Tamil Nadu tailor made holiday, India

Planet and people

By supporting locally owned hotels and homestays we are helping to provide employment for local communities. All of the accommodation owners on this tour are extremely proud of their strong policies regarding the environment and ecotourism.

Ananyta Resort – this is a small privately owned resort set within a 1000 acre rubber plantation. There are just 21 villas situated in a wonderful location on the edge of a quiet lake on the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The villa design was inspired by the renowned architects Laurie Baker (India) and Geoffrey Bawa (Sri Lanka). Their designs were based on minimalistic buildings that were eco-friendly and used only local materials. The villas at Anantya blend the outdoors and indoors and the masonry, mudwalls and handmade roof tiles are all exposed. But this is still a very comfortable resort. This resort offers career opportunities in an area that has little other than farm work.

Heritage Hotel – this Indian owned hotel was originally the British Madurai Club with the Club House designed by the world renowned Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. It has a good position slightly away from the busy centre of town and is surrounded by 17 acres of grounds, which still contain the oldest banyan tree know in Tamil Nadu.

Rajakkad Estate – the wonderful building of Rajakkad situated up a mountain in Tamil Nadu is actually a wooden Kerala Palace that was discovered empty and unloved in the backwaters of Kerala. It was carefully taken apart and moved to its current location. There are just 7 rooms and the hotel is privately owned. The cuisine is predominately South Indian and based on quality ingredients sourced locally every day. They operate a small farm on the estate grounds, which supplies the kitchen. They have a great relationship with the people of the surrounding villages and visitors are encouraged to connect with the locals, join the activities of the temple etc. Rajakkad is also home to a large range of birds. Over 200 migratory and indigenous bird species are to be found in this area of Tamil Nadu.

Cardamom House is also has a great location for birding thanks to a large lake in the area. The house has 7 guest bedrooms and is situated outside a small village near the town of Dindigul. It is owned by a retired British GP and is an ideal stop for people who are interested in staying off the beaten track or birds.

Visalam, Mantra Koodam and Palais de Mahe are all part of CGH Earth which is a group of hotels that has won many awards for their environmental policies. The family that own and manage the group are fully committed to responsible tourism and their hotels have a wide range of environmentally friendly features including – water harvesting, organic gardens for vegetables, worm farms, bio-gas converters etc. Visalam was built in the 1930s and was the ancestral home of a local trading family. The conversion to a hotel was carried out extremely sympathetically and the building retains its original features. Mantra Koodam operated as an eco-friendly resort before CGH Earth took it over in 2017. It is set in a rural near to the Cauvery River and Veerachola Rivers. Guests are surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature. There are also a number of temples in the area that may be visited. Accommodation is in villas dotted around the large plot of land and as you return to your room you will see the water harvesting channels crossing the resort. This is a place to immerse yourself in the Tamil culture. Palais de Mahe is an original heritage building in the French Quarter of Pondicherry. CGH Earth have maintained the features while converting this to a small boutique hotel.

The ground handling of this tour is provided by our local agent and we supply him with more than 90% of his turnover. All of the drivers and staff are local people. Thus we have fifteen local families that are directly financially reliant upon us. Our drivers have a contract and are paid a monthly wage. This is very unusual in South India where most drivers are normally employed on a commission-only basis (not easy for such seasonal work).

All of the guides we use are local. Tailor-made vacations cater for couples or small groups and this means that our customers have the opportunity to interact with the locals. All of our customers are supplied with detailed information about their vacation. We supply general advice relevant to all customers as well as more specific facts about your particular tour. These documents offer our customers lots of advice and guidance including how to obtain an Indian Visa, which immunisations are recommended, how much to tip people, how to dress appropriately and how to behave in National Parks.

All of the guides we use are local. Tailor-made holidays cater for couples or small groups and this means that our customers have the opportunity to interact with the locals. All of our customers are supplied with detailed information about their holiday. We supply general advice relevant to all customers as well as more specific facts about your particular tour. These documents offer our customers lots of advice and guidance including how to obtain an Indian Visa, which immunisations are recommended, how much to tip people, how to dress appropriately and how to behave in National Parks.