“Better to see something once, than to hear about it a thousand times”.
Wait for a while before ignoring the above quote, as it may come true sometimes, especially if you are fond of traveling. Some places, beyond our imagination, will really take us to some heavenly experiences that remain afresh throughout our life. Kumarakom, marked by the enchanting backwaters, is one such wonderful destination you should visit at least once in your life time.
The main attraction of Kumarakom is the Aqua tourism in the back waters of Vembanad, the largest lake in Kerala.
How to reach there
Cochin, the nearest airport is about 55 kilometres and the nearest railway station Kottayam, is only 15 kilometers from Kumarakom. From Kottayam town, you can reach there easily, by hiring a taxi, autorikshaw or by bus that plies frequently from Kottayam town.
Where to stay
There, you can choose accommodation according to your budget.
Resorts, Star hotels, budget hotels or even home stays, guarantee a safe and homely stay for you.
Once you reach there, you can enjoy a lot of wonderful things, the most thrilling and pleasurable one is the ride in a House boat.
If you are interested, you can enjoy bird watching, as Kumarakom is also famous for the bird sanctuary that hosts a number of birds, native as well as migratory birds like the Siberian storks.
In a House boat
Most of the House boat companies provide facilities for a very comfortable and homely stay which you can enjoy well. You can hire a House boat according to the number of members in your group. One with a single bedroom is sufficient for a small family, but I would like to travel in a group. For larger groups, House boats having up to ten bedrooms are available, and you can stay overnight in the boat if you wish to do so. About three years ago we got a chance to spend a night in a house boat that anchored in the middle of the back waters, and it was really a wonderful experience to enjoy the serenity of a moonlit night in such a lonely place where you can see nothing else, but only water all around.
At the boarding point, you will get a warm welcome by the boat crew, who are very friendly and caring. The usual timings of the house boats are from 11am to 5pm, and you will be taken for a ride in the Vembanad lake, covering many places including a small island called Pathiramanal.
Food and refreshments will be served in the boat, and that according to your choice will be available if you place the order in advance.
As a part of the package you can have a ride in a speed boat right from the house boat, if you are a little adventurous.
The variety of food served in house boats reveal the real tastes of Kerala.Your favourite dishes can be selected from the menu which includes different types of fish, chicken, duck, prawns, crab etc along with other veg dishes. The most popular dish prepared in house boats is the Karimeen fry ( Green chromide, the state fish of Kerala which is abundantly found in the back waters), but my favourite is Karimeen pollichathu, the recipe you can read from the link.
For a change you can have a halt on the way for refreshments from the restaurants on the banks of the lake, and also you can buy some unique art pieces from the shops nearby.
Add the name of this wonderful destination to your list, when you plan your next vacation.
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Very interesting and informative…Will definitely try out the Larimer pollichathu