Kerala Backwaters...Calm, Serene, Majestic...Tranquil !!
A rubber Plantation
Periyar River
Munnar
On the banks of Mattupetty Dam, Munnar.
Echo Point, Munnar, just before sunset.
The monsoon in Kerala
Mohiniyattam Performance
Kummatty is vitual folk form that can be seen in Thrissur during Onam season....kizhakkumpattukara village is the most famous place of kummatty....
A Kettuvallom slides through the backwaters of Kerala, S-W India.
The kettuvallams (Kerala houseboats) in the backwaters are one of the prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. More than 400 kettuvallams ply the backwaters,120 of them in Alappuzha.
The coastal regions of Kerala have a network of waterways, inlets from the sea, estuaries of over forty rivers, lakes and natural canals connecting coastal towns. This interlinked body of waterways is known as the backwaters in Kerala. Over 900 Km of the Kerala backwaters are navigable and have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation.
The backwaters of Kerala have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea in the backwaters in Kerala.
Kathakali performer, just before the public representation.
See this humble and reserved man - a master of Kathakali, venerated by aficionados and other performers of this art form - completely metamorphosing himself once in full gear, becoming bold and exultant, deeply possessed by its character.
A fishing boat on Asthamudi Lake Kollam Kerala .
Kerala backwaters have been used for centuries by the local people for transportation, fishing and agriculture. It has supported the efforts of the local people to earn a livelihood.
Fisherman at Work
The name Waynad is derived from the expression 'Wayanadu' which means land of paddy fields. Wayanad offers a climate of the hill station similar to that of Oottacamand, offers a panorama of undulating hills and dales. The hills which might have been thick forest once, are now plantations of coffee, tea and cardamom. There is luxuriant greenery all around.
Nature has blessed this part of the state with mist clad mountains and verdant valleys. The district has enormous tourist potential due to its idyllic nature and nearness to major tourist destinations. like ooty. This place is renowned for ayurvedic massage resorts!
Hovering between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat, Kerala is one of the most preferred tourism destinations of India. Visitors from every corner of the world visit this charming spicy state of India to enjoy their holidays in the lap of the Mother Nature. Its captivating natural beauty, whispering waterfalls, wooded forest, sweet chirping of birds, emerald paddy fields and the marvelous beauty of the backwaters simply decorates the place making it perfect place for honeymoon couples to enjoy their memorable time being together in this place. If there is heaven on this earth for newly wed couples than it is not other than Kerala- the god’s own country.
There are several captivating destination for couples, holiday makers and nature lovers to visit and enjoy their holidays in the most memorable way. Being here how one can miss the chance to enjoy the tour on the backwaters of Kerala.
Backwaters are the heart of this spicy state and it is the gateway to tourism in Kerala. Hovering over the famous kettuvellam visitors enjoy the picturesque landscape with mighty pleasure. Couples do have lovely time on the houseboat; both sitting on the edge of the boat enjoys the beauty that is so appealing and soothing. During the monsoon rainfall adds more charm and beauty to the houseboat tour and also in the life of couples. The rain makes the couples enjoy time in memorable way being together on the fabulous houseboat tour. Watching together the sun rising early in the morning from the kettuvellam, kerala honeymoon tours/ becomes more special memorable and a lifetime experience for couples.
Apart from the beauty of Backwaters, beaches are also the prominent place for couples to enjoy time in the most memorable way. Infact it is the most admired places by couples and holiday makers. Enjoy sipping the natures best nature, enjoy the beach sports, surf the cool breeze and enjoy catching the rumbling waves of the sea. Visitors and holiday makers do have lovely time enjoying the tranquility of nature and the activities of the people around. Angling together sitting on the rock gives the most memorable and tours in kerala.
