Holiday Reviews
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same trip can have different views!
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Eco Homestay, Nilgiri hills, Tamil Nadu, India, independent reviews
 Reviewed 2 Jan 2007 by Vanessa Clarke |  |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The genuine warmth and humor of this lovely family, we felt like we were visiting old friends. The wonderful cosy cottage. Watching the sun come up over the clouds in the valley. The green surroundings of tea plantations and natural forest. The food! It was both delicious and plentiful. The insights into the area provided by people who obviously love it.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure you take advantage of the many walks and hikes available, you will be amazed at the diversity of the area. Try to be up in time to see the sunrise at least once, it really is special.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Absolutely, the family are very conscious of the need to protect our environment and take active steps to do so. The cottages are cleverly designed to stay cosy, using only the heat of the sun, through the chilly winter nights. The water heater is solar powered. The meals (yummy!) are prepared from home and locally grown produce. We had the opportunity to visit (and shop in) the surrounding villages.
| Reviewed 17 Jun 2005 by Mrs Hodgson | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The warmth or the host family was marvellous, we felt like part of the family within days. Every day was exciting. Having breakfast on the deck overlooking the valley made our hearts soar.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Make sure you book the trips out. There is so much to see from temples to trekking. Something for everyone.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
We bought lots of goods from local villages, ate in restaurants, and even visited the cinema. We can safely say that we had minimum impact on the environment.
4. Any other comments?
One of the best holidays we have had and we have loads of stories to tell friends, children and grandchildren. I have already recommended it to several friends who are thinking of going to India.
| Reviewed 20 Apr 2009 by Mike Inkson | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
This was a homestay so taken at a gentle pace: relaxing without any particular highlight [unless you count the toy train down the mountain].
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared to be warmly welcomed and treated as part of the family. The [vegetarian] cooking was absolutely brilliant and not what many western people would think of as 'vegetarian'.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes: all resources come from local suppliers.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent.
| Reviewed 16 Apr 2009 by Colin Hart | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Lalith of the tour company contacted me by email several times beforehand to make sure that he was organising activities that I would enjoy, and thanks to his efforts this worked out really well. I spent a week on the holiday and greatly enjoyed every day of it, from a day's walk in the Nilgiri hills to a trip on the mountain railway. But to be honest, the most memorable part was the warmth and welcome that his family gave me, a single traveller, when I arrived and subsequently when we ate together.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Tell Lalith what you like to do and let him organise it for you. Think hard before you decline any of his suggestions as he knows what he is doing.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, we ate locally sourced food and didn't travel too far. I was in India on business and stayed on for a week to have a holiday.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Fantastic! This was my first trip to India and I enjoyed every minute.
| Reviewed 29 Dec 2006 by Jo Lyon | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Spending time with the whole family was the highlight for us, eating fantastic home cooked food and talking about life in India and the UK. It's also a very beautiful part of the world, and great to be there with people who really know it well and can share that knowledge.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
This is a really flexible holiday but the family do need to know what it is you're interested in doing so they can help you plan. We played it by ear, which was great for us as we basically wanted to relax, but some things do need to be booked in advance.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Definitely.
| Reviewed 28 Feb 2006 by Patrick Harrison | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The excitement of all the local people at Ooty railway station going on holiday was great. There was a great feeling of goodwill and happiness.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Stay in the area for at least two nights to enjoy it and relax.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, we learnt a lot about the changes in the environment in the area and how local people are making real efforts to improve matters. We were given local food, which was excellent.
4. Any other comments?
We give this accommodation 4 stars. Lalith and Rupa were excellent hosts (interesting, flexible and client focussed) and became friends in a very short period of time.
| Reviewed 4 Feb 2006 by Les Martin | |
Well our feedback is perhaps a little different to the usual run of the mill - we need to give some background to our tale -
We help support a childrens home about 40 kms from Kodaikanal in the mountains ofTamil Nadu - the home is in a village that never sees 'tourists'. We have visited once before in January/February going via Chennai and were transported with the help of the jeep from the childrens home. This year we decided to 'do our own thing' hoping to work our way down from Mumbai - However it soon became apparent that we had a immediate obstacle in that we were unable to hire a car & driver via the web to get us to the home, (we were not prepared to wait until we got to Mumbai to organise this). We sent off numerous emails to various organisations starting around Mumbai and working our way down towards Kerala asking for info on hiring a car and driver but to no avail - no replies ever came. Then after further searches we found this eco lodge in the Nilgiri mountains on the web and 'voila' it was all organised. Lalith and his wife Rupa organised the trip.
They picked us up from Coimbatore airport and transported us to the children's home in their jeep, dropped us off at the home for a couple of days then picked us back up and returned to their lovely home among the tea estates of Nilgiri. Our plan was just to 'chill out' and this was the perfect place to do it. Lalith planned the holiday to suit us - nothing was a problem. At 7.800 feet the weather was perfect and we spent the rest of the holiday walking and sightseeing, with a chance to take the famous railway and visit 'Ooty'. We also went to Coimbatore, and various other spots in the area. The food (mainly cooked by Rupa's mother and father) was excellent - all veggie of course and never over hot and fiery - one evening was spent having dinner with the family - plenty of interesting talk and wonderful food.
