[shashanka]

Originally Posted by Bigzero

We drove on , negotiating hairpin bend after hairpin bend.

I had called the Waterfall ........on the Bungalow, etc in next post

Hello Bigzero,

A lovely thread - a terrific write-up and great photos that have captured the essence of the estate experience. I am a bit late catching up with this thread - 2010 and its 2015 now - but I am lucky that I did come across it.

We have not made trips down south - apart from one trip to Madikeri in Coorg a good 15 years or so ago from Mumbai - via NH17 to Kasargod and then via Sullia to Madikeri.

The landscape you have captured is similar to that around Naukuchiatal in Nainital distt of Uttaranchal (tho' Valparai is certainly greener and more lush as befits tea/coffee estates!) which we have been visiting more or less regularly over the past 18 years or so.

Thanks for a great experience!

[hellmet]

Can someone recommend a bungalow/tree house in and around Valparai area? We'll be coming down from Kodai so looking for a foresty experience as against another chilly hill station.

The idea is to just sit back and relax with tea for a couple of days. Would prefer food arrangements by owners

[thalavoy]

Had good experience with Woodbriars at Valparai. Their web site is teabungalows.com. Good food, I remember

[hellmet]

Thank you. They seem to have a lot of bungalow options in Valparai itself. Which one did you stay in / what do you recommend? Not a big fan of "tea" farming, I'd rather look at a forest through the window.

EDIT: Doesn't look like there'd be any tree houses in Valparai. Any other options around Valparai ? Would love to sleep listening to the sounds of the forest.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by hellmet

Can someone recommend a bungalow/tree house in and around Valparai area? We'll be coming down from Kodai so looking for a foresty experience as against another chilly hill station.

The idea is to just sit back and relax with tea for a couple of days. Would prefer food arrangements by owners

Sinnadorai Estate is a great place to just chill out and relax but tariffs may be on higher side. There are few travelogues with more details of the place, including mine - here.

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by hellmet

Not a big fan of "tea" farming, I'd rather look at a forest through the window.

Would love to sleep listening to the sounds of the forest.

Wonderful!!

Unfortunately all the bungalows in Valparai are tea estate bungalows

Sinnadorai has the best forest access

Waterfalls estate of Glendales has a forest stretch at the back

No idea about Woodbriar's estates - but these are also tea estate bungalows

[thalavoy]

Valparai is strange mix of tea estates and forests. It has one of the highest human-animal conflicts. So, you should be fine wherever you stay, I think.
During morning walk (we stayed at Monica bungalow and the care taker took us to another of their estate) we saw good number of birds, herd of gaurs, leopard pug marks, and of course, LTMs.

[hellmet]

Originally Posted by NPV

Sinnadorai Estate is a great place to just chill out and relax but tariffs may be on higher side. There are few travelogues with more details of the place, including mine - here.

Yes, I really liked Sinnadorai, but tariffs are on the higher side for us. Maybe some other time!

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

Wonderful!!

Unfortunately all the bungalows in Valparai are tea estate bungalows

Sinnadorai has the best forest access

Waterfalls estate of Glendales has a forest stretch at the back

No idea about Woodbriar's estates - but these are also tea estate bungalows

Thanks!

We changed location to Munnar instead of Valparai and will be staying in a village away from the town. Will post our experiences once we're back.

[Bigzero]

Originally Posted by thalavoy

Valparai is strange mix of tea estates and forests. It has one of the highest human-animal conflicts. So, you should be fine wherever you stay, I think.
During morning walk (we stayed at Monica bungalow and the care taker took us to another of their estate) we saw good number of birds, herd of gaurs, leopard pug marks, and of course, LTMs.

I agree - my trip was quite a long while back, and one could hear about these stories from the locals as well. Apart from these, my own experiences include

1. An update from the caretaker after a blissful morning walk with kids through tea plantations that he had sighted a bear a couple of days back right at the courtyard of the bungalow

2. A leopard running across the road when we were crossing the jungle stretch close to Valparai. This is the only place I have actually encountered a leopard crossing the road at such close quarters. Not after umpteen trips through Bandipur, Mudumalai, etc.

The stories that I heard from some of the locals were definitely real, and does add to a certain element of risk when one goes with small kids.

Dont know the situation now.