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Pretty Amberina

A great escape in the Nilgiri-Wayanad hills for those looking to rejuvenate the weary soul

PHOTO: K. Ananthan

Perfect setting Amberina at dusk

There is a cardamom-flavoured elephant somewhere in the jungles of the Nilgiri-Wayanad. We are walking through tea estates, and the manager has just pointed out trampled cardamom bushes. This is not uncommon in these parts. Jackfruit, star fruit, ros e apples, strawberries and bananas are all fair game, and no one grudges the animals their occasional treat.

This is Devala, a little town some 16 km from Gudalur surrounded by acres and acres of tea gardens and forests. Long ago, in 1895, an Englishman had described this region as “a fever-stricken jungle”, and those who had planted in these areas as “enthusiastic lunatics”. (Wayanad literally means the land of swamps!)

But thank god for the loonies, you think, looking at what a pretty picture the trees make with pepper climbers twining around them.

And, prettier still is Amberina as she snuggles up to a hillside and warmly welcomes anyone who wants to get away from it all. Once a planter’s bungalow, Amberina is now a haven for those seeking the bliss of solitude. There are only three bedrooms here with a verandah running the length of the house, a spacious living and dining area with a high ceiling and a fire place, old fashioned red-tile floors and big glass windows framing some spectacular scenery.

Outdoors, the branches of a beautiful fig tree reach out over a swimming pool.

A stone bench sits on the green grass. A cuppa tea, a favourite novel and you are in business.

Junaid Sait, who owns this jewel of a place, says for him it is a home away from home. It was only when his Dutch cyclist-friend and her team-mates happened by on their way to Kerala and fell in love with Amberina, that he was persuaded to let it out.

Even now, family photographs, a gramophone (still working) belonging to Junaid’s grandfather, a much-reclined-upon recliner by one of the windows, golfing mementoes, old paintings and knick knacks gathered over the years in the course of travels are comfortably scattered around the house. Everything is understated, gracious and has a reason to be.

“It is pretty basic,” says Junaid. But don’t be fooled by that. He only means there are no liveried waiters hanging around for tips. And, you don’t have to dress for dinner.

Everything is taken care of. Meals are served with rare grace and a ready smile. Raju, the cook, has surpassed himself with an unlikely breakfast menu of puttu and coconut milk along with puri and aloo (there is e gg, bread and fruit preserve for those who crave a pucca English breakfast), and one can hardly wait to see what he brings to the table after your walk around the estate.

You needn’t step out if you don’t want to. Sink into a chair or just make yourself comfortable on the steps and find yourself a bird to outstare. Or, when Junaid sets up his stables, go riding.

The bedrooms are charming with an irreverent mix of the colonial and the ethnic. Antique cots and travel chests get on famously with ikat bedspreads and mirror worked floor cushions.

But wait till you see the bathrooms! They are large, have big bathtubs and you could happily spend a part of your vacation in them, soaking in, listening to bird song, reading or even writing in there (Yes! There is a table and chair).

From a collection of books on the Nilgiris, one learns that between 1874 and 1879 traces of gold were found in Devala. The stock market touched giddy heights, prices of real estate went through the roof and the place swarmed with self-proclaimed mining experts “including a baker and a retired circus clown!” The place even built itself a race course at nearby Pandalur. But, that was temporary madness. It passed and tea plantations became the mainstay.

In fact, one of the books speaks of Junaid’s grandfather being one of the first Indians to start planting in this area. But for him we would not be sitting with a mug of steaming soup, watching glow-worms giving the stars a run for their money.

Falling in the Nilgiri-Wayanad district, Amberina is 72 km from Ooty and 16 km from Gudalur. It is accessible by road (through the Madumalai forests), and if you want, you can be picked up at Coimbatore, Mysore or Ooty, and taken to Amberina.

For details, contact: Ambareen at 98431-49490 or e-mail: thewildstay@yahoo.com

PANKAJA SRINIVASAN

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