Rajakkad

The 18th century building, complete with the original beams, has just seven large bedrooms with en suite bathrooms leading off a courtyard, and each room has its own access to the lush gardens. The interiors themselves are an exercise in understated elegance, complete with colourful Uzbek carpets and Indian cotton towels.

The chef at Rajakkad specialises in delicious dishes fusing southern Indian and Mediterranean cuisine, mainly using ingredients from the farm on the estate, and served either on the shaded terrace or in the dining room, and there are few better ways to kick start the day than with a freshly brewed coffee using freshly ground beans from the estate coffee plantations while enjoying views of the surrounding hills.

Activities on offer at the estate include yoga and meditation classes, walks around the estate's many pathways, visits to the coffee factory, lake and village, swimming in waterfalls and bird watching for the 200-plus species indigenous to this part of Tamil Nadu. Further afield (but very doable as a day trip) is the culturally fascinating city of Madurai, while nearer at hand is the charming hill station of Kodaikanal.