Kerala jaunt summary
Jun 24th, 2007, 03:31 AM
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Kerala jaunt summary
I did a 16-day solo photography jaunt through Kerala in early June. The idea was to experience Kerala in the monsoons and the hope was that while the weather would be monsoony, there would be no lashing rain or squalls which would render photography difficult if not impossible. I got lucky in this crucial department. The rain was intermittent, and I had the glorious monsoon effect and experience without a single day being washed out.
The trajectory of my journey is as follows (the idea was to start at the southernmost point of India and work my way up along the coast):
Kanyakumari (southernmost tip of India, in the state of Tamil Nadu) -> Kovalam -> Thiruvananthapuram (aka Trivandrum) -> Varkala -> Kollam -> Alappuzha (aka Aleppey) -> Cochin -> Thrissur (aka Trichur) -> Kozhikode (aka Calicut) -> Kannur (aka Cannanore) -> Kasargod -> Mangalore (in the state of Karnataka). From Mangalore I took the Konkan Railway to Goa.
The summary of my stay is as follows (I should mention that one of the great advantages of traveling at this time of the year is that I had the whole resort to myself at some of the places):
June 04 - Kingfisher Airlines flight from Bangalore to Thiruvananthapuram (aka Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala). I used Kovalam as my base for exploring the area. Accomodation: The Leela Kovalam, 3 nights, very comfortable, all the luxury amenities, location on the bluff overlooking the ocean. The Leela Kovalam is not as polished as the other Leela properties but is perhaps the best high-end property in this region.
Varkala: 1 night at the Kadaltheeram Beach Resort. Charming location, right on the water. Basic, but clean rooms, well-meaning service, excellent made-to-order freshly cooked food.
Alappuzha: Punnamada Backwater Resort, on Vembanad Lake; very nice overall, charming rooms, outdoor garden bathroom, warm service, excellent Ayurvedic massage.
3 nights. Easy access to the backwaters.
Cochin: Brunton Boatyard, on the water at Fort Kochi. Beautiful hotel run by an environmentally aware group (see http://www.cghearth.com). Their History restaurant has got to be one of the best in India. The menu is a delightful read, and the food magnificent. 3 nights.
Thrissur: River Retreat at Cheruthuruthy. Beautiful surrounds but this was the worst of all the places I stayed at. Well-meaning folks but everything sub-par.
Kozhikode: 2 nights at the Taj Residency, Calicut (of the Taj Hotels Group). This was surprisingly an excellent hotel, outstanding staff and service, good restaurants etc.
Kannur: Malabar Residency, 1 night. The best choice in town. Basic. Will do for one night.
Kasargod: 2 nights at the Gokulam Nalanda Resort at Nileshwar in the Kasargod district. Excellent location on the Nileshwar river, close to the spectacular Valiyaparambu backwaters. Within easy drive of Bekal and northern Kasargod. The resort itself is fair - will do for a couple of nights.
Mangalore: 1 night at Taj Manjarun (run by Taj Group). This is the best choice in town. Somewhat worn out, but the Superior room was alright.
I planned the entire journey and did all the bookings myself.
Rented a Toyota Innova with driver from Global Vision Kerala (http://www.keralatour.us) at Rs 2000 per day for 16 days. I would not recommend this outfit. The first driver they sent was unprofessional and rash, although he was nice as a person. I demanded that he be replaced. It took me more than a couple of calls. Fortunately the new driver was exceptional in every respect.
I sampled all but 3 of the 14 districts in Kerala. The districts I didn't go to are Wayanad, Pattanamthitta and Idukki.
Kerala - God's Own Country - is a visual delight.
The trajectory of my journey is as follows (the idea was to start at the southernmost point of India and work my way up along the coast):
Kanyakumari (southernmost tip of India, in the state of Tamil Nadu) -> Kovalam -> Thiruvananthapuram (aka Trivandrum) -> Varkala -> Kollam -> Alappuzha (aka Aleppey) -> Cochin -> Thrissur (aka Trichur) -> Kozhikode (aka Calicut) -> Kannur (aka Cannanore) -> Kasargod -> Mangalore (in the state of Karnataka). From Mangalore I took the Konkan Railway to Goa.
The summary of my stay is as follows (I should mention that one of the great advantages of traveling at this time of the year is that I had the whole resort to myself at some of the places):
June 04 - Kingfisher Airlines flight from Bangalore to Thiruvananthapuram (aka Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala). I used Kovalam as my base for exploring the area. Accomodation: The Leela Kovalam, 3 nights, very comfortable, all the luxury amenities, location on the bluff overlooking the ocean. The Leela Kovalam is not as polished as the other Leela properties but is perhaps the best high-end property in this region.
