River Arena Holidays — Hotel in Kerala

River Arena stays true to its name, indeed. It is right near a river, and their cottages are surrounded by lush greenery. River Arena is apt for people who would like to be very connected with nature, as one would feel like they're totally immersed in the feel of how it would be to living within the woods! This is the kind of place adventurers would love to be in, as the cottages are situated very much interior to the main road (which you should keep in mind as any travel you'd need to do would necessitate the requirement of transport arranged by River Arena at a nominal cost). As they are located just 7 kilometres away from Vagamon, you'd be able to visit many of the bountiful attractions that the scenic hill station offers. Right from hospitality to the food which was prepared for us by nearby restaurants, we were completely satisfied! The cottages are pretty isolated as well, so one's privacy is well assured! If you're looking for a different experience of blending in with nature, I'd say River Arena is your best pick. :) Cheers to their team on putting together this amazing place. :) As I'd visited during the onset of monsoon season, I couldn't explore much of the place. Will definitely give this place another visit at a more...

It's a one-time try for an experience with a village stay amidst nature. I wouldn't recommend longer stays due to all other concerns mentioned in the detailed review below.

See my video with the view and natural sounds at morning time.

Geyser or water heater will not work fine due to low voltage issues in the area. And that was the biggest concern. You'll get hot water for one person. For others, we had to boil water in the gas stove in the kitchen and carry it to the rooms for the bath. We have booked for 3 nights for 2 rooms. We thought of vacating because of this issue, but due to full cancellation charge policy and peak holiday time, we have continued our stay.

The property is on the remote side of a village. The road for around 500m is bad for smaller cars.

The owner or host or manager is good in English. He was polite and offered suggestions to visit places around. At an extra cost, he will arrange dinner in the property. He can also help getting jeep safari to/from property.

We had a bitter experience at the end as the owner charged an extra Rs.750 for the camp fire and suspected us of an already broken bathroom door. Disregarding that, the...

Had a wonderful stay @ River Arena Holidays. The downside was getting to the spot. The roads to the location is pretty bad. Make sure to take a vehicle with enough ground clearance and you're good to go.

With respect to the location, it is amazing. They have a private brook. The water is very clear and clean. When we went there, the flow was slow as well. It was nice to soak ourselves in the water. You felt at peace. Regarding the cottages, we had some mishaps with the arrangements (we had booked 4 rooms. 2 rooms were amazing, 2 rooms were not cleaned properly. But they immediately cleaned the rooms again once we mentioned it to them.) The service was extremely good.

They had provided us with campfire and BBQ (we brought the meat). Although the kitchen access was extremely helpful, the kitchen itself is not well maintained.

Long story short, will highly recommend this place to others. Visit if you can. And confirm with them on...