I was extremely excited when we decided to visit Kerala for the honeymoon. It is the only destination that had allured me since the time I started experiencing Ayurveda. After watching dream locations in movies and reading about the Ayurveda, Kerala was my dream destination. When I got the opportunity to explore it with my life partner, it was like icing on the cake.

Ayurveda Massage

In the very next week of our wedding, we got the chance to explore Kerala and believe me that was like a dream coming true. I was desperately waiting for the day, when we would fly to the beautiful state of south India and it was really a tough job to wait.

Finally, the day approached and we took a flight from New Delhi and reached Kozhikode Airport. From there we hired a private car and reached our destination hotel. As it was middle of the day, so we decided to take the rest for that day.

Next morning, we started our day with Kerala Ayurveda massage to revitalize our body and soul. Use of aroma oils by skilled therapists made it an unforgettable experience. That was simply different from the treatment I had taken in Delhi. One can choose the treatment from a long list of Kerala Ayurveda therapies. Ayurveda massages not only revitalize your body but is the base of natural healing treatment with the help of plant based medicines.

Later on, we moved to explore the sun kissed beaches of Kerala. It is really hard to explore every beach of Kerala in one single trip as this amazing state is full of beaches. So, we finalized only five beaches and that too for different days and those five names include Kovalam, Alappuzha Beach, Kappad, Varkala Beach and Beypore beach.

Later on, we moved to explore the sun kissed beaches of Kerala. It is really hard to explore every beach of Kerala in one single trip as this amazing state is full of beaches. So, we finalized only five beaches and that too for different days. Those five names include Kovalam Beach, Alappuzha Beach, Kappad Beach, Varkala Beach and Beypore Beach.

After reaching Kovalam beach, I understood why people love to visit beaches. 17 km coastline and cluster of three beaches can not be explained in words. Breathtaking sea views and endless sight of coconut trees create a fascinating environment. For the next four days we enjoyed a quality time on  rest of the beaches.

Kerala Vacation

Then, it was the time to enjoy some more quality moments and to start the new life in the beautiful houseboats in the backwaters of Kerala. This was the most fascinating time in the complete trip. Made up of natural elements borrowed from mother nature, these house boats are something out of the world. Charismatic ride on those classical Kerala houseboats and interconnected canals gave us a chance to explore the green land in the most beautiful way.

Our  Kerala vacation was over but still we were not in a mood to go back in that hustle bustle of Delhi. The whole tour was amazing. We took the same route and came back with lots of golden memories. The only thing I can say about our  Kerala honeymoon tour was it was truly amazing to know my life partner in the mesmerizing views of Kerala.

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Spice Plantations Kerala

Recently, I got an opportunity to experience the pure and untouched nature during my Kerala tour.  We a group of four friends went there. I had heard a lot about Kerala from one of my colleagues, whose native land was Kerala. She used to talk about the spice plantations of Kerala. I always used to relish her food in lunchtime as it was enriched with the aromatic flavour of Kerala, the hub of spices.

The reason why I felt like going there was its picturesque surroundings of gardens. We planned a trip just after the monsoons and reached there in day time. After taking rest, we headed towards the greens of Idukki, which is called as the spice land of India.

Our knowledgeable guide shared his knowledge with us and told us that the climate and soil conditions of the hilly areas of this land make it best suited for tea cultivation. He plucked some green leaves and showed us. We saw that the shiny green leaves had pointed ends with a pleasant aroma. The trees were planted at a distance of 1 to 1.5 meter along the landscape. The guide told us that Cochin is the place which is known for producing spices. The traders dealing in spices also meet at the same place, which is actually the spice market of Kerala.

As we drove through the thick forests on a road that passes through several tunnels, we witnessed nature in a new form which was a great visual treat for us. Soon we reached in a place where we were enveloped in the unmatched aroma of the spice plantations. I was so delighted to find the spice gardens and tea plantations in front of my eyes. At the edge of the Periyar, we found many spices gardens. There were dense forests, dwelling at a height of 800-1000 meters which preserved the exotic flavours.

As we moved ahead towards Munnar and Wayanad, we were amazed to find some fragrances of coffee, black pepper and cardamom. We saw the clusters of black pepper plants. As we drove by, there were stretches of cardamom plantations. I decided to get down from the car to pick up some fresh cardamom. My friends also accompanied me. After collecting some cardamom and black peppers from trees, I run a few step and saw clove vegetation. All my three friends were busy in sorting out the other spices like black pepper, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, nutmeg and cinnamon.

