Periyar

My insight love for exotic wild creatures and birds was the cause that drove me to the divine dense greens of Periyar. Such places have always fascinated me somewhere in my dreams. “Indian Wildlife” by Rajesh Bedi and Ramesh Bedi had created a great impact on me. So the story continues with my arrival in Idukki district in Kerala that is bordered by the picturesque Western Ghats.

The moment I stepped in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the 27 Project Tiger Reserves in India, the first thing I came across was the rich vegetation that was incomparable. While going through the Periyar Travel Guide, I came to know that this paradise is located about 270 km from the capital, Thiruvananthapuram, 100 km from Alleppey and 120 km from Cochin. Stretching over 777 sq km, the dense greens of Periyar are home to about 60 different species of mammals and 320 different categories of birds.

I spend around four exciting hours there and enjoyed clicking some of the rarest animals like Lion Tailed Macaque, Malabar Squirrel and Sloth Bear. Next I headed for the lifeline of Kerala – the gigantic Periyar River (the longest in Kerala with 244 km length). Luckily I got an opportunity to click Elephants, Sambars, Dholes (Indian Wild Dogs) and Nilgiri Langurs alongside the river.

Finally, when my jungle safari was over after a half day trip, I visited the beautiful Cardamom Hills. This was the time when I enjoyed the best of nature walk of my entire life and realized that Periyar is not restricted to safaris only. Walking through the aromatic cardamom, pepper and coffee plantations was beyond words!

On my way back to the hotel, I spent half an hour in the market street but unluckily it does not offer much except its exotic spices. Even then, I bought some fine quality pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, mace and anise – as my mom loves to try new dishes with spices of different flavours – and who else than me bear the brunt of those experiments!

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Ayurveda in Kerala

I had enjoyed enough of Kumarakom Backwater Cruises in Kerala. Later I started my exploration for sheer hospitality, luxurious aura and blissful Ayurvedic therapy. While going through Kerala travel guide, I came to know that the science of Ayurveda was originated in India around 5000 years ago, and it still occupies a prized place in Kerala. While exploring Kumarakom, I noticed that the place was blessed with rich flora consisting of rare herbs and natural oils.

I was booked in ‘Coconut Lagoon’ – a CGH Earth Group Enterprise (formerly known as the Casino Group). The respective luxurious resort is located amidst palm trees on the eastern shore of Lake Vembanad, at the mouth of the Kavanar River. I could see abandoned coconut plantations all around. The place was designed to give visitors an authentic insight into Kuttanad life. Moreover, the vast Vembanad Lake also adds to the beauty of the place.

I was provided with an AC cottage and I free to avail facilities like swimming pool, multi-cuisine restaurant and Ayurvedic massage centre. Those small cottages are called ‘Tharavadu’ in local language. The best part was that I could enjoy magnificent views of Lake Vembanad from my room. The staff there told me that the resort offers a plethora of magical Ayurvedic massages by experienced masseurs that have the power to cure any chronic ailment like arthritis, paralysis, obesity, sinusitis, migraine, premature ageing and skin problems etc. And such therapies are performed under the guidance of expert vaidyas (physicians).

I observed all the eight branches of Kerala Ayurveda there, which include: Internal Medicine (Kayachikitsa), Pediatrics (Kaumarabhritya Tantra), Psychology/Psychiatry (Bhuta Vidya), Ears-eyes-nose-throat (Shalakya Tantra), Surgery (Shalya Tantra), Toxicology (Agada Tantra), Rejuvenation (Rasayana Tantra) and Fertility Therapy (Vajikarana Tantra). As I was on a relaxing vacation in Kerala, I preferred going through a rejuvenation therapy. The therapists there gave me an awesome massage with natural herbs and medicated oil. It helped in refreshing my mind as well as senses.

Lastly, I asked the manager for some leisure activities, to which he provided me with an assistant for sunset cruise. Spending the waning hours of the afternoon just watching the sun go down was an incomparable experience. This relaxing trip was fascinating in every perspective.

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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 (tour) 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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Kerala Backwater

I tell stories not to promote places, rather to inform the readers about the wonder destinations and to develop interest of people about places to see in India. Therefore, I am not just another wanderer – I am the God’s man! And this story is about the journey of the God’s man to the God’s own country – Kerala. Steeped in greenery and natural beauty, the state offer countless fascinating attractions. It was a seven day trip during which I explored picturesque beaches, virgin landscapes, ancient temples, enchanting wildlife sanctuaries, aromatic spice/tea plantations etc. But the best part was, undoubtedly, Kerala backwaters.

The green state of Kerala is blessed with 44 rivers and a superb network of canals, lakes, lagoons and estuaries. These are the places where the true Kerala lifestyle can be enjoyed at its best. A Kerala backwater tour can take you through all these fascinating attractions and let you enjoy traditional Kerala art forms. On my tour to Kerala, I was booked in a luxurious houseboat that offered me a pleasant sail through palm trees, pandanus shrubs, leafy plants and bushes.

The traditional houseboat or Kettuvallom was simply another heaven to me. That eco friendly boat, built with bamboo poles, coconut fibre, ropes, bamboo mats, carpets etc. offered me the bet facilities like a star rated hotel. It had proper bedroom, attached bathroom, power backup, sitting area, kitchen and sun deck. Moreover, I was provided with a cook and an assistant. So my journey was awesome with authentic seafood delicacies prepared by the cook and the interesting facts about Kerala served before me by the assistant.

We started our journey from Kollam, popularly known as ‘Swapnadesh’. The houseboat first took me to Alappuzha / Alleppy that is always compared to the watery city of Venice. There I visited some of the ancient architectural wonders and temples. On my visit to Kuttanad, I explored beautiful lakes, canals, rivers and rivulets. This was the time when I captured a number of colorful birds in my camera. My next halt was Kumarakom, where I enjoyed the cruise on Vembanana Lake and indulged in some of the common water sports.

Located alongside the coastline, Kasargod is a nice destination with immense natural beauty and shopping options. I found some good handicrafts & sarees for my mother at reasonable rates there. On my backwater tour in Kerala, my last destination was Thiruvallam, where I enjoyed the relaxing canoe rides.

After the complete tour of this green state with all the attractions, I realized that Kerala backwaters definitely serve as the perfect medium to explore waterways and have a closer look at the local villagers, their traditions and living. As Kerala backwaters are connected to almost all the major cities of the state, important from tourism point of view, they offered me wonderful opportunities to have a glimpse of culture, history, adventure, beauty and traditions of Kerala.

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