Rajakkad Estate

Rajakkad serves up South Indian cuisine with subtle Mediterranean influences, which can be enjoyed in the simple dining room or out in the garden. You can also request a private dinner! Grab a book from the library next door to enjoy in a shady spot (or one of the three courtyards) and head up to the stone platform for a yoga session, encircled by flowering trees, bamboo and palms. Rajakkad's lounge has a traditional feel, decked out in antiques from Pondicherry, mid-century furnishings and eclectic decor.

Quaint and authentic, the seven rooms are accessed through the main courtyard beneath flowering trees and open onto the garden through sliding 'walls'. Each room has an en-suite bathroom in pearly Tadlac with cotton towels from South India. Decorated with painted scenes of India and carpets gathered from travels throughout the country, Rajakkad has Standard rooms and Deluxe King rooms with patterned carpets, quirky hanging decor and a living area.

Before heading out into the countryside, enjoy a spot of birdwatching, visit Rajakkad's working farm or simply soak up the quiet. Explore the landscape on nature walks through coffee plantations and the surrounding hills in search of a waterfall - with picnic in hand. On the way, your guide may skin cinnamon bark or break open a jack fruit for tasting. If you're up for more of a longer journey, the little town of Kodaikanal centers around a star-shaped lake, where you can go boating on the water.