It was an exciting and fun-filled experience that made us forget everything for some time. I simply lost myself in the captivating beauty of the gardens and plantations. After coming back, when I shared my tour experience of Kerala with my family members, I felt nostalgic.

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Kerala Backwater Tour

The name of Kerala always conjures my mind with an image of the sun-kissed beaches, the misty hill stations, the enchanting backwaters and the forestlands rich in flora and fauna. Because of its celestial beauty National Geographic Traveler Magazine ranked Kerala a ‘Ten Paradise of the World’ and ‘Fifty Places of a Lifetime’.

This recognition is enough, which lures scores of tourists to this place from across the globe. And I am one of them who visited this land of scenic beauty with my two friends last month. We took customized Kerala Travel Guide from a travel agent at budgeted rates. This 4 day and 4 nights tour package was efficiently designed that provided us a chance to explore and experience the myriad facets of Kerala Tourism.

The first day of our Kerala Tour is dedicated for beaches. We spent almost whole day at Kovalam beach. This is a cluster of three crescent shaped beaches whose charm is renowned throughout the world. We enjoyed the scenic composition of sea, sun and sand at our best. The pristine, serene and scenic ambience of this place enthralls us most. This beach is also ideal for water sports activities like Kayaking, Swimming, Surfing and Skiing.

Next day of our tour was dedicated for backwater cruise. The Kerala Backwaters are a labyrinthine network of 900 km of waterways interconnected with canals, rivers, lakes and inlets. It is the uniqueness of Kerala Tourism, which gave us chance to experience the natures jubilant scattered in the form of land, sea and sky. ‘Kettuvalams’ popularly known as Kerala houseboats are the ideal way to enjoy Kerala Backwater Cruise.

With Kerala backwater Cruise, we experienced nature’s breathtaking beauty with the soothing sound of water rippling alongside the houseboat. During our cruise, we experienced kaleidoscopic view of countryside, swaying palm trees, emerald rice fields and several historical monuments on the bank. We were totally engrossed by nature’s jubilant beauty. The ecstasy we felt cannot be expressed in words.

After spending memorable night stay in a leisurely flowing houseboat, we reached Periyar in the morning. It is among the famous of all Kerala Wildlife Sanctuaries known for its exotic collections of flora and fauna. This national park is located on the bank of Periyar Lake and sprawled over an area of 777 Sq.km. The exotic collection of flora and fauna species make this place a heart throbbing destination. Whole day we spent in this wildlife reserve sighting many animals, bird species and floral species. Some of the most sighted wild animals are wild elephants, Sloth Bears, wild boars and Stripe-necked Mongoose.

After enjoying nature’s beauty, we went to dance theater to experience the rich culture fiesta of this state. Here we saw Kathakali the most renowned dance drama of all Kerala dances. It is a classical dance-drama known for its unique combination of literature, music, painting, acting and dance. The word Kathakali literally means Story-Play. The themes of the Kathakali are religious in nature whose stories are taken from religious scriptures.

Next and the last stop over of our itinerary were at a restaurant whose delicious dishes are known across the globe. Here we ate typical Kerala Cuisine whose taste still titillates my taste buds. After satisfying our appetite, we went to airport and good-bye this land of God’s own Country.

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Kerala Kathakali Dance

The profound facial make-up, colorful costumes and various designed ornaments of Kathakali Dance scares me when I was child. As days passes I grow up and learned that colors are reflection of human temperament which play significant role while traditional folk dance presentations. I learned several new facts about this folk dance of Kerala which transformed my childhood fear into an appealing aspect. For the first time I experienced the live performance of Kerala Kathakali Dance during my Kerala Tour last week. I was in Kerala for my official conference and after attending it I rushed to see this cultural event at Margi Art Theater in Thiruvananthapuram.

Etymologically Kathakali stems from the Malayalam words ‘Katha’ (story) and ‘Kali’ (play). Themes of this story dance based on Indian epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana. The story is narrated through proper mudras or hand gestures with a verse of the story sung in the background. This dance is a combination of five elements of fine art which includes expressions (Natyam) emphasis on facial expressions, Dance (Nritham) emphasis on rhythm and movement of hands, legs and body, Enactment (Nrithyam) emphasis on ‘mudras’ hand gestures, (Geetha) song/vocal accompaniment and (Vadyam) instrument accompaniment.

Apart from this there are several kinds of costume such as Sathwika (the hero), Kathi (the villain), Minukku (females) and Thatti. Each character of this dance is recognized by their characteristic makeup and costume.

