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A walk in the clouds
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The Sky Roca provides a ringside view of the mountains
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Photos: Subha J Rao
Resort with a view The sky walk, the glass flooring that allows you to look down into the valley
Buildings that seamlessly blend the old and the new, clouds that glide past, your own terrace lawn, and birds that sing to you from the stately silver oaks around the coffee plantations below – The Sky Roca, has all these, and some more.
Serene location
The best part is the location. It is so near Yercaud, (altitude 1,500 MSL), but not fully there. So, it happily lacks the hustle and bustle that tourists bring to a hill station. The resort, developed by the Sekar Coffee family, is set amid 60 acres of coffee plantations and silver oak in the Shevaroy hills.
Below view
Care has been taken to not fell a single tree while building the resort. So, the rooms are at different levels with each room facing the hillside.
Tasteful interiors
Antique carved iron and wood chairs from Karaikudi grace the common sitting areas, while the interiors are tasteful with a lot of wood and glass.
Tribal paintings hang in every room, and the bathrooms are very fancy, with a Jacuzzi and shower jet cubicle. What sets it apart is that every room has been built to provide a great view of the still unspoilt hills, and the plains below. So, at night, one gets a breathtaking view of the dancing lights in Salem, on the foothills.
Private lawns
Best of all, each room opens out into a private lawn, lush with grass. Benches have been put up on either side, and bamboo screens separate the terraces. Perfect for an intimate party with friends. On the way to the restaurant is the Sky Walk bridge that spans the deep valley.Sheer glass sections underfoot let you know just how deep the valley is.
What to do
Trek through the coffee plantation at dawn, and see how your favourite cuppa came into being. Stop by and listen to bird call, and hear the gurgle of a brook that winds its way through the property. Also, explore Yercaud, which still retains its pristine beauty.
Go for a picnic, with a basket full of delicacies from Uncle Sam, the restaurant at the resort.
Front view
Or, zip off on one of the bikes available on the premises.
Check out the Shevaroyan temple, a cave temple said to extend all the way to Talacauvery in Coorg.
There are also a few abandoned mines you could explore. If you prefer staying indoors, head to the cozy library, pick up some pulp fiction, and chill. For those who need to be in touch with work and the real world, there is a business centre at hand, and all the rooms have wi-fi connectivity.
How to go
The resort is 28 km from the Salem Railway Station. Salem is 325 km Chennai.
A signboard to the hotel greets you at the 20th hairpin bend on the road leading to Yercaud.
For details, call 04281-223115-8, e-mail theskyroca@gmail.com, or check out www.hoteltheskyroca.com.
The resort has 23 rooms in six categories. Rates start at Rs. 2,500 and go up to Rs. 5,000. An extra bed costs Rs. 750.
SUBHA J RAO
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
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