We started as a family home in 1994. When we arrived the property was barren, red soil earth strewn with rocks. Our mission over the years has been to restore the land to its natural jungle beauty and to bring back the wildlife after years of neglect and overgrazing. We got the place looking green again and have noticed a large influx of wildlife. We then began our own small scale “eco farm” farm with a vegetable garden, cows, goats, rabbits, chickens, Guiney fowls, ducks, turkeys, dogs and cats.
Double Dutch Resort offers you a comfortable stay in a rural Indian setting. We are located in the Kamaraj Valley in the beautiful spurs of the Palani Hills. An altitude of 300m above sea level provides you a relatively cool pleasant tropical climate for most of the year. The air is clean and fresh over here.
Throughout the years many friends and family came to stay with us. We gradually changed into a resort for guests who are interested in a home-stay in the countryside. People who love this place are, for example, people who like to go for walks or treks, birdwatchers, people who like to experience the Indian rural community, people who need a break in a quiet place, people who use it as a base for daytrips, and families looking for a child-friendly and relaxing atmosphere. Single travelers also enjoy the homey atmosphere.
Nowadays the resort has six buildings on a nine acre (=3.6 hectare) area.
Holland House (HH) is the original building, and now used as a residential area and office.
Villa Flamboyant (VF) is the core of the guesthouse. It has the main sitting area, the dining area, the kitchen and three DeLuxe guest rooms. These rooms have double beds and AC on request. We can provide 1 extra bed per room.
Across the street (100m) somewhat uphill are four buildings:
Candle House (CH) is a DeLuxe non-AC.
Thai Nivas (TN) has two DeLuxe twin rooms (two single beds) and AC on request.
Shanti Nivas (SN) is our romantic stand alone DeLuxe cottage, with a king size double bed, a wide veranda and a superb view.
Kannivadi House (KH) has two Standard Rooms. Both rooms have two single beds and AC on request; here we can provide 2 extra beds per room.
All rooms have an attached bathroom, hot and cold water, a king size double bed (200cmx180cm) or two beds (200cmx90cm), a fan and a veranda.
The buildings are surrounded by gardens with different character. The garden of Villa Flamboyant is jungle style and bordering the lake. The gardens of Kannivadi House and Candle House are uphill, more cultivated and bordering the protected reserve forest. No matter where you stay, there is always a nice spot to sit quietly and enjoy the view.
Dinner is usually served on the rooftop. We offer Indian and Western/fusion vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The menus are set, but we try to find out in advance what the guests prefer. A lot of our food is homegrown and homemade.
We, a Dutch couple and our Indian staff, will look after you in a unique Dutch - Indian blend.
The resort is situated in a beautiful valley, with two sides surrounded by mountains. To the south it is bordered by Kamarajar Lake. You can spend the day lying on the grass or in the shaded hammock, sun bathing, and swimming (monsoon dependent). You can also refresh in our small swimming pool (3x5 meter and 1.60 meter deep).
We have a veranda from which you can enjoy the many birds and butterflies that come very near to, and even in, the house.
There are many nice places to walk to in the area: around the lake, to the nearby cave temple, the waterfall and water holes, or along the rice fields, the mango gardens and the palm groves. These walks start at half an hour and can take up to one day.
Surroundings:
The nearest village is Athoor at a distance of 6 km. Athoor is a small village, with a simple but busy marketplace. There is a post office and two banks with ATMs. During a walk to Athoor you will see villagers on their way to work, often herding goats, sheep, calves, cows and/or water buffaloes. Women carry water or firewood. Or you can join us on the motorbike when we go shopping or we can order a taxi for you.
The nearest town is Dindigul at a distance of 21 km, 45 minutes by taxi. It is a bustling town, with many shops. In most cases you will be the only tourist around. While there, you can climb to the rock fort from which you have a view over the town and its surroundings.
A visit to Madurai is worthwhile, to go sightseeing, to pay a visit to the famous Meenakshi Temple, and to go shopping. It is 62 km to Madurai which you cover by taxi in 1½ hours. There is also a bus connection which will take 2 hours.
The hillstations Kodaikanal and Munar, the nature reserve Periyar and the temple town Palani are fairly near; most of our guests visit these places on an overnight trip.
Motorbike trips:
We can take you on the bike to see special places and experience the Indian countryside in a different way. We have a Bajaj Discovery, a TVS Sport, an Enfield Diesel and an Enfield Petrol. These excursions can be arranged for one or more days, specifics can be discussed on arrival.
We'd be glad to advice you about other trips and excursions in the region.
Weather:
Most of the year we have a pleasant tropical climate. April and May are the hottest. In June the monsoon starts in other parts of India (including neighboring Kerala) cooling the air. the monsoon in Tamil Nadu is October till half December, but travel remains very well possible.