Further more travel to Munnar the picturesque valley with a heavenly natural look. Munnar is the best place to enjoy the best time of the life after marriage. It is the most visited places by couples from all over the world. Lovely view of the tea gardens, gushing of waterfalls from the mountains, low flying clouds, mesmerizing view of the sunrise and the perfumed air makes it the most suitable place for visitors and honeymoon couples to enjoy best part of their life being together. Enjoying the stimulating hot tea sitting together gives the most memorable moment of kerala tour package/. Visit once to this heavenly place and it is sure you are going to lose your heart in between these scintillating natural beauties.
So visit this God’s own country and enjoy your honeymoon tour in the magnetizing natural beauty which is so tempting and fascinating. There are various kerala honeymoon packages/ especially designed for the newly wed couples by various travel agents. Choose any one package that suits your choice and enjoy the best part of your life in the most memorable way. Visit once to this alluring place and it is sure you will fall in love with its captivating beauty.
Have you ever gone houseboat cruising on the picturesque backwaters of Kerala. If you haven't, make sure you do this time on the tour to Kerala. It offers you the most exciting, wonderful and unforgettable experience.
The traditional House boats of Kerala called 'Kettuvallam' needs on introduction. They have their own charm. The people who have visited the Kerala before had a lovely time on these traditional house boats. They take you to the fascinating world where you just float in the luxurious setting over miles and miles.
The Kettuvallam are totally eco friendly boats made of bamboo poles, ropes, coconut fiber, bamboo mats etc. The main wood used in the construction of Kettuvallam is 'Anjali'. They are approximately 67 feet in length and has a width of around 13 feet in the middle. They are mainly furnished with single room, double room or triple rooms. Kettuvallam are mostly yellowish brown in color, which is furnished with cane and wood interiors. Its floors are carpeted with coir mats.
They were earlier used as grain barges to transport the rice grown in the fields alongside the Kerala backwaters. Due to their sheer shape and size, they can carry load which is thrice that of a goods truck. For centuries Kettuvallam has served as a mode of transport because of its accessibility to the remote areas. They are now turned into the luxury boats to promote tourism in the state.
These traditional houseboats are designed and decorated keeping in mind the comfortability of the tourists. They boosts of all the necessary facilities and are described as the mini mobile resorts.
Kettuvallam provides all kind of comfort and relaxation to the tourists. They boosts of a kitchen, western toilets and an upper deck. The cuisine served on these boats includes the local specialties such as fish, pawns and traditional Keralan cuisine. The latest innovation are the small conference rooms on these houseboats.
Kettuvallam are one of the Kerala's main attractions. People attracted by the simplicity and originality of Kerala have brought back the Kettuvallam back to the backwaters. You can book a traditional Kerala houseboat fitted with appurtenance such as thatched roofs along with the dining and living arrangements. The finest way to enjoy the tour to Kerala is hire one these traditional boats and sail among the dancing waves of backwaters amidst the luxurious surrounding.
The beautiful backwaters of Kerala make a wonderful home to its traditional houseboats that take visitors on a dreamland journey meandering into the numerous lagoons, lakes, canals, estuaries and the deltas of a number of rivers that drain into the Arabian Sea. Tranquility and bliss rules these parts of Kerala as one gets lost into the beauty of swaying coconut groves bordering the shores and the rural lifestyle of the people. The largest backwater stretch in Kerala is the Vembanad Lake, which flows through three districts and opens out into the sea at the Kochi port. It is houseboats that attract a considerable number of tourists to the backwaters. Huge, slow moving, exotic barges used for leisure trips of today are actually the reworked Kettuvalloms of olden times, which were once used to carry tonnes of rice and spices.
