About Briar Tea Bungalows in 10, Damu Nagar,, Valparai

Wisps of clouds settle gently upon the hilltops. An expanse of green spreads before the eye. Quaint bird-sounds splice through the crisp, pure air. All else is silent. The senses awaken to new life. Could this just be a dream?

No. It’s real. It’s actually what a slice of life at Briar Bungalows. Come now, let’s time travel.


Briar Valparai

A unique travel and stay experience awaits you at Briar Bungalow, Valparai. Quite unlike the traditional resort, this is the place that takes you back in time in many ways.

Location

Valparai is around 3500 feet above mean sea level and is part of the undulating Anamalai mountain range and is part of the Nilgiris Biosphere. Regarded one of the most stunningly beautiful and diverse biospheres in the world, the serene locale, coupled with heritage hospitality make for a vacation quite unlike any other.

(supported by photographs and relevant photo captions that speak of the flora, fauna and other statistical data)

The setting

Thousands of acres of tea estates surround Valparai and they are home to some of the finest tea in the world. And it’s always not just tea. Valparai has its share of vast coffee plantations as well, making it perhaps the perfect bridge to two quaint old traditions.

The setting at Briar Bungalows is that of an old (possibly over 100 years) tea estate home. The architecture reflects the Indo-Sarcenic style. Burmese teak floors line creak under the weight of footsteps and old, Victorian furniture adds to the ambience.


Legacies

Tea and coffee plantations throughout the sub-continent are steeped in the legacy of the British Raj. And this is what you will find served to you on a platter, at Briar Bungalows — quintessential traditions of a bygone era. Hosts and guides who will regale you with anecdotes passed down through generations, walks into wilderness, a cuisine that brings together the many aromas of Anglo-India — in short, a holiday destined to transport you to a few decades ago.

Accommodation

Stanmore Bungalow is a sprawling villa and offers a stunning view of Injipara River. This is the home you would choose if your idea of a holiday is a complete unwind-and-do-nothing experience.

Stanmore facts: 7000 sq.ft., 3 bedrooms. Large lawns.

Villa Fair Winds is closer to the quaint little market town. A visit to the local temple, the Sholayar dam and the Monica division tea factory could make for a fun family experience.

Villa Fair Winds facts: 4500 sq. ft. 3 bedrooms.

Sirukundra or Little hillock, as this villa is called is home to one of the world’s largest tea bushes. A walk around the plantation, or just unwinding are some of the things you could do at Sirukundra.

Sirukundra facts: 6000 sq.ft. 3 bedrooms. Rose gardens. Swimming pool.

Briar Specialties

The power of silence is often a warm welcome in the midst of the cacophony that often surrounds our urban lives. At Briar Valparai, you will be enveloped in a cocoon of warmth and solitude. And there is much you can decide to do:

Trek: with the guidance of a Briar Wilds Specialist, who will take you through a rough-it-out-trek into the wilderness, or a leisure stroll in the tea and coffee gardens. If you are lucky, you might be able to spot a Giant Malabar Squirrel, the Lion Tailed Macaque, deer and possibly a member of the large cat family.

Rest: If lying on a hammock under a cloudlessly blue sky with a book in hand is your kind of holiday, Briar Valparai is just where you should be. Soak in all that the ambience has to offer and revel in spending time with just yourself.

Gourmet travel: Crème caramel, baked puddings, warm bread just off the oven, home made tea cakes, warm English porridge — just some of the delicacies that seem right out of Blyton’s world lie in wait for you.

Birdwatch: Valparai is home to a host of native and migratory birds and with a pair of binoculars, you could close in for a stunning view of them.

Heritage tour: A Briar Heritage Specialist could guide you on the various aspects of the legacy of tea, its manufacturing process and the lifestyle of tea planters.

Travel tips

September – March is the best time to visit Valparai, if you are looking for pleasant weather. It tends to get a little nippy towards December, so light woollens may be a good idea to bring along.


Briar Meghamalai

Literally translated, Meghamalai means the mountain of the clouds and this is where Briar Bungalows is located — a truly ‘on top of the world’ kind of holiday.

