Tucked between the Agasthyamalai hills and the Thamirabarani river, Ambasamudram & Vikramasingapuram and its neighbouring villages hold a slower, richer way of travelling – one built around craft, farmland, temple heritage, and forest. Here’s how a four-day stay with us at Vaanavil Farm & Food Forest usually unfolds.
Maximum Group Size : 14 members
Day 1: Sound, Clay, and the Forest Farm
Arrive at Vaanavil Farm Stay and Blooming Farm stay
Morning – Zen Flute House & Alwarkurichi Pottery The day begins gently, with a visit to the Zen Flute House followed by time with the potters of Alwarkurichi, watching clay take shape on the wheel the traditional way. It’s a quiet, hands-on introduction to the craft lineage of this region.
Evening – Vaanavil Farm & Food Forest Tour Back at the farm, we walk you through our 11-acre food forest – indigenous cows, bees, mushroom beds, vermicompost and BSF systems, and the layered plantings that make up a working permaculture farm. Expect to taste something straight off the trees.
(Night skies here are some of the darkest in Tamil Nadu – on clear nights, a bit of stargazing after dinner.)
Day 2: Waterfalls, Temples, and Seeds
Morning – Agasthiyar Falls & Sorimuthu Ayyanar Kovil A cool waterfall at the foothills of the Agasthyamalai range, paired with a visit to the Sorimuthu Ayyanar Kovil – one of the guardian temples of this landscape.
Evening – Pothigai Uzhathi Seed Bank An unhurried visit to a seed bank organized by Lakshmi Devi preserving traditional and indigenous paddy varieties – a good counterpoint to the morning’s temple and waterfall visit, and a window into how farmers here are keeping old seed lineages alive.
Day 3: Temple Birds and a Choice of Crafts
Morning – Thiruppudaimaruthur Temple & Bird Conservatory A heritage temple town on the banks of the Thamirabarani, home to a protected bird conservatory – bring your binoculars.
Evening – Choose Your Own Pick one, based on what’s calling to you:
- A visit to the check dam at Kasiyapuram
- Bathe under pumpset here at Vaanavil
- Coconut shell craft with our Porunai artisans
- Palmyra leaf weaving with Uma Maheshwari
Depart by evening train
Day 4 (Optional): For the Nature Enthusiasts
If you’re staying a little longer, choose from:
- Athiri Malai Trek – free, but only on Full Moon and New Moon days and Fridays
- Shenbagadevi Trek – Near Kuttraalam waterfalls, guided and paid
- Kallidaikurichi Appalam – a visit to see the traditional appalam-making process
- Partner Farmer Visits – subject to programme and host availability, and the group’s interests
Every itinerary flexes around the season, the moon phase, and what our host network has room for on a given day – so treat this as a shape, not a fixed script. Get in touch to plan your stay.