48 Hours In...A Cottage Amidst Tea Gardens

Bonjour les amis! We've been on such a rejuvenating getaway and can't wait to share with you, a taste of this paradise. There isn't a better way to do so than give you a play-by-play of our latest escapade. So lets abscond from our excel sheets, boring reports and get away to an instant vacation of leisure and bliss, sounds good?

Day 1:

2:00 PM: After a languorous 2 hour drive in the countryside from Coimbatore Airport, we've reached our destination - Teanest Nightingale set amidst verdant hills and tea gardens as far as the eye can see. The air here almost smells sweet, so different from the city air we're used to. Super excited to experience all that this estate has to offer, as we enter the property, we felt like we'd stepped back in time - there are subtle colonial influences that add to the charm of this quaint cottage.

2:30 PM: Our room is called 'Hoopoe' and we're told that all the rooms here are influenced by the native birds. Our room looks incredibly cozy and has an attached loft, the balcony is large and has awe-inspiring views of the surrounding tea gardens. After quickly freshening up, we head to the dining hall for lunch and eat till we're too full to move. Now, time for a little nap!

3:30 PM: Now that we've had a glorious nap, its time for a little exploring. We take a leisurely stroll through the property and come across a hammock which overlooks the tea gardens, definitely need to come back here later on.

4:00 PM: We go horseback riding along the estate, riding through the wilderness and tea estate, stopping to enjoy a delicious cup of tea accompanied by some snacks as we soak in the stunning views of such greenery, *sigh* we wish we could carry this view with us wherever we go.

7:00 PM: We're cuddled up with a great read and just enjoying the quietude and serenity, we didn't realize how desensitized to chaos/noise we'd become, just moments of serenity like these really allow us to collect our thoughts and simply be present and not let deadlines, meetings and other mundane nonsense let us be bogged down.

9:00 PM: Time for dinner! The dining hall reminds us of home and the wonderful memories of sharing meals with friends and family. We enjoy a variety of our fav dishes from the a la carte menu and now, after spending some more time reading, we're off to dreamland.

Day 2

8:00 AM: Good morning! We feel fresh as a daisy. Enjoying a cup of tea in our private balcony, we know we could never tire of those views. Heading out for a quick game of badminton, be right back.

9:00 AM: Post-breakfast we have a busy day ahead of us - we'll be leaving for a tour of the tea factory in a while.

9:30 AM: So we spend the next couple of hours, watching and learning how tea is made - the guide briefly explained to us the various types of tea under the categories of orthodox and CTC tea and how it's grown in Kotagiri. After purchasing tea to take home to share with friends, we head back to Teanest Nightingale.

12:00 PM: After that enlightening session, we get to taste tea varieties of the Nilgiris and learn to appreciate the finer nuances of tea, followed by a 7-course tea menu lunch. The tea lunch is a unique meal where every course is flavoured with an element of tea. For example, the main course served was tea braised spaghetti aglio-e-olio paired with frost tea which was a delightful burst of flavours.

2:00PM: Although another nap sounds lovely, the hammock has been calling our names so off we go to enjoy some quiet time and perhaps do a little more reading.

3:00 PM: We're headed to the Kookkal Vineyards, which happens to be the only vineyard in the Nilgiris and also among the highest vineyards in the world. We indulge in a little wine pairing and tasting with chocolates and tea blends. On our way back we pick up some vinotherapy skin care products made exclusively with Kookkal grapes.

6:00PM: Our stay here has almost come to an end so we savour our last night here with some indoor games and a little reading and lots of admiring the beautiful surroundings.

10:00 PM: After a delicious meal, we're ready to head to bed.

Day 3:

9:00 AM: After a filling breakfast, we're leaving with a heavy heart. Don't really want to go back to the crazy city but we're incredibly thankful to the Teanest Nightingale team for their amazing hospitality and for making our stay so wonderful.

Can't wait to visit this charming cottage again, till next time guys, adieu!