Dream Vacation in South India.....KERALA

Kerala, a magic land of wonders and wonderful people

The land is blessed with Golden beaches, Crisscrossing backwaters, Verdant hills , Lush green ubiquitous coconut groves, Palm fringed canals , rich and versatile culture. All these beautiful and ratified circumstances make the land as God’s Own Land.Kerala is covered in between Western Ghats and the beaches of Arebian Sea with area 38,990sq km and 26 million people. Kerala is a unique destination in India for ayurvadic herbal massage, houseboats kettuvallam on Backwaters, The martial art, the spctual dance drama(Kath kali) and Elephant March with hundred of caparisoned elephant lined up. Kerala tourism is further supported by colorful festivals, exotic Kerala culinary and a friendly and educated people who greet you with genuine smiles wherever you go. Calm beaches with clear blue sea, rolling hill with green tea plantation, bird sanctuaries, wildlife and much more attract the visitor in Kerala. Ecotourism in Kerala and bird sanctuaries in Kerala offer adventure rock climbing, mountain biking and chances for trekking, stays in tree houses, bird watching trails, enjoying the forest and wildlife. Centers for naturopathy, yoga and meditation, ayurvedic treatment centers help in growing tourism in Kerala.

Kerala Backwaters

It is an inland lake covered by a network of rivers. It covered with 1900 kms area and palm trees on the sidesBackwater Attractions:Kuttanad region. Here farming is done below the sea level: This has been made possible with a system of dykes and bunds.Vembanad Lake. It flows through the three districts of Alappuzha Kottayam and Kochi.

Ashtamudi Lake: It covers most portions of Kollam district and the second largest backwater lake in the state.The Backwater Boat RaceBoat race is a important event in Kerala. It started on the most auspicious day of the onam festival. Each of the long boats resembling snakes has 120 competitors giving their best to win top honors. Tourists from all over the country throng these backwaters to witness the thrilling boat race.The Backwater boathousesExcellent facilities of the boathouse of the backwater attract the tourist from all over the world. it provides the lifetime experience to visitors who stay for few days in backwater houseboats. These acute boathouses have excellent roofing, flooring and side walls. The rooms are spacious, attached toilets are provided; facilities for dining and cooking are also provided. Professional cooks are engaged to serve the esteemed guest with delicious cuisines - both local and others. Many different packages are offered to suit the needs of different tourists.

Kerala Beachs:-
The 590 kilometers long coastline on India’s southwestern corner has endowed with unique geographical features and enriched with tradition and customs. Most of the beaches are sandy and open throughout. Kerala’s coast –bordered on the east by towering Western Ghats and interspersed with the amazing backwaters for much of its length, has attracted peoples through the ages. The ubiquitous coconut trees are one over riding features in the beaches.The beaches of Malabar resonate with history. The long serrated coastline of kerala provide unique ambiance of virgin beachs. Never ending spread of green fronds by the blue sea is the most common visual along the coast line. Most of the coastal areas are villages. So you can feel the innocent smile from every face .

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary Tours: Periyar national park and tiger Reserve are the most popular wildlife sanctuaries of the India. It’s One of India's most popular wildlife sanctuaries, Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve is situated in Kerala. The park is in the cardamom hill ranges in Western Ghats of the state. Though a tiger reserve, people come here in large numbers also to have a look at the huge elephants. Also known as Thekkady Tiger Reserve, Periyar is one of the 16 Project Tiger Reserves of the country. Tourists visit here between the months of October and June.Connectivity:Travel by air: Either Cochin (200 kms distance) or Madurai (140 kms) in Tamil Nadu. Travel by Rail: The nearest railhead is at Kottayam at a distance of 114 kms.Kumily is the nearest town from Periyar. Kumily is well served by both state transport and private buses from many different locations of the state. Kumily has transpired as a major tourist hub in recent times due to the presence of the park.

Kerala cuisine is generally rich in nutrients and extremely good in taste. The different varieties cuisine of KeralaPootuPulaos, Pilaffs and Biriyanis,Iddlis and Dosas,Sambar,Thorans,Avial,Olen,Banana Chips,Stew.

Kerala Festivals

Annual Pooram festival in Kerala: Pooram is a remarkable event when the gods and goddess arrive on splendidly adorned tuskers for a celebration. The festival is a spectacle of magnificence and majesty. Ten to hundred caparisoned tuskers stand in front of the temple premises with the mahouts atop holding ornate silk umbrellas, white tufts and peacock feather fans, all swaying to the rhythm of the music.

