I had the pleasure of visiting GRT’s GREATrail Resort ,a large 5 star resort nestled in the middle of Yercaud a couple of months back (much before the lockdown kicked in). This GRT Yercaud Resort is located roughly 20 miles from Salem in Tamil Nadu at Yercaud Hill station ( roughly 4-5 hours drive from Chennai or Bangalore). To be precise it’s located exactly at the 20th hairpin bend from Salem To Yercaud.
Below is my share of experience staying in this beautiful resort
To begin with , GReatTrail Resort in Yercaud has so many activities to do that you dont need to venture out much at all.. You can spend two days inside the resort itself to experience all their activities.
Activities at GRT Yercaud Resort
Early Morning Forest Trail
When invited for an early morning walking trail, I assumed it was one of those walks around the resort before sunrise. However I was in for a surprise , when a young forest/trekking guide took us around an unexplored forest area just adjacent to the resort.
A 5KM walk led us to the top of a cliff where I could witness the entire valley overlooking the Mettur Dam at the stroke of sunrise..
SkyDeck
Head to their terrace to walk across a glass panel floor towards a SkyDeck that offers a stunning view of the valleys and surrounding mountains. Try this out at early morning at Sunrise or evening during sunset .
Ziplining at GRT Yercaud Resort
A very unique feature of the GREATrails resort in Yercaud is the adventure activities. The highlight being ziplining activitiy. Usually found only in selected Adventure zones in top metro cities, this was a great feature and highlight of my trip. A long zipline connected across two tree tops, you get to strap on yourself with safety nets and zip across the resort , admiring the beauty and lush valley surrounding the mountains .
Rope Climbing , Military climb and Ladder Walk
I’m not sure if I got those names right, but there’s a huge bunch of adventure activities you get to do.. Coupled with safety nets, you get to walk across ladder / paddle steps and reach the other end, crawl across ropes from one tree to top to another with only ropes as assistance and much more. Be sure of burning 1000+ calories in a short span!!
A small badminton court is also available right beside this..
Infinity Swimming Pool
A swim at the lap of luxury : You dont need to go all the way to Singapore Marina Sands to swim in an infinity pool with a view. GRT Treats at Yercaud has built a beautiful outdoor pool with an infinity view of the gorgeous valley and forests surrounding the resorts.
Indoor Play Area & Fitness (Gym) Centre
Apart from a fully equipped gym , you also get to play Table Tennis , Chess, Carrom Board and FoosBall as part of indoor activities
MasterChef Cooking Class at GRT, Yercaud
The resort was kind enough to organize a masterchef cooking class on the skydeck observatory with one of their top chef as the host.
(Will host the video on my Youtube channel and link it back shortly)
Features of Suite Room at GRT Yercaud Resort
I was given the choice of staying in a beautiful suite room in GRT GreatTrailsResort .
The room came with the following features:
A large king size bed
Private Balcony (with plenty of space to walk across , sit and enjoy a hot cup of coffee with a gorgeous valley view)
Jacuzzi
Private Dressing Room & Luggage Storage
40' Full HD LED TV
Handmade Chocolates ( Dark and White) and Butter Cookies
Complimentary Hot Chocolate drink (on request)
SkyRocca Restaurant ,GRT Yercaud Resort
GReatTrails Restaurant features a multi-cuisine restaurant (With a valley view as well , if you get the corner table esp at breakfast 🙂 )
The menu offers a wide variety of North Indian, South Indian, Chinese dishes. Interestingly, on special request they make dishes that are local to Salem, Madurai , Yercaud and surrounding cities , which is something recommended as well. Since many of the chefs are from Salem and Madurai regions, you can be sure of an authentic preparation as well
Views from the Resort
My Overall experience about GReatTrails , GRT Yercaud Resort
GRT Yercaud resort also called as GReatTrailsResort, was one of a kind experience for me . I travelled, much before the country lockdown happened and was fortunate enough to experience the beauty of this resort. Impeccably clean , surrounded by mountains, this luxurious and peaceful resort can give you the perfect relaxing weekend that you always looked for.
You can directly book through them here (and might probably get a far cheaper quote than Booking.com) : https://grthotels.com/yercaud
