Paradisa Plantation

Peaceful hillside resort, with traditional Keralan cottages and a gorgeous pool, set amid a 40-acre coffee estate

Set on terraces carved into the precipitous Cardamom Hills and reached by a private track, this nature resort is a haven of peace, where city souls and tourists come to rest their overheated brains and bodies. Owner CP Simon bought the neglected coffee plantation with the intention of building a personal retreat, using a salvaged traditional wooden house with carved windows and doors. Pleased with the result, he thought: ‘Why stop...?’

Now there are 9 cottages, dotted amid organic Robusta coffee plants and banana palms and connected by a network of stone pathways and steps. The round dining room is open to the elements, with a panorama across the valley; the wonderful swimming pool - endearingly built in the shape of Simon’s wife Maria’s foot - shares the same plunging views. There’s a touch of eccentricity about the place, especially when enthusiastic Simon is in residence, but that’s why you come here rather than to a clinical five-star hotel.

Highs

• The spectacular setting in the tree-clad hills means sweeping views
• There's no traffic noise, only birds and insects
• The fresh air and cool breezes are a wonderful contrast with the sweaty, polluted lowlands
• The smiley staff are very friendly, creating a more authentic sense of Kerala than you'd get staying at an impersonal hotel

Lows

• The place is charming, but it doesn't always work like clockwork - there are occasional lapses in the hot water, for example
• It's remote, so you'll need a car and to be happy in your own company
• Simon doesn't use pesticides, so be prepared for some insect life (beds do have mozzie nets, though)