The Kathakali show that I watched based on the theme of Ramayana in which characters of Lord Rama and King Ravana presented by artists. They portrayed the good and evil characters so efficiently that one can understand it without even music and narrations. The story of how good wins over evil is presented through facial gestures, various dance steps and hand movements which stolen my heart most during the show. The story was superbly presented and prefect coordination with ballads efficiently conveyed the messages to the audience. Throughout the show I was captivated by the facial gestures, rhythmic flow of body, various dance steps and artistic finger movements which convey several meanings.

After watching the Kathakali performance I realized that it much more than dance because its performance effectively combines the 5 major fine arts namely, literature (Sahityam), music (Sangeetham), Painting (Chitram), acting (Natyam) and dance (Nrithyam).This dance performance touched my soul and made me speechless. With various fascinating thoughts of this rich cultural presentation I returned to my hotel.

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Cochin

Stories relate happenings and express thoughts and feelings about events. Stories and imagination transport us to another time and place. They can open one’s mind to new ideas and set one free, or they can control, manipulate and trap one in a place of desperation. Such is mine too. A short but lovable journey to Cochin that may push you to plan a tour to Kerala – God’s own country!

After enjoying enough of relaxing holidays in Kerala backwaters and spending days on waters in a houseboat, I planned to devote a couple of days exploring the rich ancient Dravid touch. And what place could be better than Cochin, when it comes to historical monuments in Kerala? So without giving any second thought, I headed towards the commercial hub of Kerala. On my way to Cochin, the first thing I came across was the Chinese Fishing Nets. My driver told me that when the traders from the court of the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan introduced these nets. These nets serve as the medium of livelihood to many fishermen here.

It was quite late in the evening, so I spend the rest hours of the day at leisure in my hotel. The best part of the day was having authentic sea food delicacies in dinner while enjoying Kathakali dance. Trained dancers from See India Foundation and The Cochin Cultural Centre were invited to entertain the guests there. The traditional dance form that they presented with impressive facial expressions, hand gestures and dance moves – was simply spellbinding.

Next morning, I started my exploration with Vasco House, Dutch Palace, Fort Kochi and Jewish Synagogue. The beauty of these old structures is incomparable even today. These ancient monuments stand tall retaining the age old glory of Dravid architecture and showcase a perfect blend of Chinese and Belgian art forms as well. Before having lunch, I visited the Hill Palace at Tripunithura. This 19^th century structure has now been converted into a museum displaying a fine collection of articles of the Rajas of Kochi, including the throne and the crown.

In the second half of the day, I paid a short visit to Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary that lies in the heart of the city. It was the place where I spotted several exotic and rare varieties of migratory and resident birds. My next destination in Cochin was the Museum of Kerala History at Kalamassery, which exhibits the history and culture of Kerala through exquisite paintings.

After wandering in the city, I spent an hour in solitude at the Cherai Beach and relished fresh juice there. Roaming alone did not make me feel bored as the lively history of Cochin was there along with me to entertain.

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Kerala Honeymoon Tour

While going through the Kerala travel guide, one thing that I noticed was that pick any of the Kerala tour packages – you will find yourself surrounded by serene and picturesque waterways. This is one such divine green land that is blessed with 44 rivers, canals, lagoons and backwaters. I, being there for my Kerala honeymoon tour, was booked in a luxury houseboat.

My Kerala vacations started off with Cochin where I enjoyed my visits to Jewish structures and various churches. The market was dotted with authentic handicrafts and aromatic spices. Next I headed for Kumarakom backwaters through Vembanad Lake – the longest backwater stretch in Kerala. This was the time when I experienced a superb stay in Kerala while living on waters.

After exploring enough of marine life, I paid a short visit to Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary that is undoubtedly called as the Paradise of Ornithologists / Bird Lovers. Kovalam Beach, next in our list, was again a splendid place where I could spend some quality time with my beloved cum wife watching the pleasant sunset.

Next day, we headed for the rejuvenating plantations of tea / coffee and spices in Periyar and spent a couple of house enjoying nature walk there. In the second half, after lunch, we decided to step in the thrilling Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. There I came across a number of rarest of mammals and migratory birds.

We both also availed few of the premium Ayurveda therapies on our houseboat. That was completely refreshing and made our honeymoon in Kerala simply memorable for a lifetime.

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Kerala Elephant Festival

Blessing in disguise is what I say regarding my last official trip to Kerala. Though I was not ready for this tour but my senior insisted, and I went to Thrissur from Delhi in Trivandrum Rajdhani train. On the third day of my journey I reached Thrissur at midnight. Though the journey was exhaustive but I got ample of time for myself. I enjoyed this long journey by eating, reading, watching my favorite movies and seeing beauty of passing by places.

