safaris in kerala

Safaris

• Jungle Safari. Kerala has many natural rain forests, with lots of unique flora and fauna. A trek in the forests of Kerala can offer a unique experience. Many forests are protected and to enter in any forest area, you require permission from Forest Office. Guards from the Forest Office may be required to accompany you due to presence of wild animals and to liaise with local tribespeople in some forests such as the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Malayatoor Forest Division, Silent Valley Rain forest in the Nilgiri Hills of Palakkad district, Wayanad forest division and Nilambur Teak forests. A request is required to be made at the Forest Headquarters in Trivandrum or Range Offices at the entrance of each Forest division. Entering forests without permission is an offence and punishable with charges of trespassing. Hunting and environmental disturbance is also an offence. You don't require Forest Guard protection services to enter Chalakudy Forest division a place very popular for use as a movie location. Agastyakoodam in Trivandrum is famous for high medical value flora. Nelliyampatty Forest division in Palakkad requires a prior check with local Range office or Forest office before proceeding. You need a Forest permit to enter any forest region and must assure that you do not offer anything to local tribespeople or disturb them in any way. Kerala tourism, in association with the Forest Office have organised some deep jungle safaris. Jungle lodges are available in outer areas of some of the forests. Check with KTDC or DTPC for more details

• Elephant Safari:- If you are in Kerala, elephants safaris are one of the best way to keep amused. Riding on top of an 8 foot animal, will surely make you excited and thrilled. Elephant safaris are common in many tourist places like Thenmala Eco-tourist Village and at Kodanadu Elephant Training centre near Kochi as well as in Periyar Tiger reserve area.

• Bullock Cart Safari:- An experience of being in olden days in this modern era. A must try option while visiting any village in Palakkad or in Kuttanad in Alleppey or any Malabar side village, can surely make you feel the common man's mode of transport of bygone era.

• Nilgiri Safari:- A safari by foot over deep forests, mountainous terrain, plains at Nilgiris, to enjoy the sightings and sound of lonely Nilgiris mountains, enjoy the company of protected Tahrs and deers, mesmerised with the beauty of golden plains. Surely Nilgiri safari has all these to offer

Adventure tourism in kerala

• Trekking is a good option. Lot of trekking options prevails in Palakkad and Kottayam districts, which are safer. Trekking in Idukki and Wayanad is also good, but is much more adventurous and not as safe. Do contact DTPC of these districts available at district capitals to know more about it. Kottayam mountains are the best for anybody to trek, whereas trekking at Iddukki is surely for the experts. Vagamon and nearby areas have lot of short trekking options.

• Rock Climbing - Popular in the Munnar mountains, which are more rocky in nature and have cliffs that make for a real adventure. Areas near Poojnar in Kottayam also have options for rock climbing.

• Mountain Biking - Popular in hill station areas, especially for racing. Ponmudi in Trivandrum, Munnar, Thekkady, Vagamon, and Nelliyampatty are main centres for mountain biking and racing.

• Mountain Hiking - is also emerging as a popular sport, to conquer the largest peak of Western Ghats- Anamudi in Iddukki district. Many Mountain hikers go in search of tall peak points, for hiking options. Need to check at Iddukki, Palakkad and Kottayam districts.

• Para gliding - Para gilding are available at Munnar and Varkala. A try is surely something you going to cherish, due to the natural beauty and the extreme thrill associated with it. Recently Vagamon has emerged as one of the popular centre for Para gilding, due to its less mountainous terrain and vast expanse of open space, coupled with scenic beauty. Recently it was chosen as permanent centre for Kerala Para-gliding Prix. ASSTA Kochi is one of the premier sporting agency in Kerala ((91)94472-88252, 98470-59735)

• Canoeing: Canoeing is a favorite sport among the tourists of Kerala and among the local inhabitants of the state. A canoe is a small 2-3 seater boat which is rowed by the sailors. Canoeing expeditions are undertaken in Kerala by groups of tourists and such sashays are often arranged by tourist operators on request. One can find many canoe races among tourists in Backwaters of Alleppey.

• Catamaran Sailing: A catamaran is small often wooden vessel with twin hulls joined together. Catamarans are usually set sail across the backwaters of Kerala nowadays motorised catamarans are in vogue along with traditional oar propelled ones giving the tourists of the state more variety to indulge in. Catamaran sailing can be seen in Alleppey and Kollam Beaches and limited usage in Kozhikode Barbour. The government discourages this, due to absence of safety measures, hence such sporting options must be done under personal risk.

• Kayaking: Kayaking requires high levels of physical fitness. A Kayak is a small one or two man boat which the rowers actuate with twin paddled oars. Kayaking can be undertaken on rocky rapids (similar to white water rafting) or on calm sea waters. The backwaters of Kerala are extremely conducive to such sea kayaking. Kottayam and Alleppey Backwaters, particularly Vaikom has many good areas for Kayaking. Small rapids near Vagamon and Pala and Thenmala Eco-tourism village are centres of Kayaking.

• Para Sailing: Parasailing is a water sport commonly indulged in Kerala's beaches and sea side resorts. This highly recreational sport is one of the primary adventure sports in Kerala's many beaches. Commonly seen in Varkala, Kovalam, Cherai beaches. Recently started in Kannur beach too.

• Scuba Diving: Scuba diving is deep sea diving with an oxygen pack fitted to the diving suit so that the diver does not need to depend on any surface supplied equipment. The deep Arabian Sea off Kerala shores makes scuba diving a veritable pleasure sport. The rich underwater flora and fauna attracts the diver over the risks involved in the sport. Mainly done in Kochi Backwaters and Highseas area. This yet has not emerged as a popular sporting in Kerala, though its popular in nearby Lakshadweep seas, from the Kochi Cruisers.

• Snorkeling: Snorkeling is a major tourist recreation at the beaches of Alappuzