If you want peace and quiet, then this is the place to come. There is no noisy traffic, no TV, no radio - just the sound of birds and the odd coconut falling.

Our tent faced the beautiful slow-moving Periyar river and we made good use of the complementary guided kayaking available in the afternoons. The kayaks are in good condition and lifejackets are provided. Pravin, our guide, accompanied us to the small lagoons nearby, where we drifted lazily along, watching dragon flies buzz the water or kingfishers diving for fish. My husband cycled to the nearby villages and reported that the (again, complementary) bicycles were all in very good condition, with gears and working brakes (not always a given!). The kayaking and cycling helped to build an appetite for the delicious food provided. There was an excellent choice (buffet) for breakfast, lunch and dinner - not to mention mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks! Soft drinks and water were available through out the day.

The accommodation is a large permanent tent, with twin beds, coir matting floor and curtained windows. The back "door" of the tent leads to a concrete hut, housing the shower room/toilet and a changing area. The tents had a little deck with cane chairs and a table, for sitting outside. There is no air-conditionning, only fan, worked by a generator, so it could get a little hot and sticky.

We opted to use the bird guide arranged by the Camp to visit the Thattekkad (Dr Salim Ali) sanctuary. It's possible that this might have been cheaper to organise directly at the sanctuary, but it was less hassle to use the Camp's guide and he was certainly very knowledgeable. He also went out with us on one of our kayak trips, pointing out birds for us, although we weren't charged any extra for this service. His genuine interest and enthusiasm for his job was apparent.

I guess the only small complaints would be that the Camp didn't have a fridge (so there was no chance of a cold drink) and the fan didn't provide cooling in the stickiness of the day. I think Robin, the supervisor, said that they were going to get a generator soon, which would solve both problems.

Other than that though, this place was perfect - the staff could not have been more helpful, the food was delicious and (a bit too!) plentiful - and, as for the location?...

Time just stopped still...