The Windermere estate includes 55 acres of undulating rises and dips covered with cardamom & coffee, located on the slopes of the Western Ghats. At Windermere, the hosts have always been partial to minimalism instead of embellishment, and homely warmth over opulence. The rooms here are set in bungalows that are a throwback to the old ways of life: gabled roofs; high ceilings; beams of red cedar; teak furniture; terracotta floors rubbed with linseed oil and hardwood floor polished with traditional wax; linen furnishings lovingly embroidered by women from the planter’s family; and crochet and cross-stitch art framed on walls. Cooled by the surrounding mist all day, there are no fans or air conditioner here, for none are ever required. A quaint dining room with an old-fashioned fire place and wooden pillars, it has an old-world charm. On top of the dining is a library with books and materials on Plantation, Nature and a range of other subjects.