Cardamom House is ideal for relaxation and contemplation.

Hours can be whittled away reading, writing, sketching, photographing and watching the world go by.

The swimming pool (11m x 6m x 1.5 m) has a separated children’s access area. There are sun loungers and a shaded area.

There is a sports area for volleyball and badminton.

You can walk around the lake or climb up to the Sadayandi Temple a cave, overlooking the lake.

Some guests practice yoga and meditation.

A group of us headed into the hills, returning via Padrimalai. It gave us a chance to look at the other side of our mountain.

If interested please contact a staff member.

The tour is conducted by an experienced guide, generally in the morning, as there is more to see and it’s cooler. Things to be seen change from day to day. For example, schools are closed on Sundays.

On the tour you might visit

• the goat herders’ village;
• the local primary school;
• Athoor Village Square;
• the Catholic Church;
• small temples.

Local industries include

• brick making and chamber kilns;
• sari making on hand looms;
• rope making from coconut fibre;
• the market;
• rice milling;
• charcoal making.

Guests normally have their own car and driver. If you do not have a vehicle, we can arrange to rent an auto rickshaw or taxi on your behalf from Athoor Village.

DINDIGUL for the flower market, the UNESCO world heritage Fort and a small insight into life in an important market town (half day or longer);

MADURAI for the Meenakshi Temple, the Tamukkam Palace and the Gandhi Museum (full day);

PALANI for the Dandayudhapani Temple (full day);

KODAIKANAL, a hill station, from where there are fine views across the plains (full day).

Our swimming pool was designed and constructed by a world renowned and well respected French company It was also planned for a minimum long-term impact on the environment. The disturbance to the subsoil was minimal. The pre-pressed supports for the concrete used a modern composite strong enough to ensure rigid walls but using the smallest possible amount of cement. The trouble with tiled pools is that with time the grouting disintegrates and becomes discoloured. This provides a breeding ground for an array of bacteria and algae. Heavy doses of chlorine may kill such invaders – but is not good for users or the environment. 

Our eco friendly approach can be seen in our choice of a solar system dedicated solely to pumping the pool water. This powerful solar array enables us to run the pumps for 8 hours a day – doubling the time that most pools use their pumps. Daily vacuuming and skimming removes physical debris. Water quality is checked daily and any identified alterations in water chemistry / quality – are quickly rectified by adjusting the pH (Acid/Alkaline Balance) with appropriate buffers and occasionally adding a small quantity of chlorine (solid form) to the water. This results in a perfect balanced pool water quality. One Trip Advisor reviewer writes about our pool:

” There is an immaculately clean swimming pool, possibly the cleanest and best kept we have encountered in India.”

In addition, this has given us the opportunity to create another habitat for birds and butterflies. As you swim, bee eaters may dive into the pool, or the current season’s butterflies may drift around feeding on our nectar-rich plants – a photographer’s delight!

See also Accommodation; Things to do

Now that she is back in the UK, she has decided to make another momento of her stay in Tamilnadu – one that she can keep, share with friends and display for herself.