Cardamom County by Xandari

HOTEL OVERVIEW

You know, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first pulled up to Cardamom County by Xandari on Thekkady Road – honestly, the name alone had me curious. But once you’re actually there, nestled in the hills just outside Kumily, it all makes perfect sense. The whole property feels like someone took a luxury resort and dropped it right into the middle of a spice plantation, which is basically what happened. The drive in is pretty spectacular too, winding through those narrow roads where you’ll catch glimpses of cardamom plants growing wild on the hillsides – hence the name, obviously.

What really got me was how they’ve managed to keep that high-end feel (this is definitely a proper 5-star setup) while still making it feel connected to where you actually are. I mean, you’re not going to forget you’re in Kerala’s spice country when you wake up to the smell of cardamom and pepper in the morning air. The rooms are gorgeous – well, mine was anyway – with these huge windows that frame the Western Ghats perfectly. Actually, if you can swing it, try to get one of the upper-level rooms because the view difference is pretty dramatic. The staff seemed to know their stuff too, which matters when you’re asking about things like the best time to hit Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (early morning, by the way) or where to find decent authentic food in Kumily town.

Here’s the thing though – and this is important – the location is sort of perfectly positioned between being secluded enough to feel special but close enough to Thekkady’s main attractions that you’re not spending half your day in transit. It’s maybe a 10-minute drive to the Periyar boat jetty, which is clutch if you’re planning those dawn wildlife tours. The property itself sprawls quite a bit, so there are these quiet corners where you can disappear with a book, but there’s also enough going on (the spa’s pretty solid, food’s better than you’d expect) that you won’t get bored if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Speaking of weather – monsoon season here is no joke, so plan accordingly. I was there during the tail end of the rains and while it was absolutely beautiful, some of the outdoor activities were pretty limited. The 8.2 rating feels about right to me – it’s genuinely lovely and well-run, though at this price point you might expect every tiny detail to be flawless, and there were a few small things that weren’t quite there yet. But honestly? When you’re sipping cardamom tea on your balcony watching the mist roll over those hills, you kind of forget about the minor stuff pretty quickly.