Kerala

Kerala - there is no dearth of paeans that have been written on this place in verse and in prose. I am wondering what more can I say about 'God's own country'?

While being in Bangalore, if one wants to go for a rejuvenating break, Kerala offers a perfect getaway. So in 2010 we planned a 5 days 4 nights trip to Kerala. We usually keep our trips very relaxed, covering less to enjoy the place in its entirety. The plan was to fly to Kochi, spend a day in Kochi, visit Fort Kochi and see Chinese Fishing nets and head towards the backwaters for the rest of the four days.

We had four days and three nights for the Vembanad lake, Kumarakom and Allepey.   We stayed in Malabar resort which overlooked the lake and  enjoyed the 'made to order' food. Those couple of days were spent blissfully nestled in the lap of nature. The last night we were supposed to spend on a houseboat. It was a houseboat with two bedrooms and a deck on the top tier. What can I write about that one day, that we ended up spending in the houseboat!

That was truly an experience out of this world. Perhaps the words like 'peace' and 'tranquility' were coined for such places only. Usually houseboat is anchored for the night at one place and one gets to see pristine sunset in its full glory. Verdant green paddy fields on one side, sunset on the other, surrounded by serene  water, slightly bobbing houseboat… perfect ingredients for a perfect holiday.

Ours is not a very frequently travelling family, yet we try to visit at least one new place every year. The trip to Kerala remains the best of the lot still.

Places to stay at : Kumarakom Lake resort is a great option. (Make sure you do the reservations well in advance)

Best time to visit : all year through

Important Tips :

1.       Do not try to cover more places in less days, the whole objective of the visit will get defeated.

2.       Make sure to take boat ride inside the lake, you will get a chance to notice different varieties of flora and fauna.