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Aden in the treetopsused to be a ricketyDIY thing thrown to-

gether in the summer with afew spare planks. Every kidwho didn't have a big garden(and an industrious parent)dreamed of one. Enid Blytonunderstood the significanceof the treehouse, even the fic-tional variety, in the lives ofchildren. In Well Done, SecretSeven, Peter, Janet, Jack, Bar-bara, Pam, Colin and Georgehad a super den in the WindyWoods where they downed or-angeade and biscuits. Withtreehouse hotels tapping intoa lucrative branch of hospi-tality, these arboreal hide-outs are no longer just forkids.

After all, who can resistthe chirping of birds, thecreaking of branches and thesound of the wind whistlingthrough the leaves? Especial-ly when there's the option ofretreating to an aircondi-tioned space when you've hadenough of fresh, clean air.

While most Indian tree-house hotels are not super-luxurious, they have all themod cons. And they definite-ly don't look as if a team ofelves (or the Swiss FamilyRobinson) had hammeredthem together. Most of themcould sit as comfortably onthe ground as they do nestledamong branches. TOI-Crestlooks skyward. . .Tranquil resort-planta-tion hideaway, Wayanad,KeralaThere's no way a guest herewon't sleep like a log. Afterall, there's a gulmohar trunkgrowing through the bed-room and the delicious smellof vanilla wafting throughthe air. Located on a privatecoffee and vanilla plantationin the picturesque Wayanaddistrict of northern Kerala,

Tranquil Resort's main at-traction is a 500-sq-ft TreeHouse perched 35 feet high.There's also the bigger TreeVilla which can house a fam-ily of four. It's insect-proof,says Ajay Mathulla, wholooks after both the planta-tions and the resort. "Whileeveryone loves the elements,no one really wants to sharetheir room with leeches andcreepy crawlies from therainforest." Tranquil alsotries to achieve the intimacyof a home-stay with the own-ers, Victor and Ranjini Dey,welcoming guests personally.Home-cooked meals are tak-en around a big communal ta-ble in a beautifully restoredbungalow. The food and des-serts have been rated quitehighly by everyone who'sbeen there. Those who don'tjust want to relax by the poolor enjoy a massage have theoption of lovely treks (try theBraveheart Trail) around the400-acre estate. Or, ask for aplantation visit to learn howcoffee is picked. An hour'sdrive away is the Pookotelake where boating facilitiesare available and closer stillis the Muthanga wildlifesanctuary.

is KochiDoubles: Rs 9,500 (includingbreakfast)

Sunset Bay, SrirangapatnamConvinced that treehousetariffs are as high as theabode? Here's a budget optionjust half an hour's drive fromthe busy Bangalore-Mysorehighway. Located 140 kmfrom Bangalore, this smallretreat is aptly named as ithas a nice view of the sunsetfrom across the K R SagarDam reservoir. There arethree treehouses at SunsetBay, each with its own sit-outfacing the water. You can en-joy the water better by kayak-ing or just lazing by the banksin a bid to catch a fish or two.

As dusk falls, guests cansnuggle by the bonfire andthen retire to minimally yettastefully decorated rooms.There is an attached bath-room but no airconditioning.Meals are simple affairs. Therenowned Brindavan Gar-dens are a few minutes walkfrom Sunset Bay, while My-sore city itself is not toomuch farther. That makesSunset Bay ideal as a base toexplore Mysore.Tree house inland:Rs 3,500 (including break-fast).Tree house by the water:Rs 4,000 (including break-fast). Meals: Rs 200 for nonveg, Rs 150 for veg

is wrapped around a mahuatree. The bar is well-equippedthough there is the option ofsampling the local tipple - ma-hua wine. There are bonfiresevery night. And if you'refeeling adventurous in themorning, safaris are ar-ranged with experiencedguides. The resident natural-ist will help you spot a tiger. Ifluck isn't on your side, thereare sloth bears, mongooses,antelopes and many speciesof birds. The national park opens onOctober 15

