KERALA, one of the wettest and greenest states in India. The monsoon in this state starts early and from late May or early June we can see showers to heavy rains. The state has lots of lakes, river, and backwaters with the year full of waters in it.
We started our journey from Bangalore to Cochin, which is the business capital of Kerala even though Trivandrum is the official capital. Cochin is famous for its harbor, naval base, ship building yards, and of course fishing. Actually, Cochin and Ernakulam are twin cities. Along the coastal area, it is Cochin and inside it is Ernakulam town. Cochin is also surrounded by many small islands including a manmade artificial island and each island has its own importance in history and its current functions.
The first spot/image that comes to our mind when we say Kerala is its unique houseboat experience. Alleppey town which is also synonymously called has 'Venice of East' has a large number of canals and the town is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on one side and Vembanad lake on the other side. The Vembanad lake is the largest lake in India and this lake is spread across multiple districts of Kerala. Alleppey town and Vembanad lake are also famous for it traditional rowing boat race.
The houseboats are in operational for the past 25 years and in the recent past, it gained so much of attractions. As of today, there is nearly 1800 houseboat in total it seems. There are so many licensed houseboats vendors and we book one online or we can take one after going there. If it is a peak season like November or December then it is better to book in advance. The advantage of going there and booking is we can bargain and get a better deal than online booking. There are multiple variants of houseboat ranging from one room to maximum of 10 rooms house boat. Available in both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned rooms. Almost all houseboat comes with a living room, dining hall, entertainment unit, and kitchen.
A range of packages is available to choose from, like a day package, night package or day-night package. Two to three crew member will be accompanying us throughout the journey, they will help in preparing food, cleaning etc. The depth of the lake is huge, 12 feet to 40 feet in some places. The maximum speed of the houseboat is 20 kmph. We can see police personals patrolling on the speed boat for the safety of tourists and to avoid any incidents. On the way, if we need to buy any items, shops are there on the banks of the lake. On the journey, we can enjoy the scenic beauty where we are completely surrounded by water and small islands, we can also witness different species of birds and varieties of plants and trees.
In the evening after 5:30, they will dock the boat in a nearby village and we can go for a nature walk and sight seeing in that village. Apart from the houseboat, we can also see express boats which are like bus service to ferry people from one village to another.
Ernakulam town is a diversified place with both modern and traditional values. It has Asia's largest mall 'Lulu mall' and there is another mall dedicated only for mobile phone and accessories. International brand shops across marine drive road. Chottanikkara is just a 1-hour drive from Ernakulam and it has the famous Bhagavathi temple. All temples in Kerala has its own unique architectural style, we feel blessed as we enter the sanctum.
Fort Cochin is also near where we can see the famous Portugal's church, this is the church where Vasco da Gama was buried when he died here during his third visit to India. After few minutes drive from the church, we can reach the spot where fishermen installed Chinese fishing net for fishing, these Chinese fishing nets are shore operated lift nets.
Vypin is one the island around Cochin and it hosts lots and lots of resorts and homestays across the coast. To reach Vypin island, we need to cross two more islands Mulavukad and Vallarpadam. Mulavukad island houses Bolgatty Palace built by the Dutch which is now converted into a hotel. Vallarpadam island has the international container shipment terminal. Vypin island consists of many small villages and beaches. Cherai Beach is the famous beach of Vypin and is the nearest cleanest beach from Ernakulam. The other side of the beach is a lake. We stayed near Munambam beach and even here we can see a line of Chinese fishing nets in operation.
We started our journey from Bangalore to Cochin, which is the business capital of Kerala even though Trivandrum is the official capital. Cochin is famous for its harbor, naval base, ship building yards, and of course fishing. Actually, Cochin and Ernakulam are twin cities. Along the coastal area, it is Cochin and inside it is Ernakulam town. Cochin is also surrounded by many small islands including a manmade artificial island and each island has its own importance in history and its current functions.
Alleppey
The first spot/image that comes to our mind when we say Kerala is its unique houseboat experience. Alleppey town which is also synonymously called has 'Venice of East' has a large number of canals and the town is surrounded by the Arabian Sea on one side and Vembanad lake on the other side. The Vembanad lake is the largest lake in India and this lake is spread across multiple districts of Kerala. Alleppey town and Vembanad lake are also famous for it traditional rowing boat race.
 |
| 1. Starting point of House Boats 2. Snap of another houseboat inside the lake 3. With the crew member |
The houseboats are in operational for the past 25 years and in the recent past, it gained so much of attractions. As of today, there is nearly 1800 houseboat in total it seems. There are so many licensed houseboats vendors and we book one online or we can take one after going there. If it is a peak season like November or December then it is better to book in advance. The advantage of going there and booking is we can bargain and get a better deal than online booking. There are multiple variants of houseboat ranging from one room to maximum of 10 rooms house boat. Available in both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned rooms. Almost all houseboat comes with a living room, dining hall, entertainment unit, and kitchen.
 |
| 1. One of the rooms in houseboat 2. Living room 3. Corridor |
In the evening after 5:30, they will dock the boat in a nearby village and we can go for a nature walk and sight seeing in that village. Apart from the houseboat, we can also see express boats which are like bus service to ferry people from one village to another.
Ernakulam
Ernakulam town is a diversified place with both modern and traditional values. It has Asia's largest mall 'Lulu mall' and there is another mall dedicated only for mobile phone and accessories. International brand shops across marine drive road. Chottanikkara is just a 1-hour drive from Ernakulam and it has the famous Bhagavathi temple. All temples in Kerala has its own unique architectural style, we feel blessed as we enter the sanctum.
Fort Cochin is also near where we can see the famous Portugal's church, this is the church where Vasco da Gama was buried when he died here during his third visit to India. After few minutes drive from the church, we can reach the spot where fishermen installed Chinese fishing net for fishing, these Chinese fishing nets are shore operated lift nets.
 |
| 1. Place where Vasco Da Gama was buried 2. Church built by Portugues |
 |
| Chinese fishing nets in Cochin |
Vypin
Vypin is one the island around Cochin and it hosts lots and lots of resorts and homestays across the coast. To reach Vypin island, we need to cross two more islands Mulavukad and Vallarpadam. Mulavukad island houses Bolgatty Palace built by the Dutch which is now converted into a hotel. Vallarpadam island has the international container shipment terminal. Vypin island consists of many small villages and beaches. Cherai Beach is the famous beach of Vypin and is the nearest cleanest beach from Ernakulam. The other side of the beach is a lake. We stayed near Munambam beach and even here we can see a line of Chinese fishing nets in operation.
 |
| In Munambam beach |
No comments:
Post a Comment