We stayed at the retreat during Dussehra 2016 for 3days. The location is a bit interior approx.16kms from Chikmagalur (8kms from Aldur). The owner Mr. Ajoy is a warm person and a gracious host. He has mailed us the directions (from Bangalore to the property) before hand. We happened to reach Aldur, after dark and we were lucky the estate jeep had some work at Aldur and Mr. Ajoy offered for the jeep to guide us to the estate, thus ensuring we do not get lost.
Coming to the estate we found hot food, clean cottage, warm camp-fire and the entire retreat all to ourselves. The food is good home-style cooking with a lean towards Kannadiga cuisine and flavours.
There are only 4 cottages. The cottages are clean and provided with hot water, towels, clean sheets, a fan, emergency light, mesh doors. However little more light in the cottages would be helpful. There is no TV, which we didn't actually mind though we are a small family of 3, but it might get a bit depressing towards the evening without the idiot box for company.
The estate is located adjacent to Bhadra reserve and the owner informed us that bisons, wild boars, peacocks, porcupines, monkeys and occasional elephant are regular visitors to his estate. You can hear the cries of numerous birds with the distinctive cries of peacocks dominating them all.
The estate is a huge place, with 6 nature trails marked for guests to venture out on their own. Mr. Ajoy took us and other guests on a jeep safari and a short trek up a nearby hill, sharing very interesting information about the animals, the coffee plants and the estate way of life.
Mr. Ajoy as mentioned earlier is a very warm person and very good company and makes sure you are comfortable in every manner. A walk in the estate gives you a feel of a forest walk but with a sense of security. The estate has little streams, bamboo patches, view points, and of course rows n rows of coffee plants with pepper vines and whole lot of other variety of trees and birds.
Overall a nice leisurely stay in the lap of nature with the comfort of home-food.