Just a few kilometres from the village of Kumily (which is next to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary) are numerous spice plantations that are owned and cared for by the local villagers. The region’s climate and soil is ideal for growing spices and this has resulted in many individual plots that are generally around two acres in size. Each farmer grows small amounts of many spices, which often includes cardamom, pepper, cocoa pods, vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and curry plant. Walking through the plantation you can see, taste, and smell all of these with the help of your expert guide. The tour normally lasts around one to two hours and is a real highlight of the area.