After spending his whole life in the ministry and travelling around the world, Dr. Zachariah Koshy along with his wife Remani decided to retire in the quite village of Periyar. Dr. Koshy decided to convert their home into a homestay to provide employment opportunities to the local villagers. The family is associated with the Periyar Eco Tourism Foundation to promote forest bound activities thereby creating income for the Mannan Tribal Guides. The income generated from the homestay is used to fund the Horticulture Society, where the villagers are trained in developing home vegetable gardens and generating income from it. Stay at Koshys will allow guests to understand to learn more about the village, meet people at work, spend time interacting with them and learning about the local culture and traditions.
Hardly one kilometre away from Kumily town and 110 kms away from Munnar (Tea garden of Kerala) Koshys homestay is located amongst serene surroundings, very close to the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The guest accommodation is on the first floor of the house with double bedded comfortable rooms, well equipped bathrooms, small kitchen and a dining room. There is also a cosy communal area with a small library with books on local and national culture. The house has a small frontal garden for idyllic conversations and a small vegetable garden behind the house which is a source of many vegetables served for lunch and dinner. Remani loves cooking and prepares dishes of preference while one shares experiences with Dr. Koshy on the Dining table. There are many options for tourists to explore the place. They can either opt for bamboo rafting or a boat ride through the Periyar Lake. There are also lot of trekking options available like 'Cloud Walk'- three hour trek to the Kurushumala hills, right behind the homestay, guided by the tribal guides. It also involves trek through the forest and tribal village visit. If you are looking for a homestay experience which is ethical and community-oriented plus the comfort and guidance, then Koshys Homestay should be a top priority for your stay in Thekaddy.
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