Ecological experiences can never come out of a handbook. There are no rules, no simple tried-and-tested roadmap to follow. Every environment emerges from endless combinations of local culture, climate and geography. In fact, no two spots on earth are exactly alike. And because every environment is unique, it needs to be uniquely respected, uniquely understood.

At Spice Village, our understanding came first and foremost from thetribal people of the Cardamom Hills. Over millennia, they had perfected a gentle codependence, an almost spiritual harmony with the works of nature, All we needed to do was uncover these ancient wisdoms and put them to work.

Take a stroll about the grounds and you can see examples everywhere.

The self sustaining fish pond was the first. It was created with the Village itself, an excavation left over from construction. In most cases it would have been paved over and forgotten. We found it filling up naturally with groundwater.

So we added some Carp, some algae and some ferns. Today, 13 years later, it's a tiny living biosphere, an example of what happens if you simply leave nature alone.

In a forest, how do you keep the bugs at bay? You can either use chemicals. Or you can think out of the box. At Spice Village (as indeed at most cgh properties), nature herself provides the protection.

Neem and lemon grass oils are marvelous, biodegradable pesticides, and the sprayer you'll hear most afternoons is actually helping the ecology, not harming it. Little clay pots dotted about the grounds provide natural mosquito control, as does the camphor burner in your room and the incenser we use in the afternoons. It burns Black Damur, a powerful tree resin that insects hate.. Even the strings of aloe vera plants hanging from the thatch serve a purpose, keeping flying pests away from the dining areas.

The life of Spice Village is inextricably tied to the hill culture. For the tribals, this is not a hotel, but a source of employment, a place where they can get better rates for their spice harvest. They are also the mainstay of our organic garden, putting spanking fresh produce on the table each day.

And speaking of employment, how can can an ex-sandalwood poacher reinvent himself? 
The bullock cart ride here is a rehabilitation programme we've started along with the local authorities for just this purpose.
So enjoy the experience of the 'real India',.. And if your driver seems suspiciously well informed on the subject of rare woods, perhaps you should be a little discreet and change the subject?

Ayurveda

Ayurveda speaks to every element and facet of human life, offering guidance that has been tested and refined over many centuries, to all who seek greater harmony, real happiness, peace, serenity and longevity.
We give equal importance to body and mind and view health and disease in holistic terms, taking into consideration the inherent relationships between body and mind, individual and cosmic consciousness, energy and matter. Our Ayurvedic experience also helps people to accept themselves as they are, so helping the healthy person to maintain health and the unhealthy person to regain it."

Cuisine

Lunch is an unhurried affair at the long verandah. You can enjoy a fine tribal fish curry al fresco, accompanied with some ayurvedic herbal water (great for the digestion) or a nice cold beer (ditto), surrounded by tropical lushness and spice- scented breezes wafting in from the forests.

Accommodation

A typical guest room. No pile carpets, no television, just silence, simplicity and plain comfort.There is little space at Spice Village for opulence. And none at all for pretentiousness.