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W-9-399, Upper Manalara Division Highways Meghamalai, Theni 625519 India
Sand River Bungalow
3 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
There was a heavy downpour during the monsoon in early June. The resort would have given us a warning. Instead we were not notified, and we had a rough drive in the last 5 km. We were holed up for three days with nothing much to do. The power was erratic and there was no mobile tower. On the bright side, the food was great and the service was friendly. And, the location was calm and peaceful. We went to a drive through upper manalar estate and it was literally on the clouds.
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Date of stay: August 2018Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Location: We put in Megamalai in google maps and followed the route to a dead end on the other side which added 2 hours to drive time. When using google maps put in Highwavys Hospital and there is no spelling mistake, it is Highwavys with a V. you can ask for directions or follow the signboards to the bungalow from there. the last 5kms is a dirt track as of now, only SUV's can traverse this.
The Drive: 18 hairpin bends to reach the small village and poor visibility due to fog or low hanging clouds, excellent road upto the village though.
Final Destination: extremely beautiful and serene, well worth the drive. not very touristy, not crowded. Sit back and enjoy the view or walk around taking in the nature.
Bungalow: private, has two bedrooms, a dinning room and a hall with satellite TV. needs thorough cleaning and upkeep. Dust every where, dust bins not emptied from the previous stay. Furniture is broken. Did not have fresh towels.
Food: there are no options outside...take the all meals package. the quality and taste is passable, no complaints.
Internet & Telecom: Only BSNL works once you start the climb up the hill. We tried Airtel, Jim and Vodaphone - no connectivity. Limited internet available at the reception on Wifi.
Final Word; go there if you want peace and quiet in a rustic atmosphere. If you are the demanding type or with special requests - avoid.
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Date of stay: November 2019
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I had stayed for 1 night with my parents aged 60 and 66 at sand mountain bunglaw. Despite repeated emails to the Corporate Office there was no response from them on the following
1. The approach road to the bunglaw is terrible for 5 kilometers and that SHOULD BE advertised in your website with pictures to avoud breakage of bones to aged citizens. Especially since you have a non cancellations policy. My parents suffered extreme back ache and spine issues. See picture of terrible road attached.
2. The bedsheet ..the table cloth..bedsheets and towels are very soiled.. when asked Mr Suresh and Mr. Nesamani said that it is a very busy resort so they have no time. See picture attachedÂ
3. The house is extremely cold at night and no room heater was provided by Mr Suresh despite my aged parents request
4. There was NO hot water and we waited for 1 hour until the check out time and right before 11 am checkout my parents and I took a very cold shower. We are currently suffering from viral flu due to cold water shower and toilet use
 I expect for 7 thousand rupees you provide guests..if not charge the quality of 2 star hotel.
5. The floor has red oxide pasting and as we kneeled down to sit my fathers pant was soiled in Red color. See picture attached.
I also communicated to the Caretaker that i am extremely disappointed but to no resolve.
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Date of stay: October 2018Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
As they say, bad roads leads to awesome destinations! Meghamalai is a tea plantation town which offers great climate without the over commercialization of the other hill stations like Ooty or Kodaikanal. The only option is the Briar tea bungalows and Sand river cottage is a fantastic option to stay in.
All the 3 properties - Manalar, Cloudmountain and Sandriver are situated close to each other in the Manalar division. Sandriver is at a higher elevation compared to the others.
The accommodation is a manager's cottage which has a good sized hall, 2 bedrooms, dining hall and a kitchen. Each bedroom has a changing room and good sized bathroom. The bedrooms are spacious and can accommodate a family of 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children in good comfort. The rooms have closets and 3 individual beds. The natural lighting is good and offers decent privacy.
The property has a small manicured garden and offers good views of the team plantations and the adjacent reserve forests where one can sight elephants and bisons. At night you can spot smaller animals like barking deer, porcupine etc.
The food is prepared in Cloudmountain bungalow by a trained chef and is brought over. Breads and eggs can be made in the kitchen itself and the food tastes awesome! They can customize the food to your taste and the service is prompt. The portions are generous too. Choose AP plan as there is no decent restaurant available here.
Every guest is assigned a caretaker who will guide you with your sightseeing and take care of all your needs. I was assigned a lad named Vishal who acted as my chaffeur, wild life guide and butler. He did a splendid job!
Mr. Nesamuthu the hospitality manager is a thorough professional and makes good arrangements. I let him know my preferences and he took care of scheduling using his knowledge and I was pretty satisfied.
All the picnic spots are located within the private lands owned Briar tea company. The roads are pathetic and hence if you don't own a SUV, it is advisable to rent the local vehicles as it is a much better option. Encountering wildlife on the roads is a real possibility and hence heed to the advice of the hospitality staff.
The hospitality staff - Mr. Nesamuthu and his boys made this the best Briar property that I've stayed in. The forests here are untouched and hence despite good numbers, photographing them proved to be a challenge unlike valparai where dangerous human-animal conflicts are common. I'll be back soon and hopefully the road from Chinnamanur to Highwavys is fixed without bringing truck load of tourists and with them losing the ambience that makes this a great vacation spot.
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Date of stay: January 2017
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:Â Both rooms are good. you will be woken up by the melodious song of the resident whistling thrush!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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LOCATION
IndiaTamil NaduTheni DistrictTheni
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