Kerala Tree Houses

1/2Astronaut

Hello everyone. I have been checking the site since my arrival in December and it is awesome. I extended my stay through February to continue to take everything in.

I stayed in the treehouses in Kerala way up in the Wayanad mountains. It was amazing and I got to meet and hang out with the owner, Babu Vargeese who created the Backwater Boat Tour industry that is now a hugely popular and successful industry.

He was busy building the second treehouse on the mountain with his workers. My girl and I were the first to Americans to stay in the Resort. You get up to the treehouse via a gravity assisted water bag that lifts you up in a go go cage. The name of the tree resort is Green Magic Resorts and it is completely ECO friendly.

The freshest spring water you have ever tasted is gravity fed from the top of the mountain and supplies electricity, water for the bathroom in the treehouse and as well irrigates the Cardaman plants and Coffee Plant farms that are all around the mountain.

The food is made by the most amazing chef. Mustafa. And it is definitely the most delicious food we have eaten since we've been here. Except for Jamavar at the Leela Palace in Bangalore is in close competetion.

Check out the photos here http://web.mac.com/maxinesia

Happy Travels!

1/2Astronaut

Soooooo. My first post was deleted for making a recommendation as a first time poster.

The treehouses in Kerala were awesome.

Thats all I'll say.

Nick-H

It's a bit rough on new members

And the more genuine and helpful they are the rougher it is.

We are sorry about that.

Imagine the number of posts that we get from "new members" telling us how wonderful some hotel, agent, driver, etc is. They used to be easy to recognise, like they were all written from the same Indian English script, would claim to be written "having got home to Bromwich" or whatever, but be traceable to India.

Then throw in a few that tell us how awful a place is and how dreadful the service was --- and turn out to have been posted by a competitor.

Then Imagine a moderator who may be a little short of time that day, and is only human anyway. Of course some posts are more obviously genuine than others, but the fake advertisers are getting more sophisticated (they've sussed that we know the 'script' posts, it seems) and we don't always have all day to think about it. There are certain basic investigation and tracing we can do, but we are not able to spend our days being net detectives.

Thus we have a rule of thumb that recommendations, or the opposite, are not accepted in first posts.

When a member has posted a couple of times, maybe told us a bit about their trip, then please --- we want those recommendations, and criticisms, it is what the site is about

I hope this explains some, and makes you feel a bit more welcome.

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Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

1/2Astronaut

That's pretty much what I figured. Thank you for the email! I'm sure it is a ton of work.

Glad to be here.

gautam

I liked the pictures astronaut. How much did you pay for how many days ??

__________________

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Kerela backwaters - by beach

1/2Astronaut

Hola Guatam,
I believe, for four days and three nights We spent less than 40,000 rupees and that included pick up from the airport in Kalicut, the most amazing breakfast lunch and dinner and to boot a ride to Cochin. (Le Meridian was nice there.) Be prepared to be outdoors! Its comfortable though. I would definitely go again.

My first post does sound like a really slick tourist agent though!

gautam

Yes it does. Thats the reason Mods have to step in.
The problem is that many people take it otherwise.

Thanks for the information Astronaut. Just to let you know that 40k INR is a huge amount.
Aneways, does this tree house has a blog/website which has more information. ??

Nick-H

That does rather put it into the category of dream destinations, yes... .

Unfortunately, this is one for the five-star-plus travellers --- or maybe a special treat for a nature lover on generally much lower budget.

1/2Astronaut

Yep here was the quote. 23 Dec: Ecolodge in Green Magic Nature Resort 2 @ Rs. 6,500 for two people.
24 Dec: TreeHouse in Green Magic Nature Resort 2 @ Rs. 9,500
25 Dec: TreeHouse in Green Magic Nature Resort 2 @ Rs. 9,500
26 Dec: Cave-House in Green Magic Nature Resort 2 @ Rs. 6,500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL COST IS - - - - - - - - - - = Rs. 32,000
============================== ===========================

But when you consider the food and transportation It was a steal.
We spent twice that in Goa! For the money the treehouses were an unforgettable experience and I have never been so relaxed.

If someone knows some inexpensive places to visit, within 4 hours of Bangalore, for next weekend coming up. I could certainly use it! A non fancy yoga retreat would be killer!

here is the info for the Treehouses.

Telephones > 00-91-471-2328070, 00-91-471-2331507, 00-91-471-2330437
Mobile: 0091-9895605243 [S Surjith]
Fax > 00-91-471-2331407
email > tourindia@vsnl.com & tourindia@asianetindia.com
Home Page > http://www.tourindiakerala.com

I hope I can post that!

Yikes but I guess that sounds like five star traveling. Like I said I would like the dirt on some more unique inexpensive journeys.

Nick-H

Yes, that is five-star pricing for India.

Most of our members travel on budgets more like 1/10th of that, and many would consider Rs900 a night expensive!, so if you are doing a bit of sophisticated advertising on their behalf you probably have the wrong audience here!

We do have luxury travellers. I used to do a bit, and still would if I could afford it --- but I can't.

Mickey S

Rs.9,500 (US$250!) per night? in India??

That's the kind of price you'd pay for a double room in a boutique hotel in a beautiful old European city. I find it difficult to imagine anywhere in India being able to justify such prices, no matter how good the food is.

Nick-H

Except London . where you might get it, but it would be per person!

Five-star hotels in Chennai cetainly charge this amount of money, and they are busy, if not full, all year.

Many hotels in the Taj group will be this expensive, the hotels in Kerala's CGH group (I used to rave about Coconut Lagoon, when I could afford it) will be this much or more.

There is plenty of accommodation of this kind of price here. No, not plenty: not enough! Open a guest house, and you may well starve while you compete with the others. Open a 5-*, and you will be over-run, in Chennai, at least!

federica

I remember reading in a newspaper that there is a lack of 5* and business hotels in India....

The idea of the tree houses is a really great one, but the price is a scam. Even if the food is great, how can such a price be justyfied??? I would be interested in an explanation...

edwardseco

What the market will bear. Some people are oriented that way. My wife would like to be..

Nick-H

It is probably pretty high maintenance. I know that, for instance, at Coconut Lagoon, they have to rebuild their cottages every few years.

However, on the whole, I think edwardseco is right: if people will pay it, they can charge it! Especially in a niche market.