Tranquil Resort sits inside the Kuppamudi Coffee and Spices Estate, a 400-acre working plantation in northern Wayanad growing shade-grown Arabica and Robusta alongside black pepper, arecanut, cardamom, nutmeg, mace, lychee, avocado and jackfruit. Only about three of the 400 acres are built on.
Ten mapped trails run through the crop zones. The main picking season is January to March.
One of Wayanad's Older Coffee and Spice Estates
The Kuppamudi estate has been in coffee for over a century, opened by British planters, later held by Dutch owners, and under its current ownership since 1994. It covers about 400 acres inside the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage biodiversity hotspot.
This is a working plantation. The coffee and pepper you walk past is the coffee and pepper the estate harvests.
Arabica and Robusta, Grown Under Shade
Kuppamudi grows both Arabica and Robusta on shaded slopes. The beans are hand-picked, then roasted and ground on site, so the coffee served at breakfast has not left the estate at any point in its production.
The main picking season runs January to March, when the slopes are at their busiest and the air carries the smell of pulped cherries.
Pepper, Cardamom, Arecanut and Spice
Black pepper vines climb the shade trees that protect the coffee, arecanut palms form a second canopy, and cardamom grows in the shade below. This is the traditional Wayanad intercropping pattern that has held these slopes for over a century.
From 2015 the estate added nutmeg and mace, which come from a single fruit, along with lychee, avocado and jackfruit that ripen into the kitchen in season.
Ten Mapped Trails Through the Crop Zones
Ten walking trails are mapped across the estate, ranging from half-hour strolls to two-hour hikes, all self-paced and self-guided. They are named for their difficulty: The Teaser, The Coffee Walk, The Braveheart, The Indiana Jones.
Each takes a different line through the estate. Low-lying coffee zones, steeper slopes with valley views, and rainforest-edge sections where the birdlife is densest.
What the Plantation Puts on the Table
Most of the kitchen's produce and all of the coffee comes off this estate, which is why the dining is farm-to-table rather than described as it. The estate also runs its own fish farm, in partnership with the district Fisheries department of Kerala.
The same habitat supports over 130 recorded bird species, and the estate borders the rainforest belt of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the plantation at Tranquil Resort?
About 400 acres, of which only around three are built on.
What crops are grown at Kuppamudi estate?
Arabica and Robusta coffee, black pepper, arecanut and cardamom, with nutmeg, mace, lychee, avocado and jackfruit.
When is the coffee season at Tranquil Resort?
January to March, when picking is active across the slopes.
Is the coffee grown and processed on site?
Yes. The beans are hand-picked, then roasted and ground on the estate.
Can guests walk through the plantation?
Yes. Ten mapped trails run across the estate, from half-hour walks to two-hour hikes, self-paced and self-guided, named for their difficulty.
How old is the Kuppamudi estate?
Over a century. It was opened by British planters, later held by Dutch owners, and has been under its current ownership since 1994.
To plan a stay or ask about walking the plantation, call the resort on +91 99 4758 8507 or book through tranquilresort.com.