Location

Meghamalai is popularly known as High Wavy Mountains and is a 2-hour drive from Madurai. Meghamalai and the surrounding areas are home to some of the last untouched tropical forests in the world.

The setting

Briar Bungalows in Meghamalai are virtually cut off from the rest of the world. Little hamlets of tea plantation workers are all that reminds one of an earth inhabited by humankind. The pace, therefore is relaxed and time seems to move slower.

Briar Bungalow in Meghamalai resembles similar ones built during the British Raj. Glass paned windows, sprawling lawns and a way of life that still reminds one of the golden years of the past come alive.

Legacies
(some inputs from the client will be helpful – is there a story in the house? Some titbits that will interest people?)

Cloud Bungalow - pl refer writeup above on Valparai bungalows

Sand River Bungalow

Briar Specialties

Even amidst the quiet setting of a place like Meghamalai, you’ll discover that there is much to do — if you choose to. And then there is always the luxury of switching off the urban world, completely.

Cooking treats: Briar’s chefs can drum up an instant course on some much-loved Anglo Indian cuisine, should you want. You could engage in a session of learning to make the famous Bread pudding from the finest hands in the land.

Wilderness safari: A safari on a rugged four-wheel drive vehicle will take you into the tea heartland. Drive around and get a glimpse of how tea is picked and processed at the tea factory.

Heritage tour: Titbits on architecture, lifestyles and tea traditions can be had with a Briar Heritage Specialist. Revel in conversation over a four-course meal.

Travel tips

September – March is the best time to visit Meghamalai, if you are looking for pleasant weather. It tends to get a little nippy towards December, so light woollens may be a good idea to bring along.



Briar Munnar

Munnar has become one of the most sought after holiday destinations in South India. 6000 feet above sea level and bordering some of the best-preserved reserve forests in the country, Munnar is a place you will find yourself coming back to.

Location

Briar Bungalows in Munnar is located far away from the myriad holiday spots in the region. And that is what makes it all the more inviting, because it promises to bring to you, a completely different holiday experience.

The setting

Briar Munnar feels like home. Sprawling bungalows with manicured gardens and picket fences welcome you. When you step inside the bungalow, it’s unlike any other — quaint, rich and steeped in an age-old tradition.

Talayar Valley Bungalow — refer note on Valparai Bungalows

Briar Specialities

Sightseeing: Briar Tour Specialists can put together a fun-filled sight-seeing tour for you. These could include boat rides, rides up to the Eravikulam reserve and much, much more.

And then of course, there are always the special treats that you could do only in a Briar Bungalow: heritage walks, wilderness treks, birdwatching with the experts and so on.

What’s more, you could also learn to process your own tea leaves and take them home as a souvenir.

Travel tips

September – March is the best time to visit Munnar, if you are looking for pleasant weather. It tends to get a little nippy towards December, so light woollens may be a good idea to bring along.

Tea-bits

The story of tea traces back to more than 3500 years before coffee. According to popular legend, it was Emperor ShenNung (C3000BC) who first discovered the magical properties of tea. Legend also has it that the emperor spent the best part of his adult life savouring various green plants and eventually died of a toxic overdose. However, if it weren’t for him, we would have discovered tea only until much later.

Tea gradually became part of Chinese culture. There are about 23 genera and 380 species of tea known to us in the world today and China is the only country where all 23 genera are still grown.
It was the Japanese that elevated tea drinking to a form of fine art, with the Tea Ceremony – Chanoyu.

It was only a matter of time before the ubiquitous tea travelled to Europe. Towards the 1800s, the East India Company secrured monopoly of China’s tea trade. The first instances of tea being grown in India go back to 1823, when an Englishman was told of a medicinal brew, by an Assamese noble. It was called ‘fanap.’

In 1835, attempts were made to introduce Chinese varieties into India but it proved unsuccessful. It was Robert Bruce (the brother of the Englishman) who set up a nursery in Sadiya with native tea bushes. By 1837, the first shipments of tea made their way toward England.

Tea made its appearance in South India around the same time that Robert Bruce was trying to make headway in the North. The first estate in the Nilgiris was set up by aMr. Mann, in Coonoor and is known as the Coonoor Tea Estate.