The plantation was established as a cardamom estate in the early 1930s. Dr Simon John, an ophthalmic surgeon from Kochi, bought it in 1987 and opened it to guests in 1997, naming it for the Lake District because the valley and the rolling cloud reminded him of it.
It is at Pothamedu, about three kilometres from Munnar town, and the buildings are set into the existing rock formations along a cliff edge — tea valleys falling away on one side, the High Range peaks rising on the other. The large garden boulder has been platformed as a vantage point.
Why We Place Guests Here
- It is a genuine working plantation — cardamom grown commercially, with a small batch of Arabica — and the guided walks explain how the crop actually works.
- Eighteen rooms across cottages and villas, built into rock rather than onto it; this is the most characterful bed in Munnar.
- The boulder vantage point at sunrise is the finest half hour in the Western Ghats.
The Table
- The Barn — the estate restaurant, wooden-raftered
- Thatched tea hut for coffee and afternoon snacks
- Barbecue and bonfire beneath the garden boulder
The Elevated India Signature
Sunrise from the boulder, then the plantation walk while the cardamom is still wet.
Questions, Answered
Is Windermere Estate a real plantation?
Yes — a working cardamom estate established in the early 1930s, with a small Arabica coffee crop. The owners run complimentary guided plantation walks explaining cardamom cultivation.
How far is Windermere Estate from Munnar town?
About three kilometres, at Pothamedu. Mattupetty Dam is around thirteen kilometres, with Eravikulam National Park and the tea museum both within easy reach.
Journeys That Take You There
Explore the destination guide: Munnar, Kerala ↗
Photography: Photograph courtesy Windermere Estate