“Edakkal Hermitage is a resort that aims to call attention to the little known Edakkal Caves and the beauties of eastern Wayanad. This is boulder country and the rooms at the resort are built around the rocks. The resort is on a smaller parcel of land and the theme of rocks and caves is beautifully echoed here.
A tiny, spanking new tree house, for a very intimate couple is an easy climb up a bamboo ramp and gives you views out to forever. The terraced premises are exquisitely laid out, with soft grass and veils of Jacquemontia. The hospitality is unobtrusive and there is a home- stay feel to the dining. The jackfruit thoran and morkuzhambu are to die for, and when we get our morning appams we hurry to pour coconut milk over them before they float out of reach.
At night, dinner in a cave is a magical experience. On other nights, we are told, tables are set up under the stars on the stage of the amphitheatre. The same amphitheatre the next morning is ideal for bird watching. The surrounding trees are teeming with golden orioles, red cheeked bulbuls, coppersmiths, drongoes and tiny flitting things that hide in the shrubs. In the infinite distance the hills float on an ocean of mist.
The caves themselves, a vigorous climb from the resort are not to be missed. Apart from the mystery of the inscriptions and Neolithic rock art, the boulders that shape them are astonishing. A deep fissure on the far side gives us a clear view out to Phantom Rock, many miles away. The fissure was caused by an earthquake and reminds us of the fragility of even this massive natural formation and its hard document of the human presence.”

(Outlook Traveller APRIL 2004)

“Set amidst a pepper and coffee plantation full of boulders, the Hermitage sprawls across the mountainside with breathtaking views of the lush green below.
Imagine sipping a steaming cup of coffee and waiting for the clouds to clear. As the misty curtain lifts with the rising sun, the green valley below begins to take shape. From this height, 3228 ft above MSL, the sights are amazing – rock formations, dense vegetation. Here it is but natural that rocks jut into cottages giving one a feel of living in a canyon. For the adventurous, there is Tree Top – a room atop a tamarind tree. IT can be approached through a bamboo pathway slung across an abyss. The room boasts of a fan, bed and a toilet. Not for the faint hearted, but the view from top is great, especially when it rains, giving one a feeling of floating in air.
As the sun sets, dinner is served inside a natural cavern lit up with candles. This is an experience of dining in Neolithic style, a la prehistoric man who inhabited the caves above many moons ago.
The Hermitage has blended beautifully into the countryside without blemishing any part of nature. Even the amphitheatre that gives a ringside view has been designed aesthetically.
And service with a smile is the motto as food is served at a separate dining area. The choice is mainly veg and non veg south Indian style. The package includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

(Indian Express, May 30th 20004)

“Situated near the Edakkal caves in the Wayanad district of Kerala the charm of Edakkal Hermitage, as this resort chooses to be known works its effect through the following steps. Precincts of the past in vicinity and an enchanting environ of the present to soak in. An air rent with mingled magic of its surrounding thirty acre coffee and pepper plantation and the servings of traditional Malayali cuisine. A scattering of quaint cottages beholding panoramas of the valley below. The promise of solitude amidst heritage and hills.
The home away from home feeling is reinforced with the resort’s literally garden fresh delectable offerings from the restaurant. The open- air theatre, with its dramatic Western Ghats backdrop, can be made privy to performances of kalaripayattu (martial art) and tribal dances upon prior intimation. That elucidating Contour Dakshin’s idea of bringing not just the exquisite prehistoric rock carvings of the nearby Edakkal caves to light but also to highlight the region’s culture and arts along with other heritage locations. A ‘present day’ cave of Edakkal Hermitage although focuses on romantic rendezvous from time to time!
The lure… of cave art and the art of caving in! Indulge in this place that allows as much pleasure in enjoying the past as it does the present!

(Perfect Ten, Nov-Dec, 2002)