A desire to check out whether the God’s own country hype which attracted 15 million tourists last year is warranted, prompted a short investigative tour of the better northern half of the state

Within a continent-sized nation which despite its rich heritage of ancient cultural monuments and natural attractions draws a mere 7.24 million foreign tourists annually (cf. China 30 million), the southern littoral state of Kerala — heavily promoted as ‘God’s own country’ — is a rare success story. Last year this modestly populated (34 million) state attracted a massive inflow of 15 million tourists including 4.47 lakh from abroad to savour its unique combination of beaches, backwaters, game sanctuaries, ayurveda, meditation and yoga.

Though overseas, Kerala has projected itself as an exotic holiday destination offering sun, sand and ayurveda, in India the state has a dubious reputation as a bastion of communism, a thousand trade unions and nit-picking bureaucrats who have driven out the best human resources and capital from the state, creating an industrial wasteland. The desire to check out if the God’s own country hype — ironic for a state which has been ruled by communist governments for decades — is warranted, prompted an investigative, short holiday tour of north Kerala, reportedly the better half of the state.

In the high-pressure scribe’s profession in which deadlines are omnipresent, lengthy holidays are impossible. Therefore I planned a tightly-packed six nights-seven day tour package (entirely self-financed) which would combine sight-seeing (to get a feel of the much-hyped Kerala experience) with rest and recreation.

December 1 (Bengaluru-Cochin)
The starting point of the tour was Cochin aka Kochi which can be conveniently accessed from Bengaluru by train. Indian Railways Ernakulam Inter City Superfast Express departing at 6 a.m. daily from Bengaluru (city and cantonment stations) offers a convenient and painless passage to Cochin arriving at 5 p.m.

December 2 (Cochin-Allepey)
Following a tepid breakfast in Cochin at the Avenue Regent (Best Western) Hotel, the seven-day tour of Kerala began with a two-hour drive to Allepey aka Allappuzha, a scenic backwater town (pop. 240,990) which is the most-preferred jump-off point for Kerala’s famous backwater cruises. Fully furbished houseboats can be hired on a day or night basis to cruise the tranquil backwaters of Alleppey. Though one could strike a bilateral deal with any of the several houseboat operators located on the main jetty, it’s best to book your houseboat beforehand through a travel agent who will bargain hard on your behalf.

Around noon we boarded a fully equipped two-bedroom houseboat of Rainbow Cruises. Twenty-25 m long, meticulously crafted from huge jackwood planks without use of nails, the houseboats or kettvalloms offer open deck lounges, roomy bedrooms with attached baths and chemically treated toilets, fans/ air conditioning and a well-equipped kitchen. On board everything is eco-friendly starting from the solar powered energy system to coir decor and cane furniture. The courteous crew comprising the captain, chef and two skilled oarsmen are on service round the clock. It’s advisable to let the chef know your food preferences as soon as you board. All meals are served on board.

After a typical Kerala lunch comprising fried fish served with rice, the houseboat leisurely lapped through the scenic backwaters passing unusually well maintained villages and homes set amid emerald paddy fields. Contrary to expectation, Kerala’s backwaters and embankments are clean and tidy. After traversing over 20 km we anchored mid-water to experience a magnificent sunset. Not having given notice, dinner was spice-rich chicken curry, rotis and rice. Next day the sunrise in Alleppey against the backdrop of canoes ferrying children to school and adults to work, proved worth waking up early for.

There are a wide range of accommodation for tourists in Alleppey from budget stays to luxurious house-boats: High-end: Tharangini Houseboats (Rs.11,762 per night), Cyrus Resort (Rs.8,667), Ramada by Wyndham (Rs.8,100); Mid-range: Indraprastham House Boat (Rs.5,914), Karapuram Village Resort and Spa (Rs.3,193), Krishna House Boat (Rs.3,689); Budget: Achayans Homestay (Rs.2,632), Lovedale Lakeside Homestay (Rs.1,821), Agape Marari (Rs.1,715).

