For long we wanted to visit Kerala backwaters as we had never been there but had heard a lot in ads and through friends. Being a slow traveller I wanted to stay in one place so we could explore the place properly. One of my colleagues suggested me Kumarakom in Kerala. As Kumarakom was his hometown I followed his advice. In case we wanted to take the houseboat experience Allepey was nearby.
Kumarakom is a small town located along Vembanad lake in Kerala. The town has an easy going lifestyle with most of the places operating between 10.30 am -7 pm. The lush green beauty of the small town is bound to take your breath away.
Skipping the big houseboats we took the small motored boats, that way we could go wherever we wanted. Our backwaters experience started from the small water lanes of town. These water lanes are the connecting elements of the town. We did see a few people selling flowers, fishes and coconuts from their boats. These small water lanes provide some beautiful views of the greenery around. Even the left out old boats tend to create a sense of nostalgia.
Once we reached the open waters the view was amazing, the water merged with the horizon at places. Here we saw the huge houseboats steadily moving around the lake. These houseboats true to their names are fitted with all the comforts of home from air-conditioned bedrooms to fully functional kitchens. Their construction style is very vernacular, locally developed and exclusive to Kerala.
If you are a bird watcher then the swampy patches of the lake will give you enough opportunities to click migratory birds.
We came across a few renowned resorts reserving all the privacy to themselves. These resorts are not visible from the town but only the water bodies.
A bit further into the local areas and we saw more of houseboats as well as homes on the sides of lake. The colourful homes of the locals created a very beautiful picture. It’s amazing to see how people carry on their day to day life works travelling through these water lanes.
The unending expanse of water and greenery truly lives up to its name, God’s own country.
Other Southern Destinations visited:
Exploring World Heritage city Mahabalipuram
Have you been to Kumarakom recently? or planning your holiday here? Lets us know through your comment below.
Really very informative post . I like your photography information . thanks
Thanks a lot Dinamico