I have stayed in Five star hotels in India and abroad and am used to the luxuries they provide and the way they pamper you and make sure that you patronize them again and again whenever you land up in the town or city in which they operate. It was by chance that I had an opportunity to visit Wild Elephant Eco-Friendly Resort in Munnar. It so happened that I was booked by my travel agent in another hotel in Munnar and I missed my flight and arrived a day late and it being December could not find any accommodation in Munnar. One of my acquaintances in Cochin suggested “Wild Elephant Resort” and the name sounded interesting to fall for it. When I called up the Resort they told me that only the Leaf Cottage was vacant as the guest who was due to arrive did not show up and I agreed to take it. We arrived there at Adimaly town at around 10 AM .The road is fairly good, and you need to take a diversion to the left at a place called Kallar which is 14 kms from Adimaly town .As you take the diversion from the Cochin –Madurai Highway at Kallar and go on Kallar –Mangulam Road you find the denseness of the forest increasing and also pass gurgling waterfalls as you drive along, before you reach this unique resort. As you are nearing the Resort you can see the vast expanse of the beautiful Tea Estates of Letchmi Tea Estate which is just next to the Resort and also view the Waterfall from where the Resort gets its water. The place is just mind blowing as far as the Location is concerned and also the cottages and the rooms are so neatly done that you feel yourself totally at Home, especially when greeted with the homely food of the Resort. As I stood on the top of the Hillock where the Resort is situated I had a feeling of Freedom and Liberation which I have never felt within the four walls of the room of any luxurious five star hotel. The reason is simple, the resort is situated in such a strategic location that Nature is all around you in abundance and this makes calm and well being descend on you once you land here. The Swimming pool is really enchanting at this height and as the Sun comes out and heats the surface jumping into the pool has a great soothing effect, especially as the water which comes into the pool comes from the waterfall which can be seen from the Resort. We had come to stay here for a night but ended up staying here for three nights instead, during which we went to a place called Anakulam, about 12 kms from the resort and had the opportunity to see about 60 wild elephants which had come to drink water from a stream. We also saw a lot of waterfalls on our way and also hanging bridges made of wire rope and wooden planks. One such wire rope bridge we were told was built by the Resort management for the villagers. The resort staff who looked after us and also took us around for trekking and sightseeing were excellent and the service and the overall treatment was excellent. I want to go back again whenever I am in Cochin and I get a chance to escape from the hotel room in a concrete jungle to a place where I can mix with Nature. For more details visit my Blog at: http://indianbagpacker.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/12/wild-elephant-eco-friendly-resort-munnar-1.htm