Alappuzha [ Alleppey ]

'Raibans' was the name of the hotel where stayed in Alappuzha. After a brief rest we were taken to the Alappuzha Beach and stayed there till late evening. Apart from the beach  and backwater tour we were too tired to go for any other sight seeing.

Alappuzha

Alappuzha is considered to be the oldest planned town in this region and the lighthouse built on the coast of the town is the first of its kind along the Laccadive Sea coast. As per 2001 census Alappuzha is the sixth largest city in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029. Alappuzha is situated 62 kilometres to the south of Kochi and 155 kilometres  north of Trivandrum. A town with picturesque canals, backwaters, beaches, and lagoons, it was described as the one of the places known as the "Venice of the East" by Lord Curzon. Malayalam is the most spoken language. Hindi, English and Tamil are also widely spoken in the town.

The name Alappuzha is derived from the geographical position and physical features of the place. It means the land between the sea and network of rivers flowing into it. The district is bounded on the north by Kochi and Kanayannur taluks of Ernakulam district, on the east by Vaikom, Kottayam and Changanassery taluks of Kottayam district and Thiruvalla, Kozhencherry and Adoor taluks of Pathanamthitta district, on the South by Kunnathur and Karunagappally taluks of Kollam district and on the west by Laccadive Sea.

Alappuzha is referred to as the Venice of the East by travellers from across the world. This Backwater Country is also home to diverse animal and bird life. By virtue of its proximity to the sea, the town has always enjoyed a unique place in the maritime history of Kerala.

!!!Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.- William Hazlitt!!!

Kerala - Backwaters Journey - II !!!

Backwaters in Kerala is a network of 1500 km of canals both manmade and natural, 38 rivers and 5 big lakes extending from one end of Kerala to the other.

We only experienced the pleasure to boating in Kochi and Allapy Backwaters but there are some other for tourist those are visiting some other places. However there are no doubt that the most beautiful and accessible part of the back waters is the Vembanad backwater stretch located in districts of Ernakulam, Alapuzha and Kottayam area. Vembanadu lake is the the longest lake in South Asia and listed as prestigious Ramsar sites, with rich bio-diversity. The north Vembanadu lake opens to sea at Cochin habour. The Cochin coast is dotted with numerous islands interconnected by ferries and bridges, adorning the Queen of the Arabian Sea like a necklace of pearls.

Kasargod backwaters in Kerala offer holiday of a lifetime. The bewitching sunset on a Chandragiri cruise is an idyllic experience. One of the top draws of this journey is a ride on the Kettuvallam or the knot-boats.

The unexplored backwaters of Kozikode are popular for boating and water sports. Kozhikode is known for its historic buildings, beautiful green countryside, beautiful beach, hospitality and cosmopolitan culture.

Kumarakom backwater in Kerala is an enamoring site with its exotic bionetwork. The extensive paddy fields, luxuriant mangrove forests and coconut woods, white lilies and variety of natural elements of the Kumarakom backwater is a must visit on Kerala backwater tours.

Thiruvallam is a popular Kerala backwater tour destination. It is at the confluence of the two rivers, Killi and Karamana that Thiruvallam stands and the backwaters here are more special because of having been fed by them. The natural beauty of the region is enhanced by these river banks.

The second most visited backwater region is Astamudi Lake located in district in Kollam. This is one of the largest fresh-water lake in India, with numerous navigable canals and rivers interconnecting almost all regions of south Kerala. The Astamudi is also home of several endangered marine species.

The third backwater region is located at Kannur-Valiyaparambu Backwaters located in districts of Kannur and Kasargod, which is least exploited, though it offers amazing natural beauty and presence of numerous small uninhabited islands.

Apart from these three major backwater regions, smaller lagoons could be find in almost all coastal districts of Kerala. The popular options are Thiruvallam Lagoons and Akkulam-Veli Backwaters located in Thiruvananthapuram district. Whereas former is a religious destination, latter is famous for its large eco-tourist project, the Akkulam Tourist Village.

!!!Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life. – Jack Kerouac !!!

Kerala - Backwaters Journey - I !!!

October 15th was indeed a special day for me. After reaching Kottayam jetty, we boarded into a big launch. The whole boat hired for our group only. As boat sailed, I took the upper deck for better view. Immediately we served with vegetable fried rice and chilly chicken and for me it was egg because since 20 years I stopped eating all sorts of meat. The sight was unbelievable, nature at its best.

Kottayam to Allapy

Backwaters

Backwaters of Kerala are made up of over 900 km of interconnected waterways, rivers, lakes and inlets. The backwaters of Kerala are marked by a unique ecosystem wherein lagoons, lakes, canals, estuaries and deltas of several rivers meet the Arabian Sea.

While hill resorts and beaches can be found in several parts of India, the backwaters are found only in Kerala. The Kerala backwater tours offer a perfect blend of scenic attractions and tranquility. One can travel on a traditional houseboat and enjoy the beauty of Kerala backwaters which make their way through a number of towns and cities.

Some of the popular destinations for Kerala Backwater tours are:

Kochi is one of the most visited Kerala Backwater destinations. We were there for few hours. Many backwater cruises begin or end in Cochin. Kerala backwater tourist attractions of Cochin can be enjoyed while staying at hotel or by staying at backwater houseboats while on Kerala backwater tours.