I rested the whole night in my office guest house and when I woke up the next morning my office peon informed me that office will remain closed today because of Thrissur Pooram, the most colorful temple festival of Kerala. He advised me to go outside to enjoy this most vibrant and cultural festival of Kerala. I had also heard about this festival but never enjoyed it. So hurriedly I dressed up and ate ‘masala dosa’ in my breakfast and went straight to Vadakkunnathan Temple which is the center stage of this celebration.

When I reached the temple I saw numerous people pushing each other in order to get through the temple entrance gate. Thrissur Puram is a two-century old temple festival which is well known throughout the world for its unique pomp and pageantry. This elephants festival is held in the Malayalam month of Medom (April-May) and lasts for 36 hours. It is a grand assembly of gods and goddesses from villages and towns in and around Thrissur. The foremost attraction of this festival is the grand elephant procession. These elephants were lavishly decorated with jewels and sequined silk parasols. I was also impressed by the beautiful decoration of elephants. Along with this the elephant parade was accompanied by orchestra band playing folk music of Kerala.

The festival reaches its peak when 30 richly caparisoned elephants emerged from the Vadakkumnathan temple escorted by three efficient priests sitting atop them. The rhythmic beats of the orchestra heightens the beauty of this procession. The beat and sound was pulsating which created mystic atmosphere throughout the temple premises.

I was enthralled by the cultural beauty of this festival. This cultural representation of religious belief provides a platform to people to share their common interests which develops cohesion among several social strata. The spectacular display of colorful fireworks, parasol exchanges, an umbrella showing competition are the other attractions of this colorful celebration which I liked the most.

After spending 6 – 7 hours in the temple premises I returned to my guest house in the evening. After watching TV for sometime I went to the dinning hall for dinner where I ate delectable Rasam with Tapioca and Fish Curry. After that I returned to my room with a thought to read something but don’t know when I got lost in my dream.

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Eravikulam National Park

Cool breeze drenched in tea aroma awakened us from our deep sleep. We had our morning tea in the balcony facing the vast expanse of tea garden. It was for the first time I had ever tasted such a nice tea, its aroma and taste is still lingering on my tongue. After taking bath we had Idli & Sambhar in our breakfast and headed to Eravikulam National Park in an auto rickshaw. This park is situated approximately 8 km from the Munnar town and spread over an area of 97 sq km in and around Rajmalai Hills.

The stark beauty of rolling grasslands with steep mountain slopes is the most striking feature of this place. This park was established with the objective to protect the mountain goat of South India, the Nilgiri Tahr. Apart from this Tigers, Atlas Moth, Elephants, Gaurs, Lion-tailed Macaque and Leopards are the other attractions of this sanctuary. We were in this park for 3 to 4 hours wandering here and there capturing natures’ beauty in our camera. The foremost attraction of this park is Anamudi, the highest peak of South India. This peak towers over the sanctuary whose slopes are abundant in all kinds of rare flora and fauna. It is an ideal place for trekking but we were not interested because it would have exhausted us completely.

The Eravikulam National Park is really a romantic destination which is known for its sublime greenery. The arresting beauties of this place make it a paradise for photographers and nature lovers. We came out of this natural wonder and headed for Echo Point which is located approximately 15 km from this place.

On our way to Echo Point we had a palatable lunch on a roadside restaurant. The use of fresh spices provided distinctive taste and aroma to the food which was tabled to us. After satisfying our taste buds we resumed our journey to our next destination.

When we reached the Echo Point we heard lots of people shouting out into the air and delighted at the multiple echoes that came back to them. This is among the most visited places of Munnar which is known for its adventure tourism and trekking. The fresh mountain air, the mist-clad hills and panoramic view makes it a worthy place to visit. It is such a mesmerizing and peaceful place that it can provide solace to weary souls. This place is so captivating that we cannot resist our temptation of yodeling and shouting. And the echo of our loud cry mesmerized us which tempted us to repeat it many times.

In the evening the departure of sun casts spellbinding effect over this panoramic land. The landscape also changes it color pattern governed by the Sun rays. After spending an incredible evening in the lap of nature we headed for the hotel. There we rested and packed our memories of this place along with our clothes and moved towards the dining hall. After having ‘Sadya’ a well known traditional cuisine of Kerala in our dinner we boarded private luxury bus for Ernakulam.

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Kumarakom Backwaters

After visiting popular tourist destinations of Cochin, Periyar, Munnar we headed towards Kumarakom for backwaters cruising. This is one of the centres of backwaters cruise and tourists comes here in great numbers to enjoy cruise on the pristine waters. The Kerala Backwaters are interconnected network of rivers, lakes, inlets, lagoons, canals etc. which form 900 km of labyrinthine waterways system. They are perfectly combined together to form one of the best parts of Kerala tourism.

