Eco Resort nestled in a Coffee Estate with stunning views at Kamanur, Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India
 
How this whole resort idea was conceived and initiated?
2012 November
I kept walking mesmerised pushing the overgrown coffee bushes and unruly weeds along the way and it was already turning dark. I had walked away from my known tracks and now it was getting a little worrisome.
The estate has a few passageways that are used by Bisons and I could see fresh foot marks going away from where I stood. There could be more Bisons coming from the other side, so I had to keep a safe distance. I tried to stick my neck out of the overgrown flora, brushing off a line of red ants that had found its way into my clothes. There was no signage that I could recognise to go back to my cottage at the base of the coffee estate.
There was no other way that I could find to reach my 100+ year old cute home, the coffee bushes felt as wild as the thorny weed growing all across. Clearly this was a neglected patch of the estate that nobody had come in a long time.
I was LOST !

As I stepped up a few rocks to reach a high ground to get a sense of direction, I entered a grove of Plumerias nestling a small temple that looked ancient and yet strewn with fresh flowers and sandalwood paste, sign of a fresh puja someone had performed. Instinctively I sat down to meditate.
This was a sacred grove with more of untouched nature.
It was darker when I opened my eyes but I was feeling a spring of happiness in my heart. The tall tower rising above the greenery was clearly visible from where I stood and I walked down at a calm pace; I knew my way ahead of the tower. A warm shower back into my cottage made me realise how losing tracks sometimes leads to great discoveries within the realm of our own mind.
I had acquired this sprawling coffee estate recently. Switching my life from a cushy corporate job to a farmer's was not an easy transition logistically, but the calm determination in my mind kept me firmly on my tracks. After a couple of years spent on this coffee estate peppered with a lot more fruits, I realised I needed to share this sacred grove with people so more good souls could get a glimpse of how magically nature heals and calms the mind.
I have experienced how nature-deprived we are, as our generation is lost in meeting deadlines and making more money.
There is so much surreal abundance on this beautiful piece of land that I couldn’t stop myself from sharing its wisdom and generosity. The harmony of nature that we see in this wilderness is evident from the rich flora and fauna, and one can easily forget one's carnal woes, and get lost. Losing touch with the terrestrial for a while sometimes opens windows for another world, a dream world, a feat possible only in a place like this sacred grove.
For instance most of us keep planning to return to a healthy lifestyle but the plan keeps getting postponed till there is an emergency. Here, at The Plumeria Eco Trails, we try to give you a glimpse of the lifestyle close to nature that you have always wished for.
Our goal is to make you experience a naturally healthy lifestyle first-hand and to see that it is not impossible to live a naturally healthy life, and that a sense wellbeing is a state of mind that leads you to the right path. At The Plumeria Eco Trails you get to spend a holiday that transforms your life through a complete package of wellness and fun, rolled into one.
It is our good fortune that we can see the North Star (Polaris) from the piece of heaven that The Plumeria Eco Trails is. This unique positioning helps us see several constellations from several vantage points within the resort. You can enjoy recognising the constellations and even record a star trail here, the clear sky in this unpolluted land helps in such endeavours.
The flora and fauna in this estate is tremendously rich and you can expect a Black Bird singing along your track or a Malabar squirrel jumping from one branch to another teasing you with its tail wavering. We have counted and recorded several bird species within the estate and this is home to the Malabar Parakeet and Vernal Hanging Parrot, both endemic to this region. Several other wild animals like Bisons, wild bore, barking deer, porcupine and Elephants keep appearing as a surprise if you skim the periphery of the estate.
This is the place where nature showers us with its abundance and embraces us with the warmth of a rising sun. Oh yes, there are a few vantage points from where you can watch a mellow sunrise and say goodbye to a setting sun from our sacred grove of mildly fragrant Plumerias.

Recharge, Reinvent, Rejuvenate at The Plumeria Eco Trails ! 

- Priya Vardheesh