| Peerumed
is situated about 3,000 feet above sea level on the way to the
Periyar Tiger Reserve in Thekkady. As you take a deviation from
the Thiruvananthapuram -Sabarimala route a few kilometers after
Mundakkayam the cascading Valanjanganam waterfalls beckons you.
As you wind your way in between the tea plantations you can
see sights of British bungalows and Travancore palaces.
As you proceed further, you come near Peer Mohammed Tomb.
The tomb is in ruins due to the caprices of nature and contains
no epitaph about it. Peer Mohammed was a descendant of the
Mughals and the first planter of spices in the region. He
is the person who found the spice of his life in cardamom
and pepper. This place Peerumed is named after Peer Mohammed.
Later when the British invaded this place and introduced their
own tea and coffee plantations they changed the name from
Peerumed to Peermade which was easier to pronounce.
The flow of tourists to Peerumed is trickle because tourists
stop at Thekkady which makes Peerumed more pristine. A couple
of colleges at Peerumed attract students to come there. The
Sahyadri Ayurvedic Hospital which is located in that area
promises to give you the best treatment.
Ashley house, a 19th century British structure which was
once occupied by Lord Ashley and Lady Robinson, is now a six-room
resort mostly visited by foreign tourists. Its honeymoon suite
overlooks a cliff which is so close that the bathroom windows
open up to the canopy of trees. Your privacy is not at risk
when you leave the window open while you have your bath. But
Lady Robinson wanted more adventure so she would have bath
in the 12 feet deep pond which receives a gushing waterfall.
A few kilometers away stands the Wood Palace resort, a marvel
of heritage transplantation. The entire wooden structure with
six rooms was transplanted from Pala in Kottyam to Peerumed
in the adjoining district of Idukki. Rooms in the adjoining
resort Misty Mountain are not as natural as Wood Palace resort
but the outhouse cottage which is a huge one from the British
era is the place to be in if you are looking for privacy with
risking security. If you are looking for a modern cottage
amidst natural beauty then Thrisanku Haven is the right place.
A concrete cottage with sloping roofs, though does not match
the grandeur of British bungalow, but has other comforts like
the swimming pool and a garden restaurant.
The Tyford Director's bungalow which is on top of a 400 feet
hill is yet to be turned to a resort. As you climb up to the
bungalow, flowers in different hues summon you. The moss on
the roof turns fluorescent and the sun's rays penetrate through
the morning dew. The rooms are predictably huge and the wooden
ceiling is so high that you can play volleyball.
Source: Simply South
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