Rainforest Boutique Hotel, Athirapally, KeralaLocated at the foot of the Ath-irapally Falls, this treehousewill make you feel as if younever want to come down toearth. The lush green of therainforest and the exhilarat-ing sight of the 80-foot-highwaterfall is quite an experi-ence. Imagine going to sleeplistening to water gushingover rocks and waking up tothe chatter of exotic birds.This boutique hotel is one ofMani Rathnam's favouriteplaces to shoot with scenes inboth Guru and Raavan shothere. The treehouse itself(there's only one) is a fusionof nature with modern archi-tecture. Designed by a Swissarchitect, it has been engi-neered such that it allows thetree to grow.Getting there: Closest airport

25,000 for weekends. Break-fast and dinner includedCamp Canopy (two adults):Rs 10,000 for weekdays and Rs12,000 for weekends

Treehouse hideaway,Bandhavgarh

Nestled among mahuaand banyan trees in the Band-havgarh National Park arefive treehouses that bring thejungle right till your room.The arboreal abodes have bigbalconies which are a greatplace to welcome the morn-ing with the forest waking upbefore you. Even the recep-tion is up in a treehouse, withan open-air dining area that

With only 12 to 14 guests stay-ing there at any time, thereare almost two acres of greenspace for every guest. Greenis also a philosophy at Ma-chan, which relies solely onrenewable energy and con-tributes part of the tariff toconservation.

This treehouse hotel defi-nitely isn't for those who arelooking to party. The roomsdon't even have a TV, just amusic system and an iPoddock. Food is home-style Indi-an cuisine, but, as Hoojapoints out, "even dal-chaawaltastes great in the jungle".

Machan (up to six adults):Rs 20,000 for weekdays and Rs

father couldn't get it freesometimes, so we decided toturn it into a hotel some 11months ago," he says.

This vertiginous accom-modation is 45 feet above theground and is built along awild fig tree. The views fromboth the Machan and thesmaller Camp Canopy arespectacular, with the valleyfalling away dramatically be-low. The forest in Jambulne isevergreen and Machan has anaturalist who takes guestson guided treks. So be pre-pared to look down that rab-bit hole and spot the barkingdeer who have made the 25-acre property their home.

Doubles in the Treehouse:Rs 12,450 (meals included)

The Machan, LonavalaThe Machan started as aweekend home for the Hoojafamily. It's now transformedinto a popular getaway forMumbaikars and Puneiiteswho're looking for peace andquiet. "It's only for those whotruly love nature," warns Va-run Hooja, who quit his con-sulting job at Accenture tolook after the property. Thetreehouse, a cleverly de-signed structure that has on-ly two supports and is held upsuspension bridgestyle, wasbuilt by his father. "Friendskept borrowing it. Even my

POSH PERCHESWe've all hankered after a den in the treetops. It's timeto go out on a limb and embrace a lofty new concept.

Forget about room service, though.

BOUGH WOW: The Machan nearAmby Valley is for nature buffswho don’t mind the absence of TVand bad mobile connectivity

Neelam Raaj TNN

HIGH TIME: Tiger safaris, bonfires and mahua wine..what more can atraveller ask for?

While most Indiantreehouse hotels are notsuper-luxurious, theyhave all the mod cons.And they definitely don’tlook as if a team of elves(or the Swiss FamilyRobinson) hadhammered themtogether

TIMES TRENDS 17THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAIMONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2011

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A kiosk that scans facesto recommend snacks

Anew kiosk developed by Kraft scans yourface and according to your gender and

age, recommends snack or dinner options.Using anonymous video analytics (AVA), thekiosk categorizes the customer into genderand demographic groups in order to makesuggestion, reports Discovery News. So ahungry 16-year-old boy might be suggested aMcDonald’s burger while a family would besuggested to get a family pasta dinner. Andaccording to Kraft, the kiosk’s dinnersuggestions are absolutely healthy.

Saturn’s moon could support life:Saturnian moon Enceladus may have a fizzyocean capable of harbouring life, suggests newdata from Nasa’s Cassini spacecraft. Thefindings could explain the vast icy plumes ofwater that spray into space through fissures –known as tiger stripes – on the moon’s frozensurface. Lead Cassini planetary scientistDennis Matson from Nasa’s Jet PropulsionLaboratory said the team was surprised to findthat the moon is covered with geysers shootingplumes of vapour.

