We were very well looked after- Minni cooked us special 'not too spicy' food at our special request which were delicious. Eldhose served us food and drinks and poled us up river for a lovely, tranquil couple of hours. Swinging on the seat and watching the river was very calming, this is a beautiful place. We wandered around the village to see real Indian life. Our visit to the elephant washing in the river was wonderful and we joined in the vigorous scrubbing required and it was a joy to be so close to such enormous wonderful creatures. Watching the rubber tapper at work was very interesting, and the continous birdsong was loud and clear from dawn to dusk and beyond Sue, Hampshire, England.

Thank you Paul and staff for a most intimate and relaxing two days. You were the perfect host – helpful without being pushy. We will take back wonderful memories of Kerala because of The Periyar River Lodge. Peter Woncot, U.S.A.

Thank you so much for such a wonderful hospitality. The boat ride and village walk were truly special; the food is delicious, so fresh and authentic. We have never been so relaxed in our lives. This was a perfect day for us. After your kind hospitality we rejuvenated and will be able to enjoy the last of our trip. And will never forget your fresh lime soda Sandra Stark, U.K

If you want to get away from it all for some peace and quiet, plus some delicious home cooking, plus fantastic unspoilt views, this is the place to come! You can also try your hand at bamboo rafting – but make sure you tale Eldho with you too!! Thanks to Paul and all his staff for a memorable stay – just don’t expect to lose weight!! Gary & Suni, London, U.K.,

Thank you for the wonderful stay. We’ve had a fantastic time here. Its been a lovely end to our very relaxing kerala vacation. An enriching experience – the bird sanctuary, meeting Girish, the profession bird watcher Paul& Co’s hospitality, feeding fish, swimming in the lake under the clear blue skies – we couldn’t have thought of a more magical place to relax and unwind! Do hope to return someday. Tina & Gautam Talwar, .

Thank you for all your wonderful hospitality here for the last 2 days. It has been so relaxing, the house is beautiful, the food has been wonderful and everyone so friendly and helpful – we feel fully restored for the rest of our trip. Hope to see you again one day. Natalie Ward & Sam Spruell,, London, U.K.

Quiet, peaceful and wild at the same time. Great! We all enjoyed the stay at Periyar Lodge. The food and hospitality were fantastic. The landscape awesome! We will heed this sweet paradise in our hearts. Many Thanks. Maria & David & Elisabeth,, Switzerland

New Years Eve 2006. I can’t think of a single thing you could do to make the Periyar River Lodge any more perfect. The food is excellent and the service efficient and friendly. The whole lodge is spotlessly clean, and the bathroom is fantastic – as good if not better than anything the Oberoi can offer. I will recommend this wonderful homestay to all my friends and hope to return one day with my parents. Trish Thomas, Derby, U.K.

Christmas Day 2006. Just being here is idyllic. We have much admired the architecture and craftsmanship of the kerala house and its perfect position by a lovely river. We have been extremely well cared for by Paul & Eldho and though we didn’t get to meet her, the lady who cooked had some great food to offer. Paul responded to our liking for brinjal and gave us several varities of these. He introduced us to the water apple and has obviously an enormous repertoire of culinary delights. We didn’t stay long enough to try all 34 of his sweet dishes but managed to appreciate six of them. Paul is very good at answering questions about local culture and values. We saw many birds and butterflies and were impressed by cows swimming. We also swam every afternoon. At night, we were fascinated by the fireflies and glow worms. We thank all those who made this stay possible. A memorable Christmas James and Marion, Bristol, England.

Met up with our two daughters who have been traveling for 2 months in India. We came as a treat to celebrate 3 out of 4 birthdays! We have had the most amazing time in one of the most magical places... the wildlife has been just outside our door! Plenty of kingfishers and plenty of other birds, but even better elephants calling across the river at dusk... Enjoyed the swimming in the river, it was refreshing! Mr. Paul has such good English and is so interesting to talk to. They have helped make our stay so fantastic. The food was so delicious, we have never experienced such a wide variety of dishes before. We only wish we could have stayed a week to try more! Congrats to the cook! Thank you all and we do hope we will return soon. Bran, Bill, Sarah & Josie Leech, Devon, U.K.

A single night stop over on our bicycling tour turned out to be extremely pleasant and comfortable. Excellent meals mixed with reading, watching the river and a little paddling. Altogther, reason for more of the same. But the bicycles are sitting ready and the road calls... thanks Mr. Paul and the whole staff... Marc & Jo Ann, New Delhi

We thought about doing a lot of things here, we did none of them. We sat on the swing bed and read for 2 days. I walked around the garden and watched the birds in between lazying around. Here’s what I saw in 2 days without going to the bird sanctuary –Malabar grey hornbills x 3, Flame baked woodpecker x 2, Black naped golden orioles x 1, Black hooded golden orioles x 2, Roufus treepie x lots, Racket tailed drongo x lots, Myna birds x lots, Indian babit x 1, Terns + Cormorants at the river. We heard elephants a number of times throughout our second day – we loved the lack of mozzies and the food was fantastic. Great Indian Hospitality and a wonderful venue for chilling out after 2 ½ months travelling around Kerala. Well done! Eamon Donnally, ..

Many thanks for a wonderful stay. A beautiful and peaceful location by the river. The food was fantastic every meal and the service excellent. We were most comfortable and especially enjoyed the owls and nighters we heard – brown hawk owl, oriental owl and collard owl. We will be pleased to recommend Periyar River Lodge Tim & Carol Inskipp, U.K.

The Periyar River Lodge truly is the jewel in Kerala’s crown!! Thank you so much for the staff for all their old world courtesy, hospitality and charm. We have had the most enchanting of stays in a location were honeymoon dreams was made Tidcombe family, UK

What a special place this is. The lodge facilities are first-class, we have wanted for nothing and felt at home the whole time. The food is superb. You say in your brochure ‘a limited menu’ – well, it may have fewer dishes than some but it is in no way limited in forms of quality, taste, presentation –a all the things that matter. The feeling of being close to nature is palpable. The crickets and frogs, the fireflies, myriad array of birds and the far off sound of elephants. It was a pity that we could not visit the waterfalls due to road conditions but it gives an excuse to come again!! Our visit to thattekad Bird sanctuary was a great delight – Girish is an excellent and passionate guide. I will definitely be including Periyar River Lodge on the itinerary of my clients in the future. Tim and Juan, Indian Panorama, Trichy, TN