Wild Zest sits in Kalhatti village, ten kilometres from the centre of Ooty, on the road that climbs past the falls. Four independent rooms and a geodesic dome are tucked into a slope of eucalyptus and native shola — quiet enough that mornings begin with birdsong and end, most evenings, with mist settling into the valley below.

Each cottage faces the valley. The dome — a stone walled structure pitched on a beautiful valley view — is for guests who want to fall asleep under the stars. Meals are cooked at home, mostly from what's grown on the hillside or sourced from the Tuesday market in Ooty. There is no restaurant, no minibar, on  menu card — you just add to your order whatever you desire the kitchen makes it for you, and served on the long table in the terrace.

We are a small operation. Most of the year there are five rooms and two of us. We answer the phone ourselves.