Built in 1986 by a retired tea-planter couple, Joe and Hermie, as a small and intimate home-stay bordering the Mudumalai National Park, Jungle Hut is now a beautiful resort with spacious and beautiful rooms. But it has retained quintessential warmth and easy charm. The place is now run by their son Vikram Mathias, an ex-car rally champion and his dynamic wife Anushri. The duo is personally involved in every aspect of hospitality because they love the place, serving people and look forward to having guests through the year.

They have standard rooms at Rs 4,400 per night and deluxe rooms that go upto Rs 12,000 per night.  Take a dip in their pool which lies at the foothills of the Nilgiri mountains or lounge on the deck while you get a massage. If you want to be more active, join other guests for rounds of table tennis, foosball, carom or even volleyball and cricket. For the more sedentary, there are parlour games, interesting conversations (over a drink) and evening bonfires. They also have an ever-growing library for bibliophiles. The jungle safari in Mudumalai National Park is a must, of course. They also organise a half/full-day visit to a nearby tea estate where you can witness the journey of tea from plucked leaf to specialty brew. Interestingly, pepper and coffee are also grown in these areas.  If you love elephants, the resort organizes trips to   the elephant camps run by the forest department where around 29 pachyderms are cared for and trained.

Being a self-sustaining resort, Jungle Hut has numerous solar panels around the property. The swimming pool too is naturally solar-heated! All their water comes from natural springs fed by the catchment area above and from rainwater harvesting. Since its inception in 1986, the place has contributed to a lot of afforestation within the premises and now hosts over 50 species of trees. Most of these are indigenous and attract flocks of native and migratory birds. Many of the delicious ingredients used in their cooking are grown in their own half-acre, organic herb and vegetable garden. Preserves, pickles and jams are also produced from the garden. This also serves as a market garden as they sell surplus produce (fresh and dried), seedlings and seeds to guests and local communities.

Time to pack your bags, we say!

Images Source : Jungle Hut Website

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