The 'highlights' must include Lalith and his family and ordinary people in the local area and in Tamil Nadu - helpful happy gentle people. Second is the area - outstandingly beautiful with good walks accessible by jeep from the laid out tea estates to the forest and plantations. Finally there is an awareness building about the environment and looking after it - for example the Nilgiri area has declared itself a 'plastic bag free' area.
Tips for travellers - January and February weather is excellent in the mountains - no rain & gentle temperatures - Don't expect to get anywhere in a hurry - the roads do not go in straight lines! Up in the mountains at that height you do not have to worry about mosquitoes. If you stay in the lower lodge there was a 'delightful' family of largish spiders in the bathroom that appear in the evenings so arachnophobics beware!
We would say that this holiday attained a 4 star rating & we will be going back again in the future.
We help support a childrens home about 40 kms from Kodaikanal in the mountains ofTamil Nadu - the home is in a village that never sees 'tourists'. We have visited once before in January/February going via Chennai and were transported with the help of the jeep from the childrens home. This year we decided to 'do our own thing' hoping to work our way down from Mumbai - However it soon became apparent that we had a immediate obstacle in that we were unable to hire a car & driver via the web to get us to the home, (we were not prepared to wait until we got to Mumbai to organise this). We sent off numerous emails to various organisations starting around Mumbai and working our way down towards Kerala asking for info on hiring a car and driver but to no avail - no replies ever came. Then after further searches we found this eco lodge in the Nilgiri mountains on the web and 'voila' it was all organised. Lalith and his wife Rupa organised the trip.
They picked us up from Coimbatore airport and transported us to the children's home in their jeep, dropped us off at the home for a couple of days then picked us back up and returned to their lovely home among the tea estates of Nilgiri. Our plan was just to 'chill out' and this was the perfect place to do it. Lalith planned the holiday to suit us - nothing was a problem. At 7.800 feet the weather was perfect and we spent the rest of the holiday walking and sightseeing, with a chance to take the famous railway and visit 'Ooty'. We also went to Coimbatore, and various other spots in the area. The food (mainly cooked by Rupa's mother and father) was excellent - all veggie of course and never over hot and fiery - one evening was spent having dinner with the family - plenty of interesting talk and wonderful food.
The 'highlights' must include Lalith and his family and ordinary people in the local area and in Tamil Nadu - helpful happy gentle people. Second is the area - outstandingly beautiful with good walks accessible by jeep from the laid out tea estates to the forest and plantations. Finally there is an awareness building about the environment and looking after it - for example the Nilgiri area has declared itself a 'plastic bag free' area.
Tips for travellers - January and February weather is excellent in the mountains - no rain & gentle temperatures - Don't expect to get anywhere in a hurry - the roads do not go in straight lines! Up in the mountains at that height you do not have to worry about mosquitoes. If you stay in the lower lodge there was a 'delightful' family of largish spiders in the bathroom that appear in the evenings so arachnophobics beware!
We would say that this holiday attained a 4 star rating & we will be going back again in the future.
| Reviewed 2 Sep 2007 by Richard Stephens | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Lalith and Rupa's family were extremely welcoming to us, and invited us to join a Hindu ceremony, celebrating the bonds between brother and sister and their responsibility for each other. It was an intimate moment, and our children joined in before we shared (another) delicious meal together. Rupa in particular made a real impression with the children - and if you travel with children you will know how important it is that they are happy - and all of the family provided the highest standard of service.
We really enjoyed the food and the cookery classes, and our ability now to cook several basic Indian recipes is probably the enduring legacy of the holiday. The food we ate was utterly superb, and it was really nice to have it served sometimes in our own cottage, and at other times to eat with our hosts. The Nilgiri Hills are next door to an elephant sanctuary and it was really exciting to drive through it and see wild elephants.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take the cooking lessons and go out on walks to the mountains and hills as much as possible. We've come back with new skills and new recipes. It is not always warm in the hills so bring warm clothes.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
The family used local organic produce for cooking and I think the jeep ran on biofuel.
4. Finally how many stars would you give your holiday overall?
3 and a half stars
| Reviewed 23 Sep 2006 by Jim Carroll | |
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
I was very impressed by the Jain temples. The stone carvings and architecture displayed a great attention to detail and spoke of painstaking devotion. I enjoyed the safaris through the wildlife reserve at Bandipur. I enjoyed my stay at this accommodation and the geniality of the proprietor, Lalith and his family. I stayed in their lovely guest house in the tranquil setting of the mountains of Tamil Nadu.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
As I don't drive, Lalith arranged a nine-day tour, and along with his brother-in-law took turns at driving. The tour started in Tamil Nadu and took in Bandipur and Mysore and points in between and ended in Bangalore. Travel by road is the best way to get around and see and hear all the sights and sounds of India. I would suggest stopping off for a day or two at places of interest, as it would afford opportunities to rest after long periods of driving.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I stayed in eco-resorts or jungle lodges, or a former palace now a hotel (in Mysore). I felt that the tour was designed to benefit local economies.
4. Any other comments?
I would rate the holiday overall as very enjoyable.