Windermere River House

This was the most splendid, relaxing and luxurious Home from Home. We immediately felt the warmth of the team at Windermere River house-it truly is a place where you feel you can kick of your shoes and curl up, relax and be utterly spoilt by Jilju, all of the staff and the wonderful owners here. It is a haven of tranquility with beautifully appointed, spotless rooms, and the dining area by the river bank is such a calming and dreamy setting. We felt utterly becalmed here and nothing is too much trouble. We even had a fabulous send off on our early morning bike ride-touches like this just added to the very special feel of this utterly beautiful place

This graceful homestay , beautiful, excellent service, amazing food , warm hospitality , cozy room and a very pretty bathroom, I love the pathway from the main building to the dining area. The owners are really lovely people. We had a really beautiful time.

This is a most beautiful place, let me repeat, a most beautiful place, and when the evening lamps glow a most magical place. I could talk about the superior level of accommodation, and the details, but you can read about all of that in their excellent website. Rather I will summarise by saying that we have travelled extensively across 6 continents, and Windermere River House stands comparison with the very best of our experience. The ethos is service, from the truly engaging owners Dr John and his wife Molly, son John, to the entire team. They go the extra 10 miles. If I may borrow a cricketing term, this team are the Super Kings of Kerala! As word gets around, this place will be in demand, so I recommend strongly that you include it in your upcoming itinerary. It is a most beautiful place.

A truly magnificent Estate by the Periyar river surrounded by forest. The grounds are well kept and lush with a multitude of different trees, plants and flowers. Lots of tropical birds and butterflies, and no mosquitos! The food served by the attentive staff is delicious and locally produced. It is truly a place from different times well worth to visit.

We were here for 2 nights and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Jilju made sure we had what we needed and looked after us well. We also met the hosts who kindly invited us to afternoon tea with them on the day they were there and we were offered some very tasty banana fritters ***** with the tea. Being a retired doctor he was also able to put my mind at rest about a horrible chesty cough I had, so a real bonus to have a doctor on hand! The guest house is situated at one end of a long ***** of land which means you walk down to the end of the garden for dinner and to the pool. It really is set out beautifully as the path to the river looks very grand with its stone path, lights and flower pots ***** the way. The pool was really enjoyable and infact the only one warm enough to get in to on our five week tour. The meals were set, so no choice, but all were well cooked and tasty. The room was large, clean and well appointed. We used their bikes to cycle to the swinging bridge and also had a guide take us there for a walk later in the afternoon. There was no charge for the bikes or the guide, nor indeed for the afternoon tea each day. Would definitely recommend this guest house.

This property sits beside a river and in the edge of a forest so completely surrounded by nature with lots of birds, monkeys, butterflys in and around. We had the most amazing food of our trip and personal friendly service. The room was spacious and modern with views over the gardens towards the river. Overall an excellent stay.

This is one of the best resorts i have stayed ...excellent rooms and cuisine. The host was very cordial and helpful and made sure we were very comfortable. The ambience is perfect with a river on one side and the hills on the other. It's a perfect birding location and close to Thateekad. A must visit property.

We completely echo all previous positive comments about Windermere River House. We stayed for three nights and were treated to some of the best hospitality and service we’ve ever had in any country. The food was fresh, prepared with care with reference to our tastes and timings and served beautifully by Tony . Our room was spotless and we really enjoyed cooling off in the pool after our trips out with our birding guide. We especially appreciated the warm welcome from owner John and his family when we first arrived, and the many subsequent conversations we had with Neville exploring aspects of Indian culture and philosophy. We really didn’t want to leave!

I spent two nights at the River House. It is one of the best resorts i have been to. There are five beautifully done rooms . You also have a cute library. Our rooms were ready by the time we arrived. The food - breakfast, lunch, evening tea and dinner were mouth watering and served with utmost warmth and love. In fact the menu was mailed before hand for us to make suggestions. We celebrated my wife's birthday and the resort arranged for a lovely birthday cake and candle light dinner. The well manicured lawns, rubber plantations on either side and the majestic Periyar flowing at the back adds to the charm. Its an ideal place to unwind with family. Everyone must have this place in their bucket list. Finally, thanks to Dr. Simon and John, the owners for looking after us so well. Also a big thanks to Jilju, Tony and Chef Danish.