High on the hills with cool breeze and misty weather, wake up to the finest of the mornings and sip a cup of aromatic tea that was plucked fresh from the gardens and enjoy the lush green plantations around… Don’t you think this is the best way to enjoy a holiday? Come to this wonderland at Munnar in Kerala, where tea grows in the finest form like nowhere else in the world.
Ambady Estate is a heavenly little plantation retreat that lies on a hillock wrapped in the cool embrace of the Sahya rainforest, surrounded by awe-inspiring Parvathy Hills on one side, and the marvelous view of the ‘Chokkan Mala’, Idukki Dam, and the tea plantations on the other sides. Experience serenity at its best at Ambady Estate – seventy acres of sprawling tea estate perched on a hill which is home to diverse and indigenous flora and fauna.
You take a stroll through the garden, talk to the garden workers and see how they deftly pluck the two leaves with a bud, and learn about their lives. The small stroll on the estate premises will take you to around 36 varieties of fruits, and also some 72 species of birds are spotted in the estate. At Ambady Estate, you can also go for trekking, wild animal spotting, organic plantation visit, cookery and yoga on request.
To seek harmony and to be one with nature, from time immemorial, we have been known to retreat to the peace and quiet of the mountains, to the stillness of the hills and the natural flow of rivers. At Ambady, we have tried to recreate the synergy of mind, body and intellect through our serene ambience, nutritious and healthy food, the bird song and starlight and the melody of nature.
On hindsight, Ambady Estate was born out of the concept of “Project rainforest” from which sprouted the idea of the “Beyond Organic” concept.This paved the way for adopting the “Locavore and self-sufficient” concepts which finally led us to follow and practice the principles of “Spiritual farming”.
Dining
The ambience of the dining is in complete harmony with nature. The restaurant is made of natural materials like palm leaves, elephant grass etc obtained from the estate itself.
The restaurant offers you a menu of meals enriched with the vivid flavor of organic vegetables and herbs. Though the menu encompasses delicacies from Indian, Western and Oriental platter, we always encourage our guests to try our local cuisine.
At Ambady Estate, we offer a personal rendition of the Kerala experience based on our beautiful landscape, legacy of our spice trails, the wide range of varied ingredients that our hills and forests have to offer.
Welcome Drink: A spice infusion made of all spices, herbs and leaves from the forest of Ambady Estate.
At Ambady, we follow the principles of locavore system, where we obtain all our produce within a radius of 10 kms. We are also striving to be self sufficient in every way possible.
Cottages
Tastefully appointed large and spacious bedrooms with attached living area and private gardens, Ambady Estate offers four twin cottages retaining all the charm of colonial bungalows, providing an invigorating and rejuvenating holiday experience.
IN-HOUSE ACTIVITIES
In-house trekking:
You can trek through the cardamom plantation under the shade of a variety of evergreen trees, most of which are more than 100 yrs old.
Bird Watching:
Bulbuls, sunbirds, barbets, tree-pie, Malabar whistling thrush, babblers, drangos, the vernal hanging parrots etc are some of the resident birds of the plantation.
Wild-Life sighting:
Macaques, Forest squirrel, Malabar giant squirrel, flying squirrel, Barking Deer etc are seen inside the plantation.
SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS
Butterfly Migration Spotting:
A variety of butterflies are seen inside the plantation. In 2009, we had the privilege of witnessing the awe-inspiring sight of a ‘Blue Tiger’ butterfly migration, where millions of butterflies glided through and across Ambady Estate.
Farm Stay Experience:
You can observe and participate in plantation activities, which include picking and processing of cardamom, coffee and pepper.
Guided trek:
We arrange guided treks along the steep mountains of the Western Ghats. This five hour guided trek will give you the wonderful view of Munnar.
In-house guided trek:
A trek with a naturalist through the cardamom forest of Ambady Estate on to the grass lands of Parvathy Hills down by the side of the reserve forest of Letchmi Hills, finally through the tea plantations to Old Munnar. This trek helps you experience the bio diversity of Munnar.
Jeep Safari:
We arrange Jeep Safari through the plantation.
Cooking Classes:
Cooking demonstrations on traditional Kerala dishes are arranged on special request.
Location
Avaliable rooms in --Ambady Estate
| Room Category | Colonial Cottage | 3 Bed Room Villa |
| October 1, 2019 | 8 | 2 |
| October 2, 2019 | 7 | 1 |
| October 3, 2019 | 6 | 1 |
| October 4, 2019 | 7 | 1 |
| October 5, 2019 | 5 | 0 |
| October 6, 2019 | 8 | 0 |
| October 7, 2019 | 7 | 1 |
| October 8, 2019 | 6 | 1 |
| October 9, 2019 | 2 | 0 |
| October 10, 2019 | 0 | 1 |
| October 11, 2019 | 0 | 0 |
| October 12, 2019 | 9 | 1 |
| October 13, 2019 | 1 | 0 |
| October 14, 2019 | 0 | 1 |
| October 15, 2019 | 8 | 1 |
| October 16, 2019 | 8 | 1 |
| October 17, 2019 | 7 | 1 |
| October 18, 2019 | 9 | 1 |
