“I’ll make love to you
In all good places
Under black mountains
In open spaces
By deep brown rivers
That slither darkly
Through far marches
Where the blue hare races

Where the dance of ages is playing still
Through far marches of acres wild”

When I first heard about Acres Wild, the first thing that popped in my mind was the Jethro Tull song “Acres Wild”.  Just like the song, Acres Wild is a beautiful, rustic farm nestled in the Nilgiri Hills in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, India at an elevation of 6000 ft above sea level.  Not much else can be expected from a die hard romantic, music lover and nature lover like me and the decision was easy. We decided to visit Acres Wild on our vacation in India as it came highly recommended by a friend. I conjured up visions of mountains and greenery and fresh air and I wasn’t disappointed at all.

• 

• 

Acres Wild is approximately a 1.5 miles from the Coonoor Bus Stand and the last half-mile drive to the property may be a bumpy ride. Sitting on a 22 acre property, the farm is a nature lover’s dream with trees, wild flowers, ferns, bushes and lush greenery. It sits on a hillside surrounded by tea plantations with views of the mountains and the town of Coonoor.

• 

• 

• 

• 

The moss covered rocks and cobbled stone pathways and trails are welcoming and one cannot resist taking solo walks to sooth the soul. The view of the mist covered valley and the mountains with the town of Coonoor filling the landscape with its bright colors in the distance is mesmerizing.

The appeal to this farm is its connection and proximity to nature and wilderness and if you are looking for manicured lawns and trimmed hedges, this is not your place.

• 

• 

• 

• 

We decided to do a 4 day stay at the farm and were housed in the Haloumi Cottage.  The property is set on a hillside and the living spaces are divided in three levels: The Upper level comprises of the Haloumi Cottage, Colby Cottage and the Cheese House, the middle level houses the Club House and the main house and the lower level consists of the Cheddar Cottage. You may have realized by now that all the cottages on the farm were named after cheese. The Haloumi Cottage, a beautiful two bedroom house at the topmost level of the farm, provided us with stunning views and privacy.

The house also has a gazebo in front for guests to lounge and relax and a fireplace in the living room for cold evenings. The cottage was fully furnished with tasteful décor, a beautiful kitchen, and other amenities except for the television! If you cannot live without the TV, again I reiterate that this place may not be for you.

• 

• 

• 

The Club House sits on the middle level and comprises of a dining hall, a game room and plenty of area for relaxation and stunning views.  For animal lovers like us, there is an adorable little cat who lives in the Club House and is taken care of by the staff. We were greeted very enthusiastically by Shankar, the caretaker of the property, and served tea immediately.  Our room was also made ready for us right away even though we had arrived much earlier than the check-in time. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Very soon we found out that the place runs very efficiently due to diligent staff members named: Munna who is the manager and his team comprising of Shankar, Murugesh, Mary and Radha.  Munna checked in on us daily multiple times and insisted we ask for anything we needed and to walk and explore any part of the property.

Not only are the men are the polite and hospitable, they are quite the cooks also. The tomato onion chutney Murugesh made one day for breakfast was finger licking good and he was kind enough to write the recipe for it for me also.

Breakfast

Our breakfast was served every morning with a hot vegetarian dish such as sooji upma, idli and sambhar or vermicelli upma with an assortment of delicious chutneys and omelet and bread was always offered as a choice along with the vegetarian items. A dish of Acres Wild homemade ricotta cheese and fruit preserves were also served at every breakfast and the combination of bread with a layer of ricotta topped with the fruit preserves was to die for.  Breakfast is served between 8.00-10.00am so make sure to go during the specified time.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Lunch and Dinner

We also ended up eating lunch on our first day at the farm and ate dinner every night at the farm also.  Meals had a choice of vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes and guests do need to let the staff know their intent to eat at the farm 2-3 hours before meal time so the staff could prepare the meals.  Don’t worry if you forget to let the staff know of your intention to eat at the farm because Munna will be sure to call you and check in. 

