A five star property outside Kalpetta in Wayanad district, North Kerala, with 4.8 out of 5 from 624 reviews. It stands on Poolakkandy Road at Thekkumthara, in a district of coffee and pepper rather than tea. The decision is the setting: a resort with pool, courts and a restaurant, and the nearest town 6.5 km from the centre of Kalpetta.
What Aalterra by The Almanac has
Aalterra by The Almanac carries a five star rating and a guest score of 4.8 out of 5 from 624 reviews, which puts it among the better reviewed addresses in the Wayanad Hills. The facilities are those of a resort that expects guests to stay on site: an outdoor pool, a bar, a restaurant, breakfast, room service, a minibar, air conditioning and balconies. Families get family rooms, a playground, a picnic area and a garden, plus a badminton court, table tennis and fishing.
Practical arrangements are covered by free WiFi, free parking, laundry, 24 hour security and a shuttle service, and pets are allowed. Special diet menus are available, so restricted diets can be discussed in advance. The property sits at Thekkumthara on Poolakkandy Road, outside the town rather than in it, and the shuttle matters if you plan to eat or wander in Kalpetta in the evening.
The ground it stands on
Aalterra by The Almanac is outside Kalpetta, in the wider Wayanad district, 6.5 km from the centre of Kalpetta. Kalpetta is the headquarters of Wayanad district, so the town has the banks, buses and hospital functions that a district centre carries, while the property itself stays in the quiet of Poolakkandy Road at Thekkumthara.
Wayanad is a plateau in the north east, reached by a hairpin climb from the Malabar coast, with coffee and pepper under the trees rather than tea on open slopes. It is older than the tourist map, since the Edakkal petroglyphs are neolithic. The tiger reserve borders Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, so the forest is continuous in three directions. This is North Kerala, inland hill country and green through the year.
Who it suits and who it does not
It suits families and groups who want the full set of facilities in one place and do not mind being outside town: the pool, courts, playground and restaurant keep everyone occupied, and pets are allowed. It does not suit anyone who wants to step out of the gate into Kalpetta, since the property is 6.5 km from the centre of Kalpetta, or anyone who wants a small, simple hillside stay rather than a five star resort.
When to plan a stay
Come between September and May, the season for the Wayanad Hills, when the coffee and pepper country is at its most usable. In heavy rain the ghat road is the weak point, so the journey in and out needs thought in the monsoon months. The property itself is equipped for wet days, with indoor games, a bar and a restaurant.
What the property lists
Where it is
About 6.5 km from the centre of kalpetta, in Wayanad district. That is a ride rather than a walk. The listed address is Poolakkandy Road Thekkumthara.
Questions people ask
What facilities does Aalterra by The Almanac offer?
The property lists an outdoor pool, restaurant, bar, breakfast, room service, minibar and air conditioning, with family rooms and balconies. There is a badminton court, table tennis, fishing, a playground, a picnic area and a garden, plus free WiFi, free parking, laundry, 24 hour security and a shuttle service. Pets are allowed and special diet menus are available.
Where exactly is the property?
It stands on Poolakkandy Road at Thekkumthara, outside Kalpetta, in the wider Wayanad district of North Kerala. It is 6.5 km from the centre of Kalpetta, which is the headquarters of the district. The setting is inland hill country of coffee, cardamom and pepper, not a coastal one.
What is the guest score and star rating?
Aalterra by The Almanac holds a five star rating. Its guest score is 4.8 out of 5 from 624 reviews. No other score is on file, so that figure is the one to judge the property by, and it reflects a large number of stays rather than a handful.
What is the best time to visit Wayanad?
September to May is the season for the Wayanad Hills. In heavy rain the ghat road is the weak point, so travel in and out can be difficult during the monsoon. Out of that period the coffee and pepper country is at its most usable, and the property's indoor facilities cover the wetter days.
The name, category, guest score, review count, photographs and listed facilities come from the IMPT hotel inventory. Live rates, room types and cancellation terms are shown on IMPT for the dates chosen; this page quotes none of them.