Plantation Trek
Every evening, as the sun begins its descent, we host a walk through the Windermere plantation for our guests. The leisurely 4km trek usually takes about two hours, and is one of the highlights of visiting Windermere. You see, cardamom grows only in restrained sunlight, so the grounds are permanently covered in evergreen trees and foliage, many of which we grow specifically to attract butterflies and birds. You can expect to see giant squirrels, clamber over tall trees, babbling streams and down hidden paths. The walks are hosted by expert naturalists from the region who combine their home-grown knowledge of the mountains with science to tell the most fascinating stories of the flora and fauna you’ll see. Do remember to let us know if you’d like to come for the trek!
Vantage Point
Every hill station is scattered with ‘viewpoints’, perennially thronged by tourists. The Vantage Point at Windermere is different. To begin with, it’s intensely private, accessible exclusively to our guests, via a rough-hewn stairway carved into the boulder at the centre of the property. When you reach the top, you’ll find the most private viewing balcony in the Western Ghats, with a gorgeous view of tea and cardamom. Sit awhile and watch the clouds, the mist and the strangely friendly birds and butterflies. It’s the perfect spot to experience sunrise, sunset and everything in between. Don’t forget to bring your binoculars.
Garden
The gardens at Windermere are not the manicured gardens of a typical resort. They follow the undulating shape of the mountain, and we’ve retained as much of the original foliage as possible. Here you’ll find guava, coffee, gooseberry and peach trees interspersed with little lawns of fresh-cut grass, little nooks with picnic tables, soft moss and hammocks where time stands still. It’s the perfect place to catch some sun, read a book or just watch the butterflies play.
Library
According to our guests, the Windermere Estate library is straight out of a story book. It’s lovely any time of the day or night, and has an eclectic collection of both Dr Simon’s books as well as hundreds of books donated by guests over the years. If reading isn’t really your thing, we’ve also stocked it with board games, a gorgeous view of the tea gardens and the most stable WiFi connection in the mountains. A trip to Windermere is incomplete without spending at least an hour curled up in the library with a cup of something warm and delicious.
Pool
Infinity pools traditionally overlook a water body or a large expanse of sky – our granite-tiled little marvel overlooks the tea gardens. The pool isn’t temperature-controlled, which most of our guests find natural and refreshing. Stretch out on a lounge chair, soak up the sun as you watch the birds making quick visits to the pool side or the manicured tea gardens.
Bird Watching
Birds and butterflies love visiting the gardens at the Windermere Estate – you could say they’re part of the family. You can hear the singing of the red-whiskered bulbul and the Malabar whistling thrush most mornings – it’s our favourite thing to wake up to. If you’d like to get to know the birds a little better, we can organize an early-morning bird walk around the estate. Just let us know in advance. The Chinnar and Munnar regions are home to over 300 species of birds, many of them rare and once endangered.