Less time with fathers makes kids bullies:Children who feel they do not get to spendsufficient time with their fathers are morelikely to become bullies, new researchsuggests. “Our behaviour is driven by ourperception of our world, so if children feel theyare not getting enough time and attention fromparents then those feelings have to gosomewhere and it appears in interaction withtheir peers,” said Vanderbilt Universitysociologist Andre Christie-Mizell. For theresearch, Christie-Mizell studied 687 childrenaged between 10 to 14 years.

SHORT CUTS

Soon, a bandage that clots bloodLondon: Coming soon: Achemical bandage whichwould help save lives on thebattlefield by instantly help-ing to clot blood and staunchwounds, say scientists.

A team at Edinburgh Uni-versity, which is developing

such a bandage, has already

discovered a group of poly-mers — molecules used in themanufacture of plastics —which could accelerate thecrucial clotting properties ofblood platelets.

The polymers could havesignificant use in battlefieldconditions as they can besprayed on to bandages andapplied directly to an injury

to instantly begin coagulation

process, say the scientists.

The problem of treating

battlefield wounds remains a

major challenge with “bleed-ing out” — the loss of toomuch blood to sustain pres-sure and heartbeat — one ofthe major causes of death af-ter injury.

The polymers could alsohave a much wider use in

civilian life if incorporatedinto the sticking plasters com-monly used to stop blood flowfrom cuts and other injuries,the Scotsman reported.

Using a new identification

technique, the scientists test-ed huge numbers of polymer

combinations for more than

12 months before pinpointing

the few types which have thekey characteristics needed to

kick-start the healing process.Lead scientist Professor

Mark Bradley said the poly-

mers have practical applica-tions in both military andcivilian situations.

“Polymers can beprocessed on to a bandage or

even a mesh, similar to thatused in a plaster, to stop thegauze adhering to the scab, tostart clotting process. Hope-fully, you would be able towhip out a packet of bandag-es that would immediatelystaunch the blood from thewound,” he said.

The team used technology

similar to that incorporatedin inkjet printers to mix

the materials to create thethousands of polymers need-ed to find the ones with theright qualities.

The new process developed

at the university allows up to2,000 polymers to be tested asquickly as it took to test fivebefore. The polymers werethen sprayed onto glass plateswhere they were placed incontact with blood platelets.

Professor Bradley said:“We then took this very largenumber of polymers andadded platelets, the materialsin our body that coagulate andstop bleeding.

“The idea was that byadding blood, we could iden-tify which of these polymersthe platelets were, firstly, bind-ing to, and, secondly, were be-ing activated by — that is tosay to start forming the fibresthat seal up the wound, ” pro-fessor Bradley added. PTI

It Could Help Save Lives On Battlefield And Also Be Widely Used In Civilian Life

Jarring notes: Poor taste inmusic can ruin a relationshipLondon: A bad taste in mu-sic can really ruin a rela-tionship, say researchers.

A new study has revealedthat music actually predictssexual attraction – in fact,music functions as a

“badge” that people use tonot only judge others, but atthe same time, to expresstheir own ideas.

For their study, the re-searchers examined the linkbetween identity, music andwhat makes people “click”.The study, published in the‘Psychology of Music’ jour-nal, explored what it’s aboutwhy people like, what peoplelike, and perhaps more im-portantly, how this can makeor break a relationship.

During adolescence, mu-sic becomes a symbol of one’sidentity to help one belong.This symbol of identity alsohelps one strike a balance be-tween belonging but also be-ing original, the study found.

The researchers believethat rock is associated with

social awareness and rebel-liousness while pop is con-nected to values about gen-der roles and conformity.They discovered that peoplewho like jazz, classical andfolk are liberal and more open

to experiences.The study also found that

a woman’s devotion to coun-try music diminishes her at-

tractiveness to a potentialmale mate and a man’s in-terest in country music makehim less attractive to women.

It also found that menwere more strongly attract-ed to women with whom

they shared musical tastes.But for women, this had onlya ‘negligible effect’ on theirattraction to men. PTI

This car won’t allow drunk drivingBoston: Future technology may putthe brakes on drunk drivers and savemany lives as researchers in Mass-achusetts are developing a system

that will prevent a car from starting

if the driver’s blood alcohol level ishigher than the legal limit.