Meals are served in the dining room and we got to meet other guests and interact with them. It was a good experience meeting interesting people from different walks of life. A cute little 5 year old girl who was holidaying with her parents latched on to me for three days during meal times and ate up all the cucumbers served in our salad at every meal. Aah..the innocence of childhood and a refreshing change for us living in the US where we have instilled the fear of strangers in our children.

Meals were home cooked, simple and hearty and just what you would expect at a farm. Lunch and dinner consisted of two vegetable dishes, dal, roti, rice, curd and dessert. Non-vegetarian choice included dishes such as egg curry or chicken curry. If you are looking for gourmet spread, I suggest you go to the Culinareum or La Belle Vie or any other food joint in Coonoor and there are quite a few choices in the town.  I was not about to skip Radha’s kesari or payasam for any gourmet cake or mousse.

• 

• 

We also visited the Cheese Factory which was conveniently located right next door to the Haloumi Cottage.  The Cheese House is a quaint building with beautiful stained glass pane windows overlooking the vista.

• 

• 

Mary, the cheesemaker met us at the door and gave us thorough and detailed information on how the cheese was made and types of cheese that were created. We got a tour of the plant and the storeroom where all the cheese was being aged.  Every shelf on the racks in the storeroom was loaded with cheese such as Gruyere, Colby, different types of Gouda, Parmesan, Cheddar and Monterey Jack being aged for 3 months. It is quite mind boggling to note that 55 liters of milk produce approximately 5 kgs of cheese only. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

I made sure I got a big stash of cheese to bring back with me. I can visualize a wine and cheese evening with friends reliving Wild Acres memories. There was an assortment of soft cheeses available such as herb cream cheese and ricotta, but alas that would not have lasted the journey back to California or made it through Customs. So I had to make do with a sample for the soft cheeses.

As the farm is self-sustaining and self-sufficient in food supply for most part, the milk used for cheese making comes from the cows raised on the farm.  Guests are allowed to go help milk the cows at 9.30am and 4.30pm daily and all you have to do is inform Munna. I let go of this amazing opportunity due to my fear of god as far as cattle are concerned.  The docile, gentle cows of the world don’t seem to like me and are always out to kill me, so I wasn’t planning to walk into a deathtrap by milking one of them.

As for me, I made most of my time at the farm exploring the trails and walking down to the Cheddar Cottage and back.  In addition to the beautiful views, one can sit near the pond and there is also a small stream that runs through the property near the Cheddar Cottage.  Please note that walking up and down from the Club House to Haloumi Cottage or going down all the way to Cheddar Cottage and back can be quite the workout.  I am an avid hiker and a runner and a simple run down the hill to Cheddar and back had me gasping for air.  I got out of breath as the place is at 6000 ft elevation so give yourself the time to acclimatize to the elevation.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Acres Wild is home to many domestic animals such as dogs and cats, however don’t be surprised when a wild animal comes through.  One day in the morning, a whole herd of Asian Bisons or Wild Gaurs went through the farm and I was awestruck to see the size of those beasts. Leopards and wild elephants have been known to frequent the farm sometimes too. 

On the last day of our stay, we also got to meet the owner of the farm Mansoor Khan and we chatted up a storm about development, competition, growth and the repercussions on the environment.  An extremely intelligent, forward thinking and accomplished man although he may claim to be otherwise, Mansoor Khan has four blockbuster hits to his name as a movie director. We discussed his book “The Third Curve” and Mansoor’s passion for the environment, his perception of the present world, and his understanding of reality is evident from his way of living and his deep thoughts. It was an excellent evening of stimulating and eye-opening conversation and a great way to end our stay at Acres Wild.

• 

• 

We came away from the vacation and the farm stay wanting more.  The place had a rustic, earthy charm which was hard to resist. We as a family got to spend the time quality together whether it was a game of carom or pool. The cool weather combined with the warmth of the people at Acres Wild made it hard for us to leave. I for one fell in love with Acres Wild and can’t wait to go back..

Acres Wild Farm

Address: 571 Upper Meanjee Estate Kannimariamman, DM Kovil St, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu 643102, India

Phone: +91 94432 32621

https://www.acres-wild.com/index.shtml