The people elevate the experience at this resort from nice to wonderful. From the folks who unload the luggage upon arrival, the crew at the reception, the electric cart drivers who ferried my older parents around the resort, the team in the restaurant, the housekeepers, the grounds keepers, the staff in the activity center, the person who maintains the pool and the masseur and masseuse in the spa – every person we encountered during our 10-day stay was exceptional.
The location
The resort is nestled in the quiet woods of the Muthanga Forest Reserve. We saw herds of deer on two occasions – once from the sit-out / balcony on the first floor, close Classic rooms situated in the same building as the main reception. A few lucky guests spotted a tiger walking amongst the trees across the road from the resort. This resort is ideal for families – our group of six spanned 4 generations and all of them had a great time. The noisy, bustling town of Sultan Bathery, with fairly good medical facilities, decent restaurants, markets and fruit vendors, is about 9 kilometers away.
We stayed in two different rooms – studio room with a queen-sized bed and a single sofa that converts to a bed. Classic room – also with a queen-sized bed and a single bed at additional cost. The studio rooms overlook the pool and are close to the restaurant, activity centre and the spa. They also include a microwave and a few serving utensils. The classic rooms are situated near the front of the resort behind the main reception. The rooms are just as nice and comfortable but do not include a microwave. However, this is more than made up for by access to a sit out overlooking the wooded forest across from the resort. I took an afternoon nap in one of the comfortable deck chairs there. All rooms were air conditioned, clean, comfortable and comfortably accommodate three persons.
The resort grounds were tastefully landscaped with bright flowering plants and lawns. There is a lotus and lily pond in the middle of the property. The water levels were down probably because we were there in December, months after the monsoon ended. Good quality paid Wi-Fi is accessible from anywhere in the resort.
It is no exaggeration that our vacation was made immeasurably more pleasant because of the staff of this resort. Always attentive – just when required, courteous and caring, yet professional. While everyone deserves accolades, the following are a few we had the pleasure of interacting with during our stay:
Front desk:
Anu, Jessie and the gentleman – whose name I did not get – make a great management and reception team . On the last day of our visit, an insect flew into my grand niece’s ear. The little one was in significant discomfort. Anu were very concerned, visited us in our room and sent a staff member to accompany us to a hospital in Sultan Bathery – for check up. What is more, she even paid the medical expenses for an ENT specialist to flush the errant intruder out of the little one’s ear! This was after we’d checked out!! Talk about service.
Reataurant and Kitchen:
The crew was made up of Atul-1, Atul-2, Ruba, Vinu, Venkatesh, Azaruddin, Kushal, Akilan and three trainees. Each one of them demonstrated attentive, pleasant and timely service, and always with a smile. The spread in the buffet was quite extensive and so was the a la Carte menu with both vegetarian and chicken options. However, the chef – Riaz, did not limit himself to items in the buffet or on the menu and thoroughly pampered us by fulfilling every special request. He aimed to please and he succeeded.
House keeping:
I saw them just a few times because I was out of the room most of the day. However, the outcome of their actions was unmistakable – made beds and clean rooms – each and every day. Shiva, Amal and the trainee deserve special thanks for bringing a smile to my two-year old grandniece by fashioning a puppy out of towels. It was a special touch.
Grounds keeping:
The two friendly ladies were a constant fixture every day cleaning the lawns and walkways of fallen leaves and twigs, watering the plants and the lawns. They left the place looking clean yet natural. Unfortunately, I didn’t get their names. A team also went around the resort at dusk fumigating the bushes – so there were very few mosquitoes, if any.
Activity centre:
The activity centre is smack in the middle of the resort, a few steps down from restaurant. I got to spend good quality family time with my older parents at the carrom board. A full-sized table tennis table and an indoor badminton court would greatly add to the utility of the activity center – especially on rainy days. They also rent battery operated toy cars, with a that my two-year old grandniece drove around. The activity centre also conducts various activities for guests – including bird watching, sparrow spotting, night safari, day trips to nearby locations.
Sijo, the lead, took us on a bird watching walk. Make sure you leave at 6 AM to maximize the possibility of seeing different birds. He also took my nephew and I on a 22 Kms circuit on bicycle. The terrain and gradient mean that you have to be an experienced cyclist to enjoy the trip. We went to Wonder Caves, about an hour away from the resort, on Sijo’s recommendation and thoroughly enjoyed a very active afternoon climbing over rocks, squeezing in and out of narrow spaces, exploring caves and caverns as we made our way to the top of the hillock. Wonder Caves is definitely for the fit, active adult who is willing to assume a certain amount of risk – not to be ventured into with babies, toddlers or small children.
Pool:
Libin is at the pool bright and early in the morning, vacuuming the pool, removing leaves and debris. The pool is clean, inviting and ideal for doing laps. At a uniform depth of about 3 feet, it is shallow enough to be safe for non-swimmers. Most of the time, families and groups were wading about or playing ball. I spent a couple of hours every afternoon doing laps.
Spa:
Four of the six of us had regular massages at the Spa. My mother found great relief from pain in her foot. I too enjoyed a full body massage.
A great vacation – from just about every point of view.