The new technology, known asthe Driver Alcohol Detection Sys-tems for Safety, would use sensorsthat would measure blood alcoholcontent of the driver in two possi-ble ways – by analysing a driver’sbreath or through the skin, using

sophisticated touch-based sensorssituated in places like steeringwheels and door locks. If the system

detects the blood alcohol content ina person to be above the legal limitof .08, the vehicle would not start.

The technology, being developedby research and development fa-cility QinetiQ North America Incin conjunction with companies in

Sweden and New Mexico, would beoptional for car manufacturers.

QinetiQ engineers said that un-like court-ordered breath-analyserignition locks, which require a

driver to blow into a tube and waita few seconds for the result, theirnew systems will analyse a driver’sblood-alcohol content in less than

one second. PTI

Cellphone offers clue to your personalityMelbourne: Believe it or not, mo-bile phones say quite a lot abouttheir owners, says a new study.

Social analyst David Chalke saida person’s mobile phone could giveoutsiders insight into their atti-tudes towards work, rest and play.

“Twenty years ago when yousaid ‘your phone’, you meant thewhite Telecom commander on thewall in the kitchen, but it doesn’tmean that at all now it means your

social accessory. In fact, a researchby Roy Morgan revealed most at-tributes differed between owners of

mobile phone brands.The iPhone users thinks com-

puters give them control over theirlives. “iPhone is the Alfa Romeo,”Chalke said. SonyEricsson users likea full social life. LG users are women

aged 14 to 24. Samsung users tend tobe conservative dressers over 50.“Samsung is the Daihatsu.” Black-berry users are high-earners aged35 to 49. Nokia users are unlikely tobe aged 14 to 24 and less likely to haveplayed arcade video games in the pastthree months, according to him.“Nokia is the security blanket.” PTI

For the busy bee, time really stretchesLondon: People with busylives don’t necessarily livelonger, but they might feelas if they do, an Indian-ori-gin researcher-led study hasclaimed. Maneesh Sahaniand colleagues at Universi-ty College London havefound that our brains usethe world around us to keep

track of time, and the morethere is going on, the slow-er time feels.

Brains were thought tomeasure time by using

some kind of internal clockthat generates events at a

relatively regular rate.To test whether external

stimuli might also play a

role in our ability to processtime, the researchersshowed 20 subjects a videoof either a randomly chang-ing stimulus — statistical-ly modelled on the way thatthings naturally changerandomly in the worldaround us — or a static im-age, for a set period of time.

When asked to judge howmuch time had passed, sub-

jects who’d been shown themoving stimulus were sig-nificantly more accurate.The volunteers were alsoshown the video at two dif-ferent speeds and asked torate the duration of each clip.

They thought both clipslasted same amount oftime, even though faster

version was shorter. The re-sults show brain exploitschanges in visual informa-tion to judge time. PTI

Man’s arm is short cut to his heart

London: Ladies, forget flut-tering your eyelashes or flick-ing your hair. The quickestway for a woman to gain aman’s interest is by gentlytouching his arm, say psy-chologists. As part of their

study, researchers recruited a

20-year-old woman to approach64 young, single males chosenat random in a bar.

She asked each of them tohelp her get a key into a key

ring. During half the encoun-ters, the woman then touchedthe man for one or two secondson his forearm before thanking

him and returning to her table.Researchers found a third

of the men who had been

touched struck up a conversa-tion with the woman, but thatonly 16% tried to talk to her ifthey had no physical contact.

“Numerous researchershave found that such brief non-verbal contact significantly in-creases compliance,” Dr Nico-las Gueguen from the Univer-sity of South Brittany, who ledthe study, said. ANI

TIMELY HELP: The bandageuses a group of polymers thataccelerate the crucial clottingproperties of blood platelets OUT OF TUNE: A new study says that music predicts sexual

attraction – it functions as a ‘badge’ that people use to notonly judge others, but also to express their own ideas

BLAME IT ON BRAIN: Themore there is going onaround us, the slower timefeels, says a new study

PUTTING BRAKES ON DUI: The system will prevent the car from starting if thedriver’s blood alcohol level is higher than the legal limit

OWNER’S CALL: A person’s cellphonegives outsiders insight into herattitudes towards work, rest andplay, says a new study