Amidst the tea and coffee plantations, half way between Mysore and Calicut, in the state of Kerala in India, hides a truly magical place: two big treehouses, hidden in the canopy, 90 feet above the ground.
Locals tribesmen used to build treehouses like this to escape from predators. But the tradition died out when the local tribes were chased from the area, which was turned into a natural reserve.
It was these people’s knowledge and craftsmanship which was put to work to construct this idyllic 4 bedroom hotel. The Panyia tribesmen are an integral part of the project and now help maintaining the houses.
The treehouses are connected by hanging bridges and accessed via indigenous water powered lifts. The rooms, simple but luxurious, are made out of local materials only, and powered with solar energy and kerosene lamps. Tea and vegetarian Kerala food, cooked with kiber gas (from cow dung), can be hoisted up to the rooms at the blink of an eye. Let yourself be lulled by the bird songs and enjoy this luxuriant environment. This place is for relaxing, meditating, admiring and listening to nature.
To more earthly matters: the price of a double room is US $200 a night. Book early: palmland@vsnl.com or see website
2 Responses
Indian culture embraced offgrid a long time ago. The question is , can the continue to embrace it as they rush towards modernity?
And so do many other “backward” cultures have much to teach us