Who doesn’t like a New Year’s surprise? Like an all new resort offering in South India perhaps? Set high in the Western Ghats, Karma Vythiri opens the door to one of Kerala’s most quietly compelling landscapes. Wayanad is hill country rather than backwater – cooler air, drifting mist, and slopes stitched with pepper, cardamom, coffee and tea. Mornings arrive softly here, with birdsong from the forest and the smell of damp earth after overnight rain.
Beyond the resort gates, the district rewards unhurried exploration. Wildlife sightings are de rigueur: elephants moving through forest corridors, egrets lifting from riverbanks, and – if luck is on your side, glimpses of leopard or tiger deeper in the Ghats. The Edakkal Caves, etched with prehistoric carvings, offer a rare human counterpoint to the wilderness, while plantation walks reveal the agricultural backbone that has shaped Wayanad for centuries.
Karma Vythiri itself is sensibly understated, designed to sit lightly within its surroundings. Forty-one rooms are scattered across the property, including plunge-pool suites and a treehouse for those who like their mornings eye-level with the canopy. Days can be as active or idle as you choose, with forest trails, a river flowing through the grounds, a swimming pool, bonfire evenings and relaxed dining on-site.
For international visitors, Calicut Airport is the closest gateway, around 90 minutes to three hours away by road, while Bangalore offers an alternative arrival point with a longer but scenic drive into the hills.