More about Kerala...www.morningkerala.com

Memories on backwater ........!!!

It was a rainy day when we started out to Cochin.

Our flight was running late by two hours and we were tired with our early wake up at 4 AM. Got down in Cochin around 4 PM. It was pouring heavily in Cochin. We stared out to Kumarakom on a Prepaid Taxi. I had a bad feeling that I drive badly. Man! I was waiting to get to Kumarakom to be released from the Car. He drove at an alarming speed. Apart from that, the drive was pleasant. We traveled through the city of Cochin as the airport is way far from the city. After 30 minutes into the drive, we started sighting the Cocunut trees.
The coconut tree is an integral part of the landscape of Kerala, they are also an important part of the cuisine of Kerala. We reached Cherthala around 5.15 PM. Kumarakom is 12 Miles from Cherthala. We reached in Kumarakom at five past 6 PM. Mr.Sasi was waiting for us. As soon as we got down of the Taxi, we were transferred onto another car to be transported to the House Boat. We reached House Boat in little less than five minutes.
The house boat is a huge boat with three operating crew. Madhu introduced himself as the captain of the boat. The name of our boat was ‘Kailasam-II’. It has a small Bedroom with an attached bathroom and a parlor on the deck where we spent most of our time. The bedroom is equipped with a full size bed, air-conditioner, Television and a DVD Player. The crew started propelling the boat as soon as we settled down. Madhu steered through the canals. Myself and Kavi are amazed with the extravagant view of the lake and its surroundings. Vasu bought us steaming coffee, which felt like a potent after a tiring flight.The Kerala Backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes (including Ashtamudi Kayal and Vembanad Kayal) linked by 1500 km of canals, both manmade and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually the entire length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range. Vembanad lake is the largest of the lakes, covering an area of 200 sq km, and bordered by Alappuzha (Alleppey), Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. Kumarakom is a cluster of little islands on the Vembanad Lake. Before the trucks became popular, the main cargo transportation was through backwaters by 'Kettuvalloms'. Kettuvallom loosely translated means: ‘tied boat’. They can be as long as 70 foot, with a 30 ton capacity, made with wooden planks joined and tied together with coconut ropes and painted with cashew nut oil outside.An amazing feature of the land surrounding the waterways is that it is below sea level. The seasoned farmers along the upper reaches of Lake Vembanad have developed ingenious methods to reclaim the backwaters temporarily for growing rice below sea level by creating a network of mud bunds and using traditional water pumping system. We passed by settlements where people live on a small plot of reclaimed land with their chickens, cattle and little gardens. They earn a living by fishing, rice farming, making coir fabric from coconut husks and boat building. They sail to work on their own boats and canoes. Madhu was waving hands to a few people across the banks during our cruise. While we were enjoying the exquisite Kerala backwaters, it got dark. I could not stop clicking my camera for the past hour. It is a different world on the canals of Lake Vembanad as it gets dark. The Boating restriction is set to 6PM to allow the fishermen at night. But, we had the wonderful opportunity to cruise through the canals after six, as we were late getting on the boat. Birds started reaching their nest. As it is Onam season in Kerala, we saw houses illuminated with oil lamps across the banks of the canal. People across the banks were watching through and waving hands. They looked very cordial and humble. Then madhu decided to steer back on the same course. We saw small canoes with fisherman getting ready for the nightly work. As it got dark, we were not able to see the canal route. Vasu got the lantern and kept it moving, making it easy for madhu to see the route. After a while, Madhu decided to stop the boat for a night halt. He slowly loosened the heavy anchor. It was around 7.30 PM. Madhu asked for our usual Dinner schedule. We decided on vegetarian. At sharp 9 PM, we dined with freshly rolled thin chapathis (wheat flat bread) with green beans curry sautéed with shredded coconut, Potato curry with masala and mushroom curry. We were also provided with a lime pickle upon my request. It was a perfect dinner for the location. Then we retired to our only room.We woke up before dawn eager to get a glimpse of morning sunrise. We saw fishermen busy with their work. People are getting up with their daily routine at the village across the banks. Madhu served us steaming coffee. We enjoyed the morning sunrise while madhu and team steered the boat towards the lake vembanad. The breakfast was served around 8 AM. The Poori and Bhaji was delicious. Madhu gave us a brief intro about Lake Vembanad and its surroundings. There are many Chinese fishing nets along the banks of Lake Vembanad. The Chinese fishing nets are fixed land installations. Each structure is at least 10m high and comprises a cantilever with an outstretched net suspended over the sea and large stones suspended from ropes as counterweights at the other end. Each installation is operated by a team of up to six fishermen. The system is sufficiently balanced that the weight of a man walking along the main beam is sufficient to cause the net to descend into the sea. The net is left for a short time, possibly just a few minutes, before it is raised by pulling on ropes. The catch is usually modest: a few fish.We were back to the Jetty around 9 AM. It was raining heavily. It was an wonderful experience aboard Kailasam. We headed back to the hotel. That day we took off to Kottayam for shopping. My dad always keep saying about Kottayam from his experiences from the trip to Holy Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala. I felt a homely experience in the town. We had an early flight on 13th August around 6AM. So we slept early. Kerala is a great place to visit. Thanks to Sasi and the boat crew for our everlasting memoirs. I remember reading something like this: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