December 3 (Alleppey-Thekkady)
The small town of Thekkady which is the base camp for visiting the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is a 137 km drive from Alleppey. Enroute you pass neat towns where councillors and officials seem to have some acquaintance with town planning, past red-tiled homes, rubber and spice plantations — all set in charming landscapes. A striking feature of Kerala — India’s most literate state — is its middle-class ambience.

In a society characterised by ribbon development i.e where town and country merge into each other, the urban-rural divide characteristic of India is hardly noticeable. Indeed (as in Goa) the smaller towns and villages of Kerala are cleaner and more orderly than the cities and people look well fed, well housed and aware of their civic obligations.

The four-hour drive takes the visitor through tidy hamlets past softly contoured hill slopes covered by coffee, rubber, cardamom and pepper immaculately carpeted tea plantations. The air becomes crisp and rejuvenating, wafting delicate aromas of this spice-growing epicentre of Kerala.

Muthoot Cardamom County is an idyllic resort built on a hill, offering air-conditioned twin bed cottages set amid spice plants and other flora. It houses a restaurant, swimming pool, and an ayurvedic centre offering traditional therapeutic Kerala massages and yoga facilities. This resort is the base point of the famous Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, home to herds of bison, antelope, wild boar, tigers and elephants.

Sprawling over 777 sq.km, and featuring an artificial lake of 25 sq.km, the sanctuary is best viewed from the top deck of any of the numerous boats that offer two-hour cruises. However book your cruise ticket through your hotel because counter bookings at the state-run game reserve office are unreliable. Though given the noisy engines of cruise boats you are unlikely to spot any big game, the flora — magnificent forest with numerous tree species in autumnal red-hued bloom — is a visual feast. Serious game spotters should opt for a full-day (and silent) bamboo raft expedition on the lake. The evening was spent shopping for spices and exploring the quaint little town. Since a tight time deadline mandated only one night at Thekaddy, we were unable to experience the town’s other attractions including a three-hour walk through the jungle; a night in an observation tower or tree house or a spice garden tour offered by every spice shop in town. Perhaps another time!

Accommodation. High-range: Forest Canopy (Rs.10,000 per night), Amritara Shalimar Spice Garden Resort & Spa (Rs.8,768), Poetry Thekaddy (Rs.7,010); Mid-range: Wild Avenue Resort & Spa (Rs.5,557), The Elephant Court (Rs.5,08), Aranya Nivas (Rs.4,767); Budget: Avadale (Rs.2,333), White Fort Thekaddy (Rs.1,357), Neema Homestay (Rs.957).

December 4: Thekkady-Kumarakom
Following an early morning breakfast, a four-hour downhill drive west across the narrow waist of Kerala took us to the Vembanad Lake and Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary. We booked at Kumarakom Lake Resort, which lives up to its claim of being “perhaps the only paradise on earth”. The lobby and heritage cottages — recreations of vintage Kerala homes — are set amid carefully landscaped gardens and winding canals. Masterminded by Calicut-based architect Tony Joseph, the cottages have been transplanted from their original locations across Kerala and re-assembled with meticulous care.

Specially recommended are the meandering swimming pool duplex villas with verandahs directly opening into the pool. Moreover the resort also offers a traditional swimming pool with a jacuzzi enclosure on the banks of the Vembanad Lake.

All meals (buffet-style) are served in Ettukettu, an eight-sided multi-cuisine restaurant featuring elaborate Indian and continental cuisine. Traditional Kerala tea is served on the lawns of the lake every evening. Venture out in the evening, not for the tea, but to catch a glimpse of captivating bird formations as they wing into the Thattekad sanctuary 16 km away. Also on offer are somewhat over-priced ayurvedic oil massages and several rejuvenation packages.

December 5: Kumarakom-Munnar
Bidding a somewhat reluctant farewell to the exemplarily courteous staff of Kumarakom Lake Resort, we headed north-east and uphill for Munnar. The three-hour drive to this hill station (5,182 ft) yields awesome vistas of green valleys, gushing streams and sweeping hillsides covered with manicured tea estates reaching into the clouds.

