12 Best Eco Friendly Resorts To Stay Once In India

While going through the list of hotel types in India, I came across a unique category called “eco-resorts.” Sometimes called eco lodge, these resorts or hotels offer innovative retreats that are committed to conservation, cultural sensitivity, isolation, and style. To cut back the carbon footprints, mostly hotels are constructed from recycled building materials and uses solar water systems, sewage treatment plants, and low consumption bulbs. They also hire local staff and benefit native communities; this is done not only to give a more authentic touch but mainly to provide employment to people living in those places. In this blog, we have compiled some hotels that are both green and glamorous, and are appropriate for a luxury stay.

* Vythiri Village, Wayanad

Chattering sound of the waterfall, chirps of birds, great vistas of the beautiful Chembra peak, and a whiff of spices, all this and much more can be experienced the movement you enter the Vythiri Village. Set on 24 acres of lush green forest dotted with vegetable gardens growing jackfruit, pepper vine, turmeric, ginger, and tapioca, Vythiri Village is one of the finest tree house resorts in India. Tucked in the hills of Wayanad at an altitude of 2600 feet above the sea level, the resort features 200 guest rooms, conventional hall, conference room, games room, health club center and an artificial waterfall.

Activities like trekking, cycling, zip line, archery, morning walk, stream walk, and yoga are arranged as a part of the hospitality by the hotel. A cup of tea or coffee in the traditional Kerala houseboat design restaurant and tea garden are the highlights of the hotel. Within the vicinity of the resort, there is an artificial three-tired waterfall. On a stay in this resort to feel this perfect green getaway, guest can enjoy the beauty of the vibrant jungle where they may have an encounter with the wilderness, interact with the local tribes and relax senses by indulging in a spa session.

* Spice Village, Periyar

Just a stone throw away from the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Spice Village is sprawling over an area of 14 acres pesticide-free land featuring rooms with a thatched roof made of elephant grass, earth yards, lush green gardens, fruit trees, rare herbs and a profusion of flowering plants. Spice Village bears a resemblance to the traditional tribal village of Periyar. Food served in the restaurant comes from vegetable patches within the resort. While staying the spice village, guest can go bird watching, enjoy scrumptious food made of organic vegetables, cart ride, learn traditional therapies, fishing and go for a short trip to the neighboring plantations and fruit orchards.The hotel undertakes its waste management way to seriously as it segregates and recycles the scrap in the in-house vermicompost plant to make organic manure for the vegetable and herbal gardens. There are no air conditioners in the resort, and solar panels meet all the electricity requirement. Spice Village works in close consonance with the local tribal community, and they contribute even the major artwork displayed in the hotel.

* Coconut Lagoon, Kumarakom

Crisscrossed by the waterways of the great Vembanad Lake, Coconut Lagoon resort nestles in a tiled roof bungalow, a portion of which is believed to be 400 years old. Villas of the hotels are designed and crafted by the local craftsmen, and some of the artifacts featured in the rooms are sourced from the traditional homes or heritage mansions across Kerala. The resort also has a composting plant that converts waste to manure and offers rides on its solar-powered boat. Also, the hotel adopts the organic farming strategy. In this resort, guests can spend their time canoeing, birdwatching, coconut husking or watching a Kalari wrestling match in the morning.

* Mountain Trail, Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand

Claimed to be the only green resort in Mukteshwar, Mountain Trail is sprawling over an area 2-1/2 acre, that too at an elevation of 2300 meters above the sea level. Inside the resort, you can see orchards with over 100 fruit trees, and flower beds with more than 70 types of flowers. Monsoon is the ideal time to book a stay in the Mountain Trail as this is when you can see flowers blooming in the area, and there is lush greenery as far as your eyes can see. The hotel uses cultural tourism to preserve biodiversity, puts local traditions in the spotlight and creates employment opportunities for locals. Plastic bags are strictly not allowed in the hotel; there are no televisions in the rooms, and even wasted water from the bathroom is used water the gardens.

* The Blackbuck Lodge, Velavadar National Park

Situated at Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat, the blackbuck lodge features a stylish retreat fit for a secluded getaway. The resort has 14 different villas, which are made of eco-friendly materials, and each has a window, from where guests can see eagles, falcons, and endangered vultures soaring high in the sky. All the unused items from the hotel like a plastic bag, battles, etc., are sent to the city for recycling and meals in the restaurant are prepared from the freshly picked vegetables grown in the resort. The resort is furnished with a plush pool and health club. In the majestic tapestry of wildlife, the resort is a perfect option for those looking for an ideal destination for discerning traveling.