Tiger trial

Periyar Tiger Trail
The Forest department of Kerala initiated a unique project in Periyar. Former Poachers are given the chance to secure their families an honest income, by guiding travellers as well-informed leaders through the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. A combination with three beneficiaries: The first is of course the nature. The various flora and fauna does not only lose their direct threat by the illegal trade with protected animals and plants, it is now actively protected and retained by the former intruders. Furthermore the guides. People who, out of misery, tried to live from the exploitation of nature, are now able to use their knowledge in a respected occupation to protect nature.And last but not least, the guests. Finally it is you who profits from the deep knowledge of the guides and the intact natural beauty.For those who want to immerse into the exciting nature in Periyar the three-day-long hiking trip is recommended. A first “taste of the wild” is possible with only one overnight as well. The hiking starts at 8 o'clock in any case. Your first day begins with a trek to the insides of the Sanctuary. On the paths of the poachers or following animal´s tracks you are winding your way into the wilderness. Native birds as well as wild pigs, giant squirrels, Indian goats, perhaps even a herd of elephant cross your sight. In the afternoon you reach your first camp. Near a water place the tents are pitched and you can recollect the impressions of the first stage during a freshly prepared, vegetarian lunch. Afterwards you can once again go deerstalking to see sambar deer and other animals on the grasslands. When you have seen enough, you will come back to the tents, where dinner is already waiting for you. If you only wanted to catch a first glimpse your way back to civilisation will start today after breakfast. Through the misty hills and accompanied by innumerable bird voices you slowly re-emerge from the adventure. Around 11 o'clock you reach the starting point. For all those who want to immerge a bit further, the day begins with hot tea/coffee served in the sleeping bag and an investigation walk before the breakfast. In the dawn the chances to discover also shy animals are high. Your guides know, where they have to search for them. After breakfast your trek continues through the woods towards the next campsite. Enjoy the view over the lake and your lunch, before you are going again for deerstalking. After proving what you’ve learned from your guides so far, you can watch them preparing the dinner or simply enjoy the starlit sky. Let the nocturnal sounds of the jungle lull you to sleep, and freshly start your way back the next morning. You can slowly leave the exotic meetings and discoveries behind and around 11 o'clock you are back to civilization again. This elaborate program for the long-term protection of the 777 km² large protected area, limits the number of participants of the Periyar Tiger Trail to 20 persons per week and a maximum of 5 persons at the same time. Thus it is prevented that the positive effect of the project is nullified. Apart from the protection of nature, high attention is also paid to the safety of the guests. The guides are equipped for emergencies and provided with modern communication facilities. A guard provides security in the night and nothing protects more effectively than the experience of the former poachers in handling wild animals. If you are interested in a unique nature experience, the Periyar Tiger Trail is just perfect for you. You should however be physically fit for a five hours walk without luggage.
For those who prefer the amenities of a hotel to the starlit sky, there is the possibility to undertake half-day trips into the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary aswell.
Deer-stalking with poachers. Sambar Deer, elephants, tigers. Three days in Periyar. You care for the alternative

I got to ride an elephant

An amazing place in the mountains of Southern India, Kerala. Beautiful people, mountains, village, shopping.
Ever since I got to ride an elephant at a circus when I was six, I've wanted to travel somewhere to see elephants in the wild. Thekkady just might be the place!
elena