May 23, 2007 02:13 PM
3203 Views
The Jungle Retreat -- https://jungleretreat.com -- on the periphery of Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is still good, butis showing signs of decline. I first visited this place three years ago, fell in love with it, and have been visiting it every year since then. And in my considered view, the quality of holiday experience at Jungle Retreat has gradually deteriorated over the years.Jungle Retreat's USP is its proximity to the Mudumalai side of Nilgiris. The majestic mountains form a breathtaking backdropto the resort. Trek a few steps out of its vast expanse, and you are up the mountain trail into the Ooty hills. I wonderif it is possible to live any closer than this to the "blue mountains", given that the surrounding area is reserved forest teeming with wild life.The Mathias family -- owners of the resort -- exploit this natural advantage well, but they do so in an appreciable sort of way. There are not many cottages at Jungle Retreat.
The few that there are, are flung wide apart from each other. Each cottage hosts three to four rooms, but the rooms are designed in such a way that you don't get to see or even hear your neighbours unless you want to. The result is one truly of living secluded in wilderness, away from the trappings of civilization. Though the rooms are reasonably clean and comfortable, there is no TV or telephone, heightening the feeling of isolation. (And there is no airconditioning either; beware that it can get hot and humid in the summer.)Wake up to the chirping of hundreds of birds with beautiful plumage. Step out, and look at the mist breaking out of mountain tops. The resort is not really thickly wooded and there are not many big trees, but the all-round appearance is one of impossible green. It's all Very quiet too, but for the birds and the rustling of leaves in the wind. At night, it is stiller even, and you can sense that the faint notes in the air of some Tamil film song are flitting down from somewhere far away, probably the village of Masinigudy located at a few miles from resort. Trudge to the resort's lovely swimming pool and sink into its cool waters.
From this vantage point, the view of the mountains is even more glorious than from your room.What can then possibly be wrong with this idyllic place? The insects in your room and the bugs in the bathroom are to be expected. This is, after all, a jungle. You are bound to be disappointed if you are expecting the sterlile cleanliness of a luxury hotel room in Bangalore -- as my companions were, for Ifailed to set expectations to them correctly. However, what made me feel let down is the decline the standards of service, the food, and the tiny signs of neglect and decline here and there.I got the distinct feeling that the place caters more to foreigntourists looking for a cheap holiday in India than to natives escaping the stress of the city life. Perhaps the resort is runbetter during the foreign tourist season (November-Feb). I booked my rooms much in advance, and asked for rooms with the best viewsof the mountains. I was told that I would get them. For certainty's sake, I even sent email reminders. Upon arrival at the place though, my worst fears came true: they did not give me the rooms I wanted. The food at the resort always tasted like it was tailored to suit the western palate, and this time round, it tasted downright indifferent.
The buffet spread was small, so all you could choosebetween was the bad and the worse. Housekeeping seemed poor too: nobody came to change towels and make beds. The water in the pool didn't look clean, and we saw the carcass of a frog in it.Jungle Retreat is a popular place. I think it figures in LonelyPlanet and Rough's Guide -- the bibles of Western tourists andbackpackers. You get to see a good number of them during winter. Throughout the year, hordes of corporate types descend on this place from Bangalore. They stay either in the reasonably-priced dorm or in tents pitched in the open; do the regulation trek and the jungle safari; and leave the next day. All of which means a steady flow of guests and revenue for the resort. All of which also means, methinks, reason enough to get complacent.