* Orange County, Kabini

All the activities that take place at Orange County, Kabini, a two-hour drive from Mysore, are geared towards making visitors comfortable around wildlife. At Orange County, the guests are accommodated in the huts that adorned with the sumptuous interiors and ethnic interiors that are furnished in a tribal pattern. For the protection of the environment, the resort has taken up multiple initiatives like installing STP (Sewage treatment plant) with stream-water standard output; sending unutilized plastic, paper, glasses and metal cans for recycling and restricting the number of guests entering the resort. To get the clear image of eco-friendly practices and glimpse of the tribal life, go for a cycling tour to nearby villages.

* Shaam-e-Sarhad Village Resort, Bhuj, Gujarat

A part of the Government of India and United Nations Development Program initiative to support rural tourism and create employment opportunities, Shaam-e-Sarhad Village Resort deserves a special mention in the list of eco resorts in India. The resort has rooms in the form of mud houses with sloping roofs that remain fresh during the day and warm at night. Apart from the mud houses, there are eco tents, which are adorned with the finest block prints, and Kutchi paintings. On a stay in Shaam-e-Sarhad Village Resort, visitors have a variety of activities to choose from like a tour to Rann of Kutch and Chharid Dhand wetlands, workshops on bhunga (traditional houses in Kutch) and folk music and dance performances to wind up the day.

* Nameri Eco Camp, Nameri National Park

Established 22 years ago, Nameri Eco Camp is one of the oldest nature camps in North-East India. The resort is one such vintage place from where you can see the clear blue sky, stunning view of Eastern Himalaya, and the chattering Nameri River. At Nameri Eco Camp, guests can accommodate themselves in thatch-and-bamboo tent or a cottage. For birdwatchers, the resort is heaven as here they can view of 420 species of birds, including the critically endangered white-winged wood duck. There are also some excellent trekking and bird finding routes around the camp. Also, guests can go rafting on Jia-Bhoreli River or explore the national park on foot as jeep safari isn’t available. The resort is working in the close relationship with the State Institute of Rural Development of Assam; here one can find camps that started by villagers to start small agribusinesses and become less dependent on the forest. The resort is also working closely with the Eco Task Force, the special unit of the Indian Army to distribute saplings in the afforesting the area.

* Banasura Hill Resort, Wayanad

Calmly nestled in a part of one of the richest biodiversity in the world, Western Ghats, Banasura Hill is a treat for the nature-lovers. This 35-acre resort, dotted with tea, coffee, pepper, and cashew plantations, is located at an altitude of 3200 feet. If seen from a distance, the resort looks like a riot of colors with dull orange mud walls of the huts, framed by the riotous green of the forest, and the Banasura Hill right behind it. Since the region is a biodiversity hotspot, here one can find a beautiful waterfall, birdwatching spots, numerous streams, and jungle trails, all are a short hike away. One of the most interesting aspects of the resort is its architecture; the cottages are built using rammed earth technique and have elephant grass thatched roofs and bamboo furnishings while the fences are created by planting thousands of bamboos of different varieties around its perimeter. A rainwater harvesting system fulfills the entire resort water requirements.

* Kipling Camp, Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Established by the two famous wildlife conservationists- Anne and the late Bob Wright in the buffer zone of Kanha National Park, Kipling Camp is one of the oldest forest lodges in the area. The resort works closely with the Baiga tribal community and communicates with them through a corporation that was formed years ago. The organization supports local performing and fine art. A stay at the resort offers a perfect opportunity to relax in the arms of nature. Each of the 30 cottages has an individual identity and is built up using the local materials. These are multiple dining options at the resort: under a mahua tree, on a patio, or even under the stars. Additionally, there are many private cottages in the hotel that overlook the water-body, which remains full of rainwater even during the harshest of the weather condition. Also, there is a sewage treatment plan that filters the water using sand and other natural elements.

* Nimmu House, Leh, Jammu & Kashmir

Spread over three floors; Nimmu House features thirty furnished rooms, two Buddhist temples, stables and an orchard of 5000 sq. Meters with hundreds of apricot, apple and walnut trees. An epitome of Ladakh’s cultural heritage, the original structure of the resort was built in the 20th century by Rinchen Namgyal Zildar, a cousin, of the then Ladakhi king. Later, in the year 2012, Lobzang Punchok Shamshu, a Ladakhi entrepreneur and Alexandre Beuan, a professional traveler, visited the house, restored it and gave it a secondary lease of life to give local people economic opportunities. All the 30 rooms in the hotel are tastefully decorated by using traditional architectural style. Along the rooms, there are many spacious and well-equipped tents.