Oxygen Resorts Thekkady

So I’ll be honest – when I first pulled up to Oxygen Resorts Thekkady, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The name sounds a bit clinical, doesn’t it? But the setting actually makes perfect sense once you’re there. This place sits right in the thick of Thekkady’s spice country, where the air genuinely feels different – cleaner, if that makes sense. You’re basically on the doorstep of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, which means you’ll hear actual jungle sounds at night instead of traffic.

The resort itself has that polished five-star look, though honestly, the 6.9 rating tells you it’s not quite hitting all the marks. What I really appreciated was how they’ve worked with the natural landscape rather than bulldozing through it. The rooms have these large windows that frame the cardamom hills beautifully, and you know what? The morning mist rolling through those mountains is worth the trip alone. The staff knows their stuff about local spice tours and boat rides on Periyar Lake – they’ll steer you toward the early morning slots when you’re more likely to spot elephants coming down to drink. Pro tip: skip the resort’s spice garden tour and head to Abraham’s Spice Garden instead, about ten minutes away. It’s more authentic and Abraham actually knows every plant by heart.

Now, let me give you the real deal on staying here. The rooms are spacious and well-appointed, though the Wi-Fi can be spotty (which might be a blessing depending on how you look at it). The restaurant serves decent Kerala cuisine – their fish curry is solid – but venture into Kumily town for dinner at least once. There’s this little place called Spice Garden Restaurant that locals actually eat at, and their appam with stew will ruin you for the resort buffet. The pool area gets pretty busy during peak season (October through March), but if you’re there during monsoon season, you’ll practically have the place to yourself. Yes, it rains, but watching those spice plantations come alive in the downpour is something else. Parking is easy, check-in was smooth when I was there, and the location means you can walk to the main Kumily market in about fifteen minutes if you don’t mind a bit of uphill. The resort does feel somewhat isolated in the evenings – which is either perfect for unwinding or a bit too quiet, depending on your travel style. Overall, it’s a solid base for exploring Thekkady’s natural side, even if it doesn’t quite reach those five-star heights in every detail.