No rain drenched wrinkled feet!

I hate monsoons. I hate them because they are cripplingly and hugely depressing! They obstruct movement, they are the nemesis to crispy dry clothes I love so much and they impair all ‘scenic’ views when I’m travelling. Every time someone speaks of ‘rain washed’ mountains, ‘drops of rain on their cheeks’ and the ‘child like thrill of splashing in puddles’, I cringe! I am off along the coast of Karnataka for the next ten days and I’m already dreading my drenched wrinkled feet trying to stay warm! But for those who love the cathartic showers after an intense heat wave, why not the plantation stays of the Western Ghats. You can get drenched to the bone for a while and then toast yourself dry by a fire and sip oodles of coffee or tea.

Oland Estate, off Ooty – Wake up to a hornbill sitting by your window, or a bison family rummaging through the tea bushes close to the sit out. If you stay longer, maybe a herd of elephants will pay a visit! The 120-acre eco tea estate lies 35 km from Ooty in a village called Kollacumby, and is one of the most therapeutic plantation stays that I have been to. The three plantation bungalows have surely hit the nail on the head with the aesthetics: earthy, congruous to the verdant setting and super plush! I would choose the Pepper House for its sit out, so I can walk across the garden to peep down the valley and see Coimbatore when the clouds break!

 

Fringe Ford, Wayanad – No cell phone. No Internet. No TV. Truly ‘Get Lost’, as per the tagline of Fringe Ford, in this faraway land of bison, elephants, tigers, wild dogs and snakes. A wild unkempt 520-acre ex coffee estate makes a brilliant backdrop to the four cottage-like rooms and the semi covered sit out and common area. What’s really going to get you hooked to this plantation stay are stories from the jungle; it was hours before the staff could tear me from the dining table – I had an appetite for many more animal encounters and snake trivia. What I was really hoping for is a longer look at the bison who had been lurking around the cottage for over an hour. Go here if you are genuinely interested in wildlife!

Partner’s Bungalow, Sakleshpur – Savour the rains from the sit-out of the 1860 British styled bungalow of Kadumane Estate. Even though the history of the place is intertwined with that of Earls and tea conglomerates, it reeks of absolutely no aristocratic curtness. Instead, its one the coziest, comfortable places just 4.5 hours/285km from Bangalore. Bucket loads of tea from the 7500 acres plantation, a visit to the factory, hiking trails within the plantation and plenty of wildlife spotting is in store here.  Else, just hang the trekking boots and relax with a book.