Vinati Sukhdev, a journalist and author, manages the O’Land Plantation Stays — a 120-acre estate set in the heart of the Nilgiris and calls it an ode to responsible tourism.

When she and her husband Pavan, an economist, set out to buy a piece of land in 2007, it was with the desire to preserve it, as the land is also an elephant corridor.

In time, however, they decided to create an eco-tourism model and today, the three cottages are the result of that decision.

“There was already a bungalow on the property called ‘Estate House’, which was built around 1851. We went on to build two more,” Vinati says.

She credits architect Chitra Vishwanath of Biome Environmental Solutions for the ingenious construction, including the installation of solar panels and biomass water heaters on the land.

One of the bungalows, ‘Pepper House’, she says, is built entirely of CSEB (compressed stabilised earth blocks). “We compressed soil from the property into these blocks instead of transporting bricks from far away areas to the site.”

The other bungalow ‘Hornbill House’ is another sustainable rendition built with brick, stone and wood.

While the land boasted tea and pepper plantations, the couple was responsible for adding fruit trees, vegetable crops, cloves, coffee and other spices.

The property is home to a number of bird species including the Great Indian Hornbill, Nilgiri laughingthrush, yellow-throated bulbul, pied thrush, Nilgiri wood pigeon and Malabar barbet.

When you aren’t being entertained by the flora and fauna, Vinati urges her guests to take part in the tea-tasting sessions.

Prepare to have your sight, smell, taste, and touch delighted as you embark on an afternoon of tea tasting.

Let the aroma of steeped tea leaves be your guide as you make your way through green, black, and white teas, and their flavours and essences to find the perfect one.

Lunches and dinners at the homestay include hearty accompaniments of lemon pickles, mango pickles, pomelo salad, and generous portions of jackfruit curries.