Cosy valley, grand hills and ancient forests. Amid these lies Fringe Ford, wonderfully cut off from civilisation. (No traffic fumes, no traffic, not even a proper road!) Experience living in the jungle – ditch the honking of horns behind and learn to recognize bird calls. Go trekking into the jungles, walk through the nets of vines and foliage, revel in the 360 degree view of the forest. Notice how your tensions melt away and your senses get sharpened – listen to the cry of a wild cat, breathe in the heady smell of wilderness.

… And then come relax in the bungalow – all Mangalore tiles and wide glass windows. All modern comforts are provided here and they coexist unobtrusively with the wild surroundings. Enjoy delicious home cooked Keralan meals, in the quaint kitchen, on the verandah under the stars, or even by the waterfall! The meals are cooked on old fashioned, charcoal-free stoves imbuing the food with a unique flavour. People at the resort are warm and hospitable, always around but never intrusive.

USP: The call of the wild.

You can drive until Talapoya where the resort recommends that you leave your vehicle at their designated pick-up point and climb up to Fringe Ford in the pick-up van they would send you.

The nearest cities are Thalassery (60 km) and Cannore (75 km).

Air: The nearest airport is Calicut (135 km). Continue the journey by road.

Rail: The nearest railheads are Calicut (135 km) and Mysore (130 km). Continue the journey by road.

Road: Calicut: From Calicut, take the route through – Kalpetta – Mananthvadi – Talapoya to Fringe Ford. The drive takes about 3 hours.

Mysore: The route is through Gundaelpet – Sultan Bathery – Meenangadi – Mananthvadi – Talapoya to Fringe Ford. The drive takes about 3 hours.

Ooty: Ooty is 150 km from Fringe Ford. The route is through Gundalpet – Sultan Bathery – Meenangadi – Mananthvadi – Talapoya to Fringe Ford. The drive takes about 4 hours.

Coimbatore: Coimbatore is 250 km away. The route involves going to Ooty and proceeding to Fringe Frond from there. It’s a seven hour drive.

The place has 5 rooms in all. Lot of effort and personal attention has been put in to create this simple but beautiful living space. The rooms are cozy, comfortable with little hints of luxury and pleasant views of the forest hills. The bathrooms are large and one of them has a floor to ceiling glass window with a stunning view. Food is served at the gazebo by the stream or outside the main house under the sky.

Fringe Ford was named by the Englishman who had first bought the land and built it into a plantation. It changed hands since then, and was finally acquired by its present landlord, Ahmed, who being a naturalist, let the land go back to the forest. So today the 520-acre property shares its boundaries, not fences, with the wildlife sanctuaries of Wyanad and Tholpaty reserve forest, making this entire stretch, one of the last remaining bastions of the Malabar rain forests around, with shelter for its fauna and flora.

Stroll undisturbed around the grounds or attempt one of the stunning walks to waterfalls or to the many peaks. Local guide will accompany you just in case you get lost or bump into one of the natives here.