Varkala: 1 night at the Kadaltheeram Beach Resort. Charming location, right on the water. Basic, but clean rooms, well-meaning service, excellent made-to-order freshly cooked food.
Alappuzha: Punnamada Backwater Resort, on Vembanad Lake; very nice overall, charming rooms, outdoor garden bathroom, warm service, excellent Ayurvedic massage.
3 nights. Easy access to the backwaters.
Cochin: Brunton Boatyard, on the water at Fort Kochi. Beautiful hotel run by an environmentally aware group (see http://www.cghearth.com). Their History restaurant has got to be one of the best in India. The menu is a delightful read, and the food magnificent. 3 nights.
Thrissur: River Retreat at Cheruthuruthy. Beautiful surrounds but this was the worst of all the places I stayed at. Well-meaning folks but everything sub-par.
Kozhikode: 2 nights at the Taj Residency, Calicut (of the Taj Hotels Group). This was surprisingly an excellent hotel, outstanding staff and service, good restaurants etc.
Kannur: Malabar Residency, 1 night. The best choice in town. Basic. Will do for one night.
Kasargod: 2 nights at the Gokulam Nalanda Resort at Nileshwar in the Kasargod district. Excellent location on the Nileshwar river, close to the spectacular Valiyaparambu backwaters. Within easy drive of Bekal and northern Kasargod. The resort itself is fair - will do for a couple of nights.
Mangalore: 1 night at Taj Manjarun (run by Taj Group). This is the best choice in town. Somewhat worn out, but the Superior room was alright.
I planned the entire journey and did all the bookings myself.
Rented a Toyota Innova with driver from Global Vision Kerala (http://www.keralatour.us) at Rs 2000 per day for 16 days. I would not recommend this outfit. The first driver they sent was unprofessional and rash, although he was nice as a person. I demanded that he be replaced. It took me more than a couple of calls. Fortunately the new driver was exceptional in every respect.
I sampled all but 3 of the 14 districts in Kerala. The districts I didn't go to are Wayanad, Pattanamthitta and Idukki.
Kerala - God's Own Country - is a visual delight.
Jun 27th, 2007, 12:31 AM
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Thanks for the report, we plan to go to Kerala in October, so it was very good to get this up to date info.
How do you compare the backwaters of Alappuza to Valiyaparambu. We do like slowtravel and have a little more than 2 weeks to spend, so we plan only to see part of Kerala, but having difficulty choosing between north or south of Cochin
How do you compare the backwaters of Alappuza to Valiyaparambu. We do like slowtravel and have a little more than 2 weeks to spend, so we plan only to see part of Kerala, but having difficulty choosing between north or south of Cochin
Jun 27th, 2007, 06:55 AM
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sharon1306 - I shall post a link to my gallery here within the next few days. Stay tuned.
k44skov - The backwaters at Valiyaparambu are serene, and they are also less touristed. Northern Kerala is still untamed territory but alas the resorts and mass tourism will soon get there as well.
The backwaters at Alappuzha and the region around it are the real heart of Kerala and there are many other sights nearby. You will have more opportunities for seeing everyday life on the water here than in Valiyaparambu. If you have 2 weeks, why don't you do both - Alappuzha as well as Valiyaparambu?
The waters at Valiyaparambu are uninfected by the water hyacinth that has invaded the backwaters in Alappuzha. That is because the salt water from the sea gets into Valiyaparambu and water hyacinth cannot grow as a result.
k44skov - The backwaters at Valiyaparambu are serene, and they are also less touristed. Northern Kerala is still untamed territory but alas the resorts and mass tourism will soon get there as well.
The backwaters at Alappuzha and the region around it are the real heart of Kerala and there are many other sights nearby. You will have more opportunities for seeing everyday life on the water here than in Valiyaparambu. If you have 2 weeks, why don't you do both - Alappuzha as well as Valiyaparambu?
The waters at Valiyaparambu are uninfected by the water hyacinth that has invaded the backwaters in Alappuzha. That is because the salt water from the sea gets into Valiyaparambu and water hyacinth cannot grow as a result.
Jun 28th, 2007, 11:06 PM
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agtoau – I think your remark: more opportunities for seeing everyday life on the water – has made the decision for us. We are not going to spend all the time in Kerala. We plan to be in Mysore for the Dasara festival, especially seeing the big procession. Then we might go to Ooty to visit a children’s home, our sponsor child is now 18 and has left the home and is a trainee at the hospital in Coimbatore, so a visit there is also on the list. I am really looking forward to Kerala, have been to India several times, but never to this part before.
Jun 29th, 2007, 04:41 AM
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Thanks for sharing agtou. Not many recent posts on the South. North india is where everybody goes!! We are too headed south in Nov but will start via Mysore onto Wynad at Tranquil resort then work our way down via Calicut to Chertala which I think is north of Alaphuza. Where can we see your pics?
