FIRST IMPRESSIONS OFTEN DECEIVE
I was walking through the stands at the KTM – Kerala Travel Mart – the biggest travel show in South India, and I recall being drawn in by images of endless green landscapes displayed on a couple of wide TV screens at one of the stalls.
I remember having quickly labelled the property depicted by the photographs as ‘one of those fun parks’, because this was the only idea that I could conjure up.
However, happily, I got the chance to gain a closer and deeper insight into the reality behind the images while I was travelling through the mountains of Munnar a few months later. Then, the conversation I had enabled me to descend from the aerial drone views of the travel mart to the ground level, where many inspiring new projects are currently taking place at this unusual farm.
In this story, I share the impressions I gained and the discoveries I made when I spoke with Dhanush Eanara, the resident ecologist, and Reynold Scaria, founder & Managing Director of Thanima Farm Life, in my, for now, virtual encounter with Thanima Farm’s stories
MEET NATURE
Immersed in 38 acres of greenery in the Palakkad gap – the mountain pass in the Western Ghats that geographically connects Kerala to Tamil Nadu – Thanima Farm Life has grown into being a refuge from the busy and polluted life of the Indian cities.
The list of outdoor activities available on the farm is long and exciting, and convinces even the laziest individual not to be bored.
Kids have their own park and can entertain themselves with various group games such as football, badminton or table tennis.
However, the real fun is outdoors, where they can engage along with the adults in exhilarating adventure activities, either suspended above or cycling over water. Yes, you read correctly, cycling over water, to be precise, on a zipline rope.
The aquatic environment offers many other activities – among which are kayaking, round boat, stand-up paddle and pedal boats – all guaranteed to keep the adrenaline level high.
The list continues, but energy stores need to be refilled!
After having released the suppressed energies accumulated in the constricting physical and mental spaces of the tarmac jungle, where most of them are from, the guests finally receive from nature its kind and welcoming tunes.
In reality, it was already there, but at this point, perhaps you are ready to take it in.
The walk towards the trees on the glass bridge is a symbolic moment when one can finally absorb the full setting.
Many exotic species of trees have been introduced here to allow people to learn about and experience realities that in their day-to-day lives exist far away, and that would otherwise remain unknown or at least out of reach.
The motivation behind this is the desire to bring nature closer and render more tangible the relationship with it.
In the bird aviary, following the same principles, visitors can feed and admire exotic birds that come to their hands to be fed.
After this experience, visitors will now probably find it easier to start noticing the birds in the trees, while walking, for example, through the mango forest and blinking at the orchids and roses in the nurseries located across the property.
Depending on the season, there are between 75 and 100 species of birds on the property, making it an attractive place for bird enthusiasts, too.
The immersion continues in the butterfly garden. Twenty-five different species of this attractive, gentle insect can be found around the butterfly host plants, strategically planted to attract the Glassy Blue Tiger, the Common Rose or the Southern Birdwing, Dhanush shares with me.
Beyond admiring the gentle pirouettes performed by the beautiful creatures, guests can observe, step by step, the life cycle of butterflies up close.
Other learning opportunities are offered around the water element, together with the chance for relaxation. Traditional line fishing can be practised in the tranquil atmosphere of the lake before indulging oneself in the fish spa.
Soon, guests will also be able to extend these experiences into the Ayurveda Spa – currently under construction – combining the serene natural surroundings with this nature-based treatment, rooted in the traditional knowledge Kerala is famed for.
With a closer look, it becomes apparent that what at first seemed to be a mere entertainment park aims to be a gentle invitation to draw closer to nature, to restore – or build from scratch – a connection with the land that many urban citizens have lost.
GO DEEPER
After the rush of adrenaline I registered on learning about the many activities on offer, it was a great surprise to realise that, behind the scenes, much work goes on towards environmental protection and the restoration of ecological balance, moving slowly but steadily with a Net Positive goal in mind.
One of the latest developments is that on 5 June they inaugurated a carbon footprint calculator. Dhanush clarified with excitement:
A software program is installed in the kiosk that asks 10 questions related to daily activities (e.g., how many petrol or diesel vehicles are in your home, how do you manage household waste?). Guests can check their individual carbon footprint, receive a score out of 50 indicating their estimated carbon emissions, and get personalised recommendations to reduce it.
The changes that we wish to see in our environment are directly linked to the relationship we have with it, and, as has often been shown, actions only come when we deeply care.
In other words, awareness is the key to responsible behaviour – education can come in different shapes and forms and is an essential part of the Responsible Tourism framework.
Thanima Farm Life’s Net Positive goal has also driven the establishment of a series of initiatives that pursue alternative sources of energy and waste management, and, obviously, an overall reduction in resource use.
Solar power currently provides between 10% and 20% of their consumption, and they shared that they have plans to reach 100% in the coming years.
I look forward to hearing more about their efforts.
Something that struck me from the beginning of my conversation with Dhanush was the steady and determined position with regard to the environmental impact of the property, which emerges out of the management’s mindset and their background.
The property is currently reducing their use of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), with the goal of eliminating it completely in the future, while investing in other forms of clean energy, such as the biogas produced by the 55 cows that live on their land, which currently covers 60% of the farm’s needs.
They are aware of the challenges ahead and of the long path that needs to be walked, but their attitude shows no fear and, instead, demonstrates an innovative and proactive way of facing up to our current environmental challenges, through the use of tourism as an opportunity for learning, inspiring not only reflection but eventually behavioural change.
The property has been limiting their use of chemicals in favour of organic products.
Although guests will not always be aware of this, they can rest assured that the soil they stand on is constantly nourished, not least by the avoidance of polluting substances and through the fact that 80% of the products used for the care of the plants are organic.
The awards won by the farm over the years, and especially the recognition they received through the Biodiversity Conservation Farmer Award in 2022, are an additional testament to their commitment as well as to the results.
GET INVOLVED, GENTLY BUT STEADILY
In a subtle way, the guest is softly spoken to about the richness of the local biodiversity, the complex and yet simple ways in which nature operates and makes its way in when it’s not obstructed.
There is a common wisdom in allowing visitors to explore nature at their own pace and by doing what they like, rather than by actively preaching to them.
Achieving the right balance between these two attitudes in tourism is sometimes confusing and can certainly be daunting.
I was not at all surprised when reading the reviews and hearing about visitors’ experiences. I was told that many guests started growing crops in their own backyard after their first visit.
The conscious reconnection with nature that Thanima Farm Life wants to inspire comes, in my opinion, with a soft but determined practical approach, which has its own power and the potential to change mindsets.
At the end of my up-close immersion, I was happy to have taken the time to doubt my first impression and to listen to those invisible stories.
I’d love to follow up on the company’s endeavours on their Sustainable Journey, and to share the next chapter of their initiatives on my next trip to Kerala.
In the pictures below, Reynold Scaria, founder & Managing Director at Thanima Farm Life (right); and Reynold’s parents, owners of the family farm and his constant inspiration (left).
Photo credits: Thanima Farmlife
