As I write this, the cacophony of sounds from a traffic jam on the main road assault my ears,(and my building is actually in a peaceful, leafy bylane!),the neighbour is playing romantic ballads at a really high volume, (which essentially defeats the purpose of those songs anyway) and I find myself wishing that I had a magic wand to apparate in the peaceful, serene Kabinakkad coffee estate that houses The Tamara (pronounced Taam-raa which is Sanskrit for the lotus), one of India’s top 20 Honeymoon Destinations. The only sounds to be heard there were the gentle rustling of leaves, the melodious chirping of birds, the gurgle of the stream flowing near the restaurant……
Since we embarked on the journey of parenthood almost nine years ago, hubby and I hadn’t taken a single holiday without the kids mainly because the kids too, love travelling as much as we do. Now that elder son is nearing nine, hubby and I thought it would be a good time to take a couple-only holiday. We wanted to go somewhere away from the hustle and bustle, pollution and cacophony of the urban jungle, somewhere serene where luxury and privacy went hand in hand and ideally, where there would be no other children shouting “Mom, he hit me…, no mom, he kicked me first…”. The Tamara Coorg fit the bill just perfectly.
About The Tamara
Founded in 2012, The Tamara is a “Luxury Nature Resort” nestled on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats in a 170 acres working coffee and spices plantation in Coorg. The resort concentrates on providing unique, personalised experiences and hospitality with utmost respect to bio-diversity. A quiet spot to get away from the mundane, The Tamara aims to impart to the discerning world traveller, an idea of harmony. For the time ahead.
Accommodation
As a child, I was fascinated with tree-houses, especially the one in Phantom comics, and I would long for a chance to stay in one. The “cottages on stilts” at The Tamara, while not really tree houses, certainly do give you the feel of one. As you can see in the video above as well as this picture, the cottages are almost 60 feet above ground level bringing you at level with the tops of the trees. There are luxury cottages as well as suites and they all have a balcony where you can enjoy a steaming cup of the organic coffee with your loved one. Or have a heart-to-heart with only the moon eavesdropping in on your conversation…
What I really loved the most about the layout of the cottages was that it offered total privacy. You can’t see any other balcony from the balcony your cottage, and neither can anyone see you. Yes, you can see the entrance to some of the cottages, but no glimpse inside nor any view of their deck. This is the kind of privacy that a honeymoon couple wants, be it the first honeymoon, or their “little-break-from-parenting” honeymoon. It is the PERFECT place to rekindle the romance, become a couple again after being parents….
Gastronomy
The Tamara has three venues for your culinary experiences, The Verandah, The Deck and The Falls.
The Verandah
The Verandah is the place for light snacks and evening coffee. It also houses a gift and souvenir shop. But best of all, it has the “Blossom to Brew” experience where you are walked through the entire process of transformation that the coffee goes through, from being a fragrant white flower, to the rich brew you sip. You can also play barista and choose, roast and grind your coffee beans to make your perfect blend and brew it!
The Deck
The Deck is the place to unwind over a couple of drinks in the evening. Not that you need to actually “unwind” because once you reach The Tamara, you just feel all your tensions and stress leaving. But in case you do want a romantic cocktail, The Deck has quite a nice bar menu with a lovely selection of wines as well.
The Falls
The Falls is The Tamara’s multi-cuisine restaurant serving Indian and International cuisine alongside the regional Coorgi specialities. It has separate kitchens for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. The unique feature of The Falls is the “dance floor”; a glass floor in the middle of the restaurant giving beautiful views of the flora beneath and, in the monsoons, even the gushing stream.
During our stay at The Tamara, we had all our meals al-fresco, on the deck of The Falls, the wonderful weather, the pure, pollution-free air, the sound of the waterfall and the streams…they all just made the entire ambience perfect.
On request, they also set up a candle-light, romantic dinner at a beautiful location near the waterfall. This special dinner is also part of the Honeymoon package.
Activities
The Tamara also boasts of several indoor and outdoor activities. The lobby area has the indoor activities and they also have set up “drawing tables” for the artist in you where, inspired by the beautiful vistas, you can create your masterpiece on paper. They also have badminton and basketball courts and a cricket pitch for the sports enthusiasts.
Nature lovers can opt for a Plantation Tour where the resident naturalist, Dalin Pondappa, walks you through the coffee trail and explains the entire coffee growing and making process in detail. He is extremely knowledgeable about local flora and fauna and he even explained to us how everything is recycled to get compost which is then used as manure thus making the entire plantation, an organic one! Truly impressive!
There are trekking trails as well as yoga and meditation for those who wish to get up early in the morning. Though I was exhausted and in need of sleep, to my surprise, I woke up early, without any alarm, to watch a beautiful sunrise from the deck of the cottage! But then I just lazed around and didn’t go for the yoga session.
If pampering is what you seek, The Tamara has a spa offering various relaxing massages and scrubs. At it’s current temporary location, the spa offers breath-taking views of the verdant mountains. The actual spa is going to open soon in a renovated Kodavu bunglow. The swimming pool too, is under construction at the moment. For the most part though, hubby and I were content strolling along the resort paths, hand in hand.
Hospitality
The hospitality at The Tamara is wonderful and warm. The Resort Manager, Mr. Virendra Sharma and his team make sure that everything is just right and strive to cater to your every request. From the reception to the house keeping to the room service to the restaurant and bar, all the staff is wonderfully trained and very courteous ensuring that you have a memorable stay.
My Experience
After reading this post, I’m sure you’ve realised what a wonderful break I had at The Tamara. I long to go back there soon, which shall be a little difficult because that entails leaving the children behind. (The steep gradient of the terrain as well as the 50-60 feet drop from the deck of the cottage are the reasons why The Tamara doesn’t permit children below 12.)
The Tamara is a wonderful destination to celebrate your honeymoon or anniversary amidst tranquility and serenity, away from the bustle of the concrete jungle. It provides the perfect ambience to rekindle the love and passion that sometimes takes a backseat because of the responsibilities of parenting.
To know more about The Tamara and to check out their various holiday packages, visit their website www.thetamara.com.
As for me, I’ve already told hubby where I’d like to spend our next anniversary 😉
Is The Tamara on your wish list? Let me know in the comments below….
Is The Tamara on your wish list? Let me know in the comments below….
Hi
ABsolutely loved the place. Its sure is on my destination next trip!!