Fodor's Expert Review Windermere Estate

Plantation life can be good when you're not working in the fields and are instead made to feel like the guest of a planter, either in one of the five bedrooms of the main guesthouse, which has a communal balcony, or in an individual cottage. Perched on the crest of a hill, behind the planter's home, among a grove of towering, whispering trees, you are pretty much the lord of all you survey here. The hillside views on this working 55-acre cardamom, coffee, and vanilla plantation, 5 km (2 miles) from Munnar, are stunning. This estate has been in the hands, since colonial times of a few Syrian Christian families. The 5-acre hotel grounds are blessed with several streams and waterfalls, making for enchanting morning walks. Rooms are large and homey, showcasing exquisite embroidered linen, wall hangings, and curtains created by the owner's family. The wooden, chalet-style dining area has a small, beautifully laid out library upstairs, under the rafters, with breathtaking views.