Quiet by design
No music in the garden, no events, quiet hours from 10pm. The forest is the soundtrack.
About Havenwoods
A small place on the edge of a very large forest.
Our story
Built for the way we like to travel
We built Havenwoods because it was the place we kept looking for on our own trips and never quite found: rooms that are genuinely clean rather than merely photographed well, hot water that doesn't run out, a bed you sink into after a day of walking, and hosts who answer the phone.
We are a family-run property, and it shows in the details — the solid-wood furniture was made by carpenters we know by name, and the person replying to your WhatsApp is usually one of us, not an agency.
We're not a big resort and don't pretend to be. What we promise is simpler: an honest room, a quiet night, and straight answers before you book.
The land & the name
Why "Havenwoods"
Thekkady sits at the edge of the Periyar Tiger Reserve — 925 square kilometres of protected forest in the Cardamom Hills. Step outside early enough and you'll hear Malabar giant squirrels in the canopy and see mist sitting low over the pepper vines. Cardamom, coffee and pepper estates surround the town; the air genuinely smells different here.
The name is exactly what it says: a haven, in the woods. Our logo carries the same idea — two trees meeting over an "H", a deer and hornbill among the leaves, the wreath closing the circle around them. It's the view we want you to wake up to, drawn in green and gold.
What we believe
Four things we won't compromise on
Rooted in place
Local staff, local carpenters, breakfast that tastes of Kerala — not a copy of somewhere else.
Care without fuss
We reply within two working hours, fix problems the same day, and skip the ceremony.
Nature first
We're guests at the forest's edge too — waste is segregated, water is heated on demand, plastic is minimised.
Sustainability & community
Small, practical, verifiable
We'd rather list a few real practices than a page of green promises:
- Waste is segregated on site and sent through Kumily panchayat's collection system.
- Water heaters run on demand per room rather than a central boiler heating all day.
- We don't provide single-use plastic bottles in rooms — filtered water refills are free at reception.
- Housekeeping, maintenance and the front desk are staffed locally from Kumily and surrounding villages.
- We book guest activities through licensed local guides and the forest department's own eco-tourism programmes.
This list is reviewed before every publication — if we stop doing something, it comes off the page.
Come see for yourself
The forest is better in person
Have a look at the rooms, or just ask us anything — we answer honestly, even "should we stay two nights or three?"