Having lived the planters’ life in the Nilgiris since the 1960s, couple Victor and Ranjini, always welcomed people to their home Tanquil, in the Kuppamudi Estate. And since they were practically hosts for 30 years, it was no surprise that when the homestay wave hit travellers in the noughties, they decided to buy an abandoned rubber and coffee farm. Working on the land for a few years, in 2013, Amaryllis was born. And boy are we thrilled! Smack in the centre of greenery, creepers adorning the home, flowers – from orchids and roses to anthuriums and of course, red amaryllis, they’ve got it all.
Starting from the top of the house, the Terrace Suite is the room with a view. And what a view it is. Kitted out with all the luxuries you can think of — white cedar furniture, a private terrace, chaise lounges, a view of the hills and the Karapuzha reservoir and even a bathroom with shower and Jacuzzi, this is really top notch.
They also have an annexe, Strelitzia, which is like a wooden cabin and comes with a private sit-out looking onto a tropical garden with views of the backwaters beyond. Or pick the garden rooms — Calliandra, Begonia and Azalea, for cosy rooms each with different set ups so you can enjoy nature in private, be it a verandah or a courtyard.
But when here, I’d make a beeline for the tree houses — Solandra, the higher one, and Poinsettia, the one at a lower level. At 35 feet above the ground, Solandra is an all-wood tree house which you can get to from a sloping walkway. The house is split level so you’ll enter the lounge area below. The bedroom a few steps up. It’s really rather romantic, with verandahs on both sides. Make sure to take a book and games, as once you’re up here, you may never want to come back down to earth! A but further from the main house sits Poinsettia which is a mini version of Solandra, except it’s at a height on 25 feet and is done up with bamboo. Pssst, it’s also the built on the exact spot that Victor and Jini made the final decision to buy the plot!
Remember I said Victor and Jini are highly adventurous? Yup, so when you’re done lounging about and enjoying the tranquility of the homestay, they’ll fix up visits to neighbouring tea plantation, factories and even give you insight into gardening and farming. All you wild ones, coax Victor into taking you on a ride in his jeep. Or better still, hop onto his chrome-plated Yezdi for extra thrills. When you’re tired out, join Jini as she puts together zillion-piece puzzles {OK, 2000 upwards}, or then have a game of rummy when a neighbour drops by. Oh, and of course, coax her into bringing out her guitar for a jam session. For the more adventurous, a trek to Chembra Peak can be organised, for an extra fee of INR 1,500 to be paid to the forest department. Follow it up with a trip to the Wonder Of Wayanad — the Edakkal caves.