Alappuzha is a district of immense natural beauty. The best companion for exploring this place is the Kerala backwater houseboat. One can enjoy touring the attraction of Alappuzha in Kerala Backwaters India. Alappuzha is also famous for the Snake Boat Races held every year on Onam festival.

The Kerala backwaters around Kollam, which extend from the Ashthamudi Lake, are mesmerizing. The boat rides on the sun-kissed water scores brownie points with most of the tourists visiting the Kollam backwaters. The splendid town of Kollam is renowned for being the gateway to the beautiful backwaters of Kerala. The backwater tour from Kollam to Alappuzha is the longest backwater tour in Kerala.

!!!A traveler without observation is a bird without wings – Moslih Eddin Saadi!!

Kumily to Kottayam!!!

On 15^th October, we supposed to leave for Kottayam and I was looking forward to it. This eagerness was for the travel by boat on the backwaters from Kottayam to Allepey.

Kottayam is located nearly west side to Kumily. Road Distance or driving distance from Kottayam to Kumily is 107 kms and out bus was not moving in great speed.The climate was moderate and pleasant.

Kottayam district has acquired its name from the Kottayam town which is the headquarters of the district. It is believed that the name Kottayam is derived from the combination of Malayalam words kott (fort) and akam (inside), and could be translated as "the interior of the fort"

 Kumily to Kottayam

Kottayam is one of the larger towns in Kerala, it is located near to Kochi. The city is India's first 100% literate city, also known as Letter Capital of Kerala, due to headquarters of more than a dozen publishing houses and newspaper companies as well as several famous colleges and university. The city is one of the strongest  centers of Kerala's indigenous Church, the Malankara Orthodox Church, a major non-catholic church.

The Kodimatha Boat Jetty is one of popular means of transport for the tourists of Kottayam. The Kottayam city in Kerala is famous for its enchanting backwaters, a viable means of water transport. There are a number of boat jetties in the city that are used by tourists and travelers for commuting from one place to another, Kodimatha Boat Jetty is one among them.

Daily ferry services operate from the Kodimatha boat Jetty in Kottayam and take the visitors through the backwaters of Kerala. Dolphin Tourist boat service offers daily trip to the important tourist places from the Kodimatha Boat Jetty. The boat jetty is built on the Kodoor River. A number of operators provide boats for different types of backwater tours from Kodimatha boat Jetty.

The trip from Kodimatha Boat Jetty is very fascinating and intriguing. Moving softly on the exquisite boats, tourists can enjoy the beauty of the palm trees and ancient buildings. From this boat jetty, tourists can reach various destinations like Kovalam, Kumarakom Alleppey and Nedumudi.

Kottayam Jetty

 By 11am we reached at Kottayam Jetty. We supposed to hire a boat from Government ferry services which would ferry us to Allepey.

!!!There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign. – Robert Louis!!!

Kumily - Spies Garden

Next day it was relieving rest till afternoon and after lunch we were taken to a nearby spice garden named ‘Munnor Spies Garden’. A guide was provided to us and we have to choose walk around or take an elephant ride. I preferred to walk around to get a closer look. 

Kumily boasts of lush greenery, waterfalls, spice gardens and wildlife reserves. The town is located close to other tourist destinations in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. One of the major spices produced in the area is cardamom. The variety, Cardamom Small, botanically known as Elettaria Cardamom, is the one that is mostly grown here. Kerala contributes about 70 percent of the national production of cardamom with the major chunk coming from the plantations of Kumily. As you take a walk along the paths in the garden,  the thing that strikes you first is the lingering aroma in the air. All of it was very new to us, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon or cardamom and coffee. The geographical and climatic peculiarities of Kumily such as the cool climate and its elevation from the sea level make it ideal for spice cultivation.

The pepper plantations are something else that are worth seeing. The sunlight seeping through the shapely leaves of the pepper plants is an alluring sight. Most hotels and travel agencies conduct tours to spice plantations. Some plantations in Kumily have guest houses which tourists can use with prior permission from the owners.It is a great feeling to get up at dawn in the lap of Nature, smelling the fresh, aromatic air - almost like waking up in a green paradise that is far removed from our flawed planet.

Apart from being enjoyable, these plantation tours give tourists an insight into the growing, harvesting and processing of spices. The peeling and drying of cinnamon, and the painstaking task of hand-pollination of vanilla can be observed on such trips.There are various places close to Kumily that are well-known for their sprawling cardamom plantations. These include places like Chakkupallam, Anakkara and Vandanmedu. The spices collected from Kumily like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and so on are used for flavouring food as well as for preserving it. They also add nutritional value to food.

Various parts of the plant like the dried seed, the fruit, the root, the bark and the vegetative substance are used in the industries of cosmetics and perfumery. Some spices like turmeric have high medicinal value and also have an important place in Hindu religious rituals. Garlic and ginger are two other spices that have medicinal value. They are also used as preservatives. The main tourist attraction in Kumily is its spice market. Spices are the main things to buy in Kumily. In the evening we too ventured for some spice shop to purchase various spices and price was comparatively cheap from we pay here.

!!!Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail – Ralph Waldo Emerson!!!