At Kumarakom we were received by the hotel representative who took us to the Houseboat or the Kettuvellam called Saint George which was named after it’s owner and captain James George. It has large bedroom attached with bathroom and a hammock on deck. It is equipped with a sophisticated living room which gives exhilarating views of nature that makes the cruise worthiness and memorable for lifetime.

Kerala Backwaters has its own significance. It is an irrigation system of Kerala which prevents the saltwater river to de-fertilise the paddy fields. The canals are lined by stone walls and fringed by coconut palms. Backwater destinations are known for its glorious environment which is full of scenic beauty. While on backwater cruise one can see the mesmerising views of bright green rice fields and small homes with steps down into the river. As the boat moves the views of scintillating natural beauty is awe aspiring. It gives the true ambiance and mighty pleasure to be in the God’s own country.

Houseboat silently passed through the serene and scenic natural ambiance which engrossed me completely. The most fascinating part of this cruise was when the houseboat crossed the Kumarakom Bird sanctuary which provided us an opportunity to watch the exotic birds flying over the boat. This place is a paradise for nature lovers and bird watchers. We halted our houseboat for two to three hours so that we can enjoy this mesmerising environment at its best. Fluttering wings and mellifluous tunes of teal, cuckoo, wild duck, egrets, herons and darters are like a nature utterance which makes us speechless.
Kumarakom backwaters is a water world paradise where one can see the epitomization of nature’s beauty. Emerald green paddy fields, coconut grooves, azure blue waters, mangrove forests are the elements of backwaters which make this place an enchanting and an incredible destination of Kerala.

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Cherai Beach, Kerala

Vibrant pictorial representations of the God’s Own Country in several magazines, newspapers and television enraged my curiosity to visit this land of enchanted beauty. Finally this curiosity ended up with a plan of Kerala Visit with my friends last month. We contacted the Delhi based tour operator Caper Travels Pvt Ltd, which is a National Tourism Award winning company to book a tour of 10 nights – 11 days. The destinations included in this package were Cochin, Periyar Munnar and Backwater Cruise, which were enough to fulfil my desire of exploring beaches, backwaters, hill stations, wildlife etc.

With my friends I boarded the Hazrat Nizamuddin Eravikulam Express from Delhi and arrived Cochin after 51 hours of long journey. During the journey the train passed by many cities which gave us an opportunity to get a glimpse of their culture and taste the different kinds of cuisine. When we reached the Eravikulum Railway Station, a hotel representative was standing with a placard. He greeted and transferred us to the well-maintained hotel where we were booked. At the hotel reception we were welcomed with flower garlands. We enjoyed the delicious dinner which we rounded off with sweetdish. After that we had a comfortable night at the hotel.

Next morning the call from the hotel reception awaken us and soon we prepared for the sightseeing  in Cochin. After having the sumptuous breakfast we with our guide left for the Cherai Beach. This beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Kerala which is ideal for swimming. It is formed by the combination of lakes, lagoons, canals and estuaries. Here we enjoyed swimming, played with sand and quenched our thirst with coconut water. Later, we visited St. Francis Church and Mattancherry Dutch Place which is renowned for its architectural beauty.

Our next destination was Munnar. Here, we stayed for two days. It is one of the most popular and beautiful hill stations of India which is situated at an altitude of 1800 meters above sea level. It is a romantic destination known for its sublime greenery, tea and coffee gardens and pleasant climate throughout the year.

The Mattupetty lake is another major attraction of this place which is noted for alpine setting with green fields. The arresting beauty of this place forced us to capture several beautiful sights in our cameras. After spending the whole day in the lap of nature we returned to the guest house and enjoyed the traditional south Indian cuisine in our dinner.

Next morning, we woke up early in the morning and our guide took us to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary which is located at Thekkady. It is one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries of India which is situated on the banks of the Periyar Lake. This sanctuary is known for its dense evergreen, moist deciduous forests and savannah grasslands surroundings. According to the census of the forest department this Sanctuary has around 40 tigers, 20 leopards, 900 elephants, 280 gaurs and a wide variety of other wildlife.

The reserve is also known for the Lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri langur, the Malabar giant squirrel, porcupine, wild dog, sloth bear, jungle cat, sambar, palm civet, wild boar and jackal. We enjoyed elephant safari and saw many animals, colourful birds and various species of plants. This slow and steady elephant ride was full of fun and excitement.

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