Sometimes you just need a idyllic holiday, when you can just spend some time with yourself and your friends and family. You just don’t want to do too much and yet do something. That is why we picked a long weekend at Banasura Hill Resort in Wayanad.

With recommendations from BBC and Lonely Planet, Banasura Hill Resort was an extremely attractive option for an eco-earth experience and yet did not seem too rustic. A perfect blend of luxury with earthy ambience for 4 working couples with kids, desperately needing a change from their routine. 🙂 We booked through the official site of Banasura Hill Resort. Booking through the site is quite easy and any queries are responded to quickly.

The drive to the resort is quite decent and it took us around 7 hours from Bengaluru to reach here. Be mindful of the last 1- 1.5 km which is a dirt road leading up the Banasura hills amidst which is nestled this resort. The parking is just a few meters away from the main gate. You can drive the car up if you are adventurous as the last few meters is a steep dirt road, or leave it in the parking like we did. The resort guys come to the parking in a jeep to fetch you and help transport the luggage up.

Picture this now – Beautiful Earthen structures with thatched rooms, surrounded with greenery all around and hills covered with mist as their backdrop. This is exactly what you see as you enter the gates of the resort. Possibly the only Earth resort in Asia, this very feature of the resort makes it unique. It not just adds to the beauty but also, to the cool temperature within the resort itself.
The check-in process was quite smooth. I loved the reception – which is open on one side to the view of the lovely green Banasura hills. Being the monsoon season, the rain added to the fresh and green look of the surroundings. A refreshing welcome drink – ginger coffee, was served to all. Quite unusual and strong, a few of us loved it and a few didn’t.

We had opted for the Earth Rooms which are huge. The rooms are simple yet extremely beautiful- exactly as shown on their website. The beds are quite huge and comfortable. The rooms are well-equipped with a coffee maker, some wardrobes and a TV. The restrooms are clean and huge- I loved the way the toiletries were kept – in small earthen pots and dishes, in line with the theme of the resort. A fresh basket of fruits and a plate of freshly baked biscuits awaited us in the rooms – reminding us that it was time for lunch.

The dining room is in another Earthen building, which also, houses some indoor games like Table Tennis. The restaurant has an amazing view of the valley and hills and while you enjoy the view, the food totally compliments and adds to the pleasure. I loved the spread – dominated by the traditional Kerala food but with a bit of North Indian added to it. Throughout our stay, the food was just amazing.

The resort has some innocuous wood art lying all around its campus. While exploring came across a few. There are pepper and orange trees all around the premises. A small stream flows through the resort and ends into a pond, surrounded by lovely flowers. We spotted a few ducks swimming in the same too. The resort also, organizes a bonfire with some music in the evening and you can just join in with the other guests for some lively, warm time.

To pass your time, there are a few indoor games including some board games and carom to pass your time. The resort also, has a spa which you need to pre-book. We did not avail of these services but a peek into the same, made us wish we had.
Depending on your package- you can opt for some nature trails or visiting tribal packages or just some sight seeing. Our package included a nature trail along with a visit to Banasura Sagar Dam. The resort arranges for a transport to the Banasura Sagar Dam where it waits for you and brings you back after you have spent enough time. The visit was quite pleasant, especially for the kids. I will be shortly, adding a post on what to expect at this dam. For now, let me focus on the resort experience to the dam.

The drive to the Dam was quite like a roller coaster ride with the vehicle zipping through the steep dirt roads. The resort staff was quite helpful in explaining about the attraction. He guided us through the ticket process at the Dam while sharing his contact number for us to ping him once we were done with our visit.

The nature trail was the biggest highlight for me. A small trek away behind the resort, are the Banasura Falls. You can trek the same up along with kids and walk across the stones through the cool, refreshing water to spend some gala time in the natural waterfall pools. For the little adventurous people like me, you can actually climb the boulders up to the larger falls. The experience here was amazing and for the moment, I felt – Why did I not do this yesterday? If I ever head to the resort again, I will be spending a complete day here at the uncrowded, tranquil Banasura Falls.
You may ask saying where is the swimming pool? Well there isn’t one? But then who needs one when you have the natural Banasura Pools formed by these amazing waterfalls.
The staff at the resort are very helpful and accommodating. They go out of their way to make you comfortable. The guest relations manager – Swapna. checks with you every morning to see if your stay is as expected.

While we were there, we spend out time lazing around and playing a few games of our own at the resort. There was not a dull moment in our 2 Nights, 3 days package at this resort. We were actually quite sad to check out and head home. Here are my ratings for the resort.
| Parameters | My Score | Rooms | 5/5 | Ambience | 4/5 | Cleanliness | 5/5 | Service | 5/5 | Food | 4.5/5 | Activities | 4/5 | |||||||||||||||
Parameters | My Score | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rooms | 5/5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ambience | 4/5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cleanliness | 5/5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Service | 5/5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Food | 4.5/5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Activities | 4/5 |
The resort does not offer a bar or a swimming pool or any those modern amenities. The mobile signals here are low and the resort is quite cut-off from any settlements or shops. Once you are here, you have no option but to rely on the resort for all your requirements. Thankfully with good food and facilities, you do not really feel the pinch of this isolation. So, if there is a long, idyllic weekend that you are looking for, Banasura Hill Resort is the place to go.
What is the best way to reach Banasura Hill Resort?
- Here is the map to the resort
- Driving is the only way to get there. Hence you need to either hire a cab or take your own to reach this resort.
Travel Tips:
- There are several deals available for booking a stay at the Banasura Hill resorts.
- The weather here is quite cool, especially in the evening. It is advisable to carry some light woolens, especially for the evenings while you are there.
- Any time of the year is a good season for this resort
- The resort is quite self-sufficient and hence, you can order snacks or food anytime whilst here.
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Wow.Lovely shots,nice review and great write up. 🙂
Cheers,
Sriram & Krithiga
It looks very beautiful through your pictures. And I am 100% with you when you have natural pools who needs a swimming pool!
Resort looks awesome. Thanks for the info.
a great place to turn off your cell phones and be cut off from civilization!!! and of course to gain some weight from the superb food
Looks lovely – also hadn't heard of this before. Thanks for this writeup. Will be useful in the near future
Thanks Sriram and Krithiga.
Thank you Mridula. Natural pools are definitely more fun!
Thanks Arun
Thanks Archana.
You bet Kshitij…let's go again
Am sure Bharat. You will enjoy it – both from a stay and from a photography perspective.
Absolutely fabulous pics and a great review Ami. Looks like you had lots of fun.
Good to read.. it is nice place. Went there but didn't stay.
Very beautiful photos…..
Thanks Latha. We did have a blast.
Thanks Shrinidhi. I assure you that you missed something. Do try and head there again.
Thanks a ton
that is so beautiful 🙂
Thanks Daniel. I am sure you would loved it as a photographer
Awesome shots!
Thanks Alok
Amazing place … Went through every details through your wonderful post…
Thank you
hi I always go to kerala in the month of july or august yet its a monsoon period.. I just would like to know how in banasura in the month of july oe end of july and august.
I happen to visit in August and it was green and beautiful. Though it did rain, but I think that added to the fun 🙂
Superb Article and pictures. I like the place. Thank you for sharing this…Visit here also
Thank you