The word Kettuvallam means 'boat with knots' and it is surprising to note that the entire boat holds together with coir knots only. Not even a single nail is used during its construction! Made of planks of jack-wood joined together with coir, it is coated with a caustic black resin made from boiled cashew kernels. However, one does not need to worry because times have proved that with careful maintenance, a Kettuvallom can last for generations. Though, they are out of use now as carriers of load, clever humans have put them to a new use by modifying them and promoting them successfully as a tourist attraction. More than 100 years old, special rooms have been made in these boats to accommodate travelers who love to cruise in these houseboats, though, care has been taken to use only natural products such as bamboo mats, sticks and wood of the Aracanut tree are used for roofing, coir mats and wooden planks for the flooring and wood of coconut trees and coir for beds in the process. Solar panels are used for lighting. Alleppey alone has as many as 120 houseboats today.
Today, with the advancement of the tourism industry, luxury houseboats have been introduced that have acquired all the comforts of a good hotel including furnished bedrooms, modern toilets, cozy living rooms, a kitchen and even a balcony for angling. Parts of the curved roof of wood or plaited palm open out to provide shade and allow uninterrupted views of the panoramic scenery. These boats are either driven by local oarsmen or are powered by a 40 HP engine. In case of large groups, one may also opt for Boat trains that are formed by joining two or more houseboats together.
The beauty of Kerala lies in its backwaters that are unique in the entire world. Brimming with natural beauty and economically viable, this uniqueness of Kerala, makes it a heavenly delight for its visitors. It features 41 West-flowing rivers of Kerala that are the highlights of this fabulous gift of nature. In earlier times, this water highway covered the entire expanse from the South of Kerala to the northernmost part of the state but many of these waterways have been closed now. According to a legend, it was the warrior sage Parashuraman who threw his battle-axe and 'reclaimed' the land from the seas created Kerala. Today, Kerala remains a land of canals, lagoons, lakes and rivers, which constitute the so-famous Backwaters of Kerala, which have played an important part in the lifestyle of the people living on its shores. For the benefit of the tourists, the old waterways are being re-opened.
Kerala's backwaters provide a gateway to the visitors to see the true rural life of the region. The traditional lifestyle of Kerala's villages is tough, slow and highly labor intensive and the chief occupations of the people are boat building, prawn cultivation, sand mining, coir manufacture, limestone collection (by the specialist divers), rice farming and duck rearing, which is in sharp contrast to that of the teeming crowds of visitors who come to the place. Alapuzha is an ideal starting-point of the journey because of its large network of canals from where one passes through several small canals that come out into the Vembanad Lake, to the land of Kuttanad, which was once known as the rice bowl of Kerala, because of its cultivation of paddy fields that used a clever system of dykes and bunds. It is exciting to note that this place is one of the few places, which are below sea level.
Kumarakom has been recently discovered and have now blossomed into a beautiful backwater holiday destination with its spectacular lagoon fringed by coconut groves that have almost become an icon of Kerala tourism. This place also boasts of a 14-acre bird where one can spot several of avian species such as water ducks, cuckoos and Siberian storks. Coconut Lagoon and Englishman Henry Baker's bungalow that has now been converted into a heritage hotel by the Taj group are the chief attractions of the place.
Today, one may enjoy the backwaters of Kumarakom whole sailing in the local houseboats, called 'Kettuvallam' that are unique to this region.
Kollam with its maze of rivers, lakes and lagoons, is a popular destination where one can see splendid views of the glorious Kayamkulam Lake and the Ashtamudi Lake. Kochi, the commercial Capital of Kerala, is not far behind with its treasure of myriad lagoons, rivers and lakes.
Monsoons here are even more beautiful because of the traditional snake boat races with the 130 feet long Chundan boats as their highlights. Some of the major boat race events are the Nehru Trophy Boat Race held on the second Saturday of August and the Aranmula Boat Race, which is more traditional and is associated with temple festival at Aranmula. The boat carnival starts on the day of Thiruonam, the most auspicious day of the Kerala festival, Onam.
Besides these backwaters of Central Kerala, there are other places too such as Veli in South Kerala, and Kadinamkulam, Edava, Anjengo, Madayara, Peravur, Ashtamudi, Kayamkulam, Kodungalur, Chetuva and Valiyaparamba in North Kerala.