A former summer watering hole of British officialdom and tea planters, Munnar is surrounded by dramatic hill vistas, crystal clear streams in what was once known as the High Range of the kingdom of Travancore. To this day it remains the commercial centre of 30 massive tea plantations, the majority owned by the Tata Tea group of companies. In sharp contrast to most towns in Kerala, Munnar is noisy and somewhat grubby, but there are good quality hotels on the periphery. The hills provide ample opportunities for adventure activities such as trekking and mountain biking.

We were booked into the old world High Range Club, owned and maintained by the Tata Tea companies for the rest and recreation of its estate managers. Affiliated with several major clubs in India (Bangalore Club, Bombay Gymkhana etc), it welcomes members of affiliates for short stays. However please note that the club has its own pucca traditions which are inviolable. Dress restrictions apply after 7:00 p.m in the club lounge, bar and dining room. Travellers who don’t have the affiliate club option should negotiate hotel rates preferably through tour operators. Winter days are bright and sunny, but night temperatures can fall to a bone chilling 5°C-7°C . Therefore warm clothes are vital.

Accommodations: High-end: Vibe Munnar (Rs.14,661 per night), Blanket Hotel and Spa (Rs.10,500), Eden Woods (Rs.7,011); Mid-range: Treebo Trend (Rs.5,847), Shola Crown Resort (Rs.5,437), The Cliff Resort (Rs.4,035); Budget: Snow Line resort (Rs.2,767), Veetee Mid-town (Rs.2,386), Bison Valley Homestay (Rs.1,700).

December 6: Excursions ex Munnar
Our itinerary for the day included the Nyamakad waterfall, Rajamala Sanctuary and Mattupetty lake and dam.
Nyamakad. Situated 10 km from Munnar near Rajamala, Nyamakad has two scintillating waterfalls, dropping from a height of 5,440 ft. However the path to the thicketed falls is tricky and tortuous. Don’t try it in high-heeled shoes. Unfortunately the waterfall pool is littered with picnic debris.

Rajamala Sanctuary. Sixteen km from downtown Munnar, this is a haven of the endangered Niligiri Tahr (mountain goat). Only cars/ SUVs are allowed up to the final forest reserve check post. Buses and light commercial vehicles are stopped at the very first check post and tourists have a long uphill (about 4 km) trek. From the final check post you can walk up hairpin bends to the highest point (8 km). The walk is strenuous but the faint-hearted needn’t worry because even mid-way you can experience the sweeping vistas of picture-perfect tea and coffee plantations. With over 1,000 mountain goats in the sanctuary, it’s easy to spot this endangered species.

The Mattupetty lake and dam (25 km) is a scenic picnic spot and the site of a modest hydro-electric project. The lake is bordered on either side by verdant forest and the air is rich with the aroma of exotic flora. Boating facilities are available on the lake.

December 7: Munnar-Cochin
Cochin is a three-hour drive through the neat and well-planned towns of Adimalai, Aluva and Changanacherry. We reached in the afternoon and checked in at The Trident and spent the evening walking through its busy MG Road and Marine Drive soaking in the flavor and scent of this seaside city.

December 8 (Cochin)
The last day of the tour was reserved for sight-seeing in Cochin. Check out the 436-year-old Jewish synagogue, the oldest in the Commonwealth whose mid-18th century hand painted, willow patterned floor tiles from China, clock tower, Hebrew inscriptions, scrolls of the Old Testament, etc draw large crowds of visitors. Also take in the Chinese fishing nets cantilevered in Vasco Da Gama Square and brought to Cochin circa 1350-1450 AD by traders from the court of Kulblai Khan. Shopping on Jew Street for antiques, spices and other memorabilia is a pleasant experience. For lunch try the French-cuisine Casa Maria.

Paucity of time didn’t permit a visit to Santa Cruz Basilica, a historic church built by the Portuguese, the Mattancherry (Dutch) Palace which houses portraits of old maharajas, the coronation robes of former maharajas of Kochi as well as period furniture.
In retrospect the seven-day whistle-stop tour of Kerala which reversed many preconceptions and prejudices about this much misunderstood state, was perhaps two nights too short. Though an exhilarating experience, frequent coast to hills and back dashes left too little time for rest and recreation. Ideally the same itinerary spread over nine days would have been ideal. May be next time round, because India’s most literate state is worth another visit!

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