The Elephant Court

The Elephant Court is located in Thekkady, which is part of the Idukki district. It’s a bit of a drive to get up here into the hills, but once you arrive, you’re right in the middle of all the trees and the spice air. We have this place where people come to stay when they want to see the sanctuary or just get away from the heat down in the plains. It’s a fairly large property, and there is a lot of wood and stone used in the buildings, which feels right for the mountains. We don’t have a lot of noise here, other than the birds and maybe the sound of the rain when it pours. The staff are mostly people from the local villages who know the woods well. We spend our days making sure the paths are clear and the rooms are ready for whoever is arriving on the bus or by car. It’s a lot of work to keep a place like this going in the humidity of the hills, but we stay busy with it. We don't have a big marketing team writing stuff for us. We just tell people we’re here in Idukki, and if they want to sit on a porch and look at the trees, they can. It’s a quiet life for the most part, just looking after the guests and the garden. We just open the doors every morning and see what the day brings.