Tata Coffee plans `Plantation Trails`
Business Standard — March 17, 2006

Tata Coffee Limited (TCL), which recently announced its foray into the hospitality sector with the launch of 'Plantation Trails' a cluster of holiday homes on its plantations in Coorg, will start similar facilities in other estates soon, according to M H Ashraff, managing director.

Talking to media persons, he said the company would start a plantation resort at the recently acquired Malakkippara estate in Thrissur district of Kerala. There had been an overwhelming response to 'Plantation Trails' as around 75 guests had already enjoyed the facilities at Coorg since its commencement in December 2005, he added.

TCL recently acquired over 12,000 acres of tea and coffee estates in the Annamalais region (four tea estates and one coffee estate in Tamil Nadu and one tea estate in Kerala) from Tata Tea.

He said plantation-based tourism was one of the thrust areas of the company and the concept would be spread to the new estates.

"Guests can enjoy the real life of a planter though this concept. They can drink coffee, breathe coffee, and can live coffee with utmost privacy," he said.