner so nothing available if you miss those times. I did not find the food to be what I was expecting as read many positive comments. Yes proud of the areas special ingredients and recipes but should also have a few items for westerners that want an occasional meal that is not Indian. We ate off the property and it was good but unfortunately most restaurants closed the next day due to Easter. The naturalist Jan was fantastic and Ganeesh wonderful and explained the roofs on the huts.

We stayed here on our road trip between Madurai and Cochi

The accommodation was unreal, stunning, we had a huge room with a sitting room and a four poster bed, the location was stunning

The only thing that let this stunning resort down was the food was not great quality, it was disappointing, they are very strict on using local produce which was impressive but the food was not of a standard it could have been, I was in a party of 4 and we were all disappointed

It did not ruin our visit as the location is pretty special. We visited a spice plantation which has got me very interested in Ayurvedic principles

Don’t avoid this place because we were not over impressed with the food it is still worth trying

Spice Village is located in Thekkady, Kerala, close to the Periyar Tiger Reserve. It is an eco-resort with 52 cottages spread out in about 12 acres of spice gardens.

We were greeted by the friendly staff with a handmade paper necklace and fruit drinks, after which we were escorted to the cottages through the meandering paths. These cottages have elephant grass thatched-roof, built in traditional style of the dwellings of the local Mannan tribe. All the cottages are properly numbered and is easy to locate.

There are two types of cottages - Spice Garden Cottage and the more spacious Deluxe Cottage with a private garden. We stayed in Spice Garden Cottage, which has a very large room and a living area. Interior was eco-friendly and had no air-conditioning. Though it had a ceiling fan, we didn’t have to use it, as it was pretty cool inside. It had a red-oxide-floored verandah, recycled pinewood furniture and organic toiletries. Bathrobes, hairdryers as well as shaving and dental kits were provided. As there is no TV in the room, it provides a peaceful environment suitable for relaxation and it also encourages the guests to engage with various in-house activities.

The Woodhouse Lounge bar was very interesting with lot of old-time photographs and some antiques used by A.W. Wood, the first ranger of Periyar National Park, who resided here before. The bar offers a wide range of drinks and cocktails. There is also a billiards table inside the bar.

Tamarind Tree restaurant offers global and local fare. Breakfast was buffet and had a satisfactory spread. For lunch, the South Indian thali or Kerala Sadhya was served, which was sumptuous and filling. An a la carte menu is also available for lunch and dinner. Menu caters to almost every taste and I really enjoyed the non-vegetarian dishes, especially the mutton and pork dishes. There is also live music played at night.

There are plenty of activities to keep you engaged inside the property itself. While visiting the water recycling plant, vermicompost plant etc. during the guided tour of the property, the guide explained the eco-friendly practices of the resort, which was very informative and educational. During this property tour, the guide also introduced us to the flora and fauna inside the property. The tour ends at the café where you are served afternoon tea and snacks. Every day evening there is a demo cooking class in Tamarind restaurant and cultural programs in the amphitheater.

The resort offers amenities like a swimming pool, a yoga and meditation center, an Ayurveda center, a recreation center, and a nature interpretation center. For active guests, there are badminton, tennis, and half basketball courts.

The staff were friendly and very helpful in all areas – be it in the front office, restaurant, bar, housekeeping or the guides, especially, Mr. Francis, who took us around the property. Though the place looks very simple, it is well equipped with all amenities and is a fusion of luxury and sustainability. The calmness and peace that the place has to offer is wonderful.

A large plantation hotel. We stayed in a Spice Garden Cottage which was very pretty, clean and functional. A bit of a trek to the restaurant but all well signposted. There were several coachloads of tourists staying at the same time so it was quite congested at times.

A wonderful restorative stay with attentive and kind staff. Food was excellent. Service was superb. Physically beautiful. Is well maintained and very clean.

Loved this place, peaceful and quiet even though close to the town, our cottage was fabulous, cosy yet spacious, loved seeing the monkeys and squirrels, food excellent, staff were so friendly and helpful, we enjoyed the boat ride and had treatments at the spa which were great

What a beautiful tranquil place, the eco friendly attitude is exceptional and the food is incredible most of it organic and locally sourced.We had the privilege of being one of the first guests to participate in The Authentic Kitchen experience where we helped to harvest vegetables from the organic gardens and to prepare and cook lunch with the help of the staff in an authentic recreation of a tribal hut. To say the resulting food was incredible was an understatement, it was one of the best things I have eaten ever. It was also so much fun as the staff were so enthusiastic and proud to share there heritage with us.There are so many other activities at this hotel / resort such as nature walks with experts to traditional dance and cooking. demos.What makes this place so good are the amazing friendly, hardworking staff, they genuinely seem to want you to enjoy your stay and are both professional and engaging. I would definitely recommend a stay here

Hotel set out in cabins round the grounds. Very comfortable room. Good breakfast but dinner a bit disappointing. Staff friendly and helpful.
The hotel sometimes seemed quite busy and crowded - geared to groups.

Enjoyed staying at this hotel. Rooms were very comfortable. Breakfast and dinner were good. Staff were a little slow at times but we were on holiday so it didn't matter!! The bar area was excellent. Not far from the jungle experience.

I have just concluded my second stay at this very special hotel. It is to be highly recommended for the accommodation, the wonderful gardens in which the villas are situated, the peace and calm the place exudes and the two restaurants. The GM heads a great staff who are ever accommodating, helpful and friendly. It would be remiss not to "use" the on-staff naturalists on staff for a variety of interesting excursions.

We just had an amazing two nights at Spice Village. Everything was fantastic. Everyone there was so warm and welcoming.

We did 3 of the (paid) activities while there - the nature walk, the spice farm visit and the jungle scout. All were really informative, and we love learning from people passionate about what they do.

We also had Ayurvedic treatments at the spa, which were very relaxing. Would highly recommend having dinner at the 50 mile restaurant as well.

Lovely thatched cottage room, refeshing pool, great yoga, lots of birdlife and monkeys. I enjoyed an excellent walk in Periyar National Park with one of the house naturalists. Breakfast was good and nice sundowner beers in Woodys Bar. we had one evening meal which was OK and a chili cheese dosa 2x (once good; second time poor). Make sure you try Tuskers Cafe in the town for dinner - excellent fish curries and appams.

Centrally located eco friendly hotel. Accommodation laid out as individual cottages with thatched roofs. I personally, prefer the cottages on the perimeter that are not overlooked, but others will prefer a more central position closer to restaurant/ bar area.
The cottages have a lot of character and are well laid out, although being 25+ years old some updating would be due, to ensure some electrical plugs for charging our mobiles are nearer the bed heads.
The staff are all delightful and very keen to be helpful.
The pool is quite big, but has a somewhat ’goldfish bowl’ location in the centre of the hotel next to dining area, but of course, some guests may be quite happy with that.

Absolutely beautiful property with equally talented staff to help you at all times. Location is great as it’s a five to ten minute walk from the main junction. Having said that, we easily walked into town at night for some late night snacks and shopping.

You may not want to leave this property though. So much great food and things to do. I can’t recommend this place enough.

This is a really charming hotel, with a rustic but high quality vibe. The thatched roof cottages are very cute. Although the hotel is in town, when you're in the grounds you feel a million miles away. The landscaping is lovely, and there are lots of birds (as well as monkeys).

We really enjoyed the additional activities we booked. The spice plantation tour and the nature walk were both excellent and informative. We also both had massages at the spa and they were great. The pool wasn't heated but was fine given the sunny days we were there. Paper making was also fun.

Food is tasty and the bar well stocked. Nice to have some games to play in the bar too.

I went to their Woods bar. Oh! What an ambience. They have a century old billiards table on display. Expect foreigners and well mannered customers there.
Not to miss if you are in Thekkady. Very good service . Only place in Thekkady where you can enjoy wide varieties of cocktails and good drinks. All tasty . Kudos to the bar men Ananthu and Rahul. Well mannered and good mixologists. I really enjoyed the time spent there. Will definitely go back .

A wonderful stay at Spice Village, Thekkady, marked by warm, personal hospitality, efficient service, excellent food, and a beautifully maintained village.

The highlight of our stay was undoubtedly the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner – “Flavours of Idukki.” It was a unique cultural experience featuring a traditional procession, Chendamelam and Thalapoli, Kodiyettu (flag hoisting), and stunning performances including Theyyam and classical dance. The evening was beautifully organised and continued into the night with music and celebration. It is an experience that will stay with us forever.

A heartfelt thank you to all the staff involved in planning, setting up, and even clearing everything after midnight. Your dedication and teamwork made the celebration – and our entire stay – truly unforgettable.

Good beautiful property. Well maintained. Beautiful landscape with big trees all around. Good food. Close to the market. I booked Gavi safari through them and they planned everything so well. Thank you

Stayed 1 night as part of tour en route to Kumarakom. Similar to several other CGH properties, staff is excellent and attentive.

Restaurant on site has decent variety of buffet for dinner and breakfast. Facility offers various activities. As rooms are spread throughout the property, WiFi isn’t the best.

Although it’s one of the older CGH properties, likely rooms went through renovations as bathroom has more updated fixtures and less wear and tear compared to others on the route.

Given there are limited options on drive to Cochin, it’s a viable choice for stay.

Excellent! You will walk from a busy area into a heaven.

The staff is wonderful, the birds are amazing, the food is good. The tiger club is awesome.

Maneesh and his team planned a perfect getaway for us in GAVI. The Jeep experience is something else. A beautiful drive, forest views and wildlife. Please do note that wildlife is wild for a reason, they are shy and stay away, but the naturalists and the guides do their best to give you a good spotting. Go with open hearts to enjoy the heart of WesternGhats.

We liked it so much that we checked out and came back again in the same trip.

Absolutely loved it and coming back as soon as I can