WILD AVENUE RESORT & SPA

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much when I first pulled up to Wild Avenue Resort & Spa – I mean, you’re driving along the Kumily-Munnar road and suddenly there’s this gorgeous property just sitting there at the first mile marker, sort of tucked away but not hidden, you know? The moment you step out of your car, the air hits you differently here. It’s that crisp Thekkady mountain air mixed with spice plantation scents that immediately tells you you’re somewhere special.

What really got me was how they’ve managed to nail that balance between luxury and actually feeling connected to where you are. The spa – and I’m usually pretty skeptical about hotel spas – uses local spices and oils that you can literally smell growing in the plantations around you. I had a treatment that incorporated cardamom and black pepper, which sounds weird but was absolutely incredible. The staff really knows their stuff too, not just going through the motions. They’ll tell you about the best times to visit Periyar (early morning, trust me on this), and they actually know which local guides are worth hiring versus the ones who’ll just rush you through.

The rooms are what you’d expect from a 5-star place, but with thoughtful touches that show someone was paying attention. The balconies face different directions depending on your room – some overlook the spice gardens, others give you those misty mountain views that Thekkady is famous for. Pro tip: if you’re here during monsoon season (which is actually pretty magical), ask for a room on the upper floors because the sound of rain on the forest canopy is incredible. Check-in was smooth, parking is never an issue, and the place doesn’t get that crowded resort feel even when it’s busy. The restaurant serves this fusion of Kerala and continental food that actually works – their fish curry is legit, and they source a lot of ingredients from local farms. You’re about a 10-minute drive from the main Thekkady action, which means you get the peace and quiet but can still easily hit up the spice markets or catch a boat ride on Periyar Lake. That 9.1 rating makes total sense once you’ve been there – it’s the kind of place that gets the big things right while nailing all those little details that actually matter when you’re trying to unwind.