THE SPICE GARDEN

The Spice Garden is the central arrival area for visitors, with car park, 'reception' visitor information centre, the Samakanda shop and main office. The various walks and tours are all designed to start and finish from this point. Less developed at present than The Bowl, the Spice Garden will integrate existing tea with inter-cropped spices, various bamboos and traditional local vegetables, like cassava (manioca), snake gourd, bitter gourd and wing bean.

Areas have also been demarcated for cultivating ornamental flowers, a work-zone consisting of pottery studio, creative office space and crafts centre, plus additional land for commercial vegetable production protected by shade-cloth.

This zone contains the Tea Bungalow, with further accommodation for volunteers or visitors in two double rooms and a single, plus the use of large outdoor verandah space. Located in the centre of the estate, the building is well situated for access to the various hiking trails, down to the River, up the Ridge or into the Banyan Tree zone.