We were looking to visit Wayanad for a Family outing. After searching for a lot of places, we finally decided to book this property. Now, one big surprise was that the planter's bungalow cost was way cheaper than any travel portal when booked directly through the hotel. We got 5N/6D for 35000 for 3 people, including breakfast and taxes, while MakeMyTrip showed 47000.
The property is located on the Main highway to Mysuru and is about 5 kms from the Muthunga Wildlife Sanctuary. We had booked the planter's bungalow, located in the innermost part of the resort. We had explicitly asked for the first floor, which was good since the same also had a full balcony across the living room and bedroom. The bungalow was super spacious from the inside. The living room had plenty of ambient lighting, a comfortable sofa, chairs, and tea/coffee maker kits. The bedroom had a queen-sized bed, which was exceptionally soft. The furniture was aesthetically pleasing. The bathroom was humongous, too, and with an electric geyser in place, you could have hot water on demand.
Since the planters bungalow generally has 2 or 4 rooms depending on if the ground floor also has a room, ours was one on the corner of the resort, ensuring peace and no noise. The restaurant was just a few steps away. While the ground floor was the kitchen, the dining area was on the first floor. And the restaurant did have plenty of space with tables for anywhere between 2 to 10 people seating capacity. On one side of the restaurant was the family cottage with 4 bedrooms, and the other had the building hosting studio rooms.
Coming to the other amenities, the resort hosted 2 swimming pools. One was an indoor one located just above the games room, and the other was the outdoor one, which had a section for the kids' pool and was bigger and deeper. The best part was that the swimming pools and surrounding areas were spotless, clean, and well-maintained. Below the indoor swimming pool was the games room with a carrom, pool table, table tennis, and Foosball table. On one side of the outdoor swimming pool were 3 bungalows, all facing the lake.
However, the resort has its own share of problems. The foremost being it is located too far away from the main cities. And in order to cover everything you will need to easily cover 30-40 kms daily even for getting regular groceries if need be. Second, the resort also has a lake with paddle boats, but in a terrible situation. The water stinks and it has been months since it was cleaned. Every morning, while the breakfast is served, it is just alternated. Chole Bhature, Grape Juice, Set Dosa on the first day, Puri Sabzi, watermelon juice, Onion Uttapam on the second day, and a side of raw banana bajji and some toast butter and jam. We had to raise this issue with the manager to get some parathas made as part of the north Indian cuisine.
The planters bungalow only has air conditioning for the bedroom. There is no AC in the living room, and at night, you cannot even keep the balcony door open due to a ton of insects flying in. Due to this, the living room has no ventilation and gets exceptionally hot. We finally had to keep the bedroom door open to try and ensure that one AC cools the entire villa. We also had to kill 3 cockroaches that entered the room.
Thus, while the property is well spread and well maintained in certain areas, other areas need tremendous improvements. Also, if you visit spots in and around the city, it is better to seek a stay near Sulthan Bathery or Kalpetta, as that would help reduce your travel time and the associated costs. However, if you are good staying near forest, you can choose this place.
