The Rajakkad Estate offers accommodation in a very attractive 18th century traditional Keralan building: a jigsaw of wooden beams, panels and screens drawn from the forests of the Western Ghats. The hotel is set amongst 50 acres of a working plantation where bananas, oranges, peppercorn and coffee are grown. Take a picnic beside breathtaking nearby waterfalls, trek round the estate where you may spot deer, tamarind trees and wild chilli plants. There are seven spacious ensuite bedrooms, each with its own small outside space. The restaurant serves local and international cuisine, and you can take tea or coffee in the courtyard area where there are comfortable sofas, and wondrous views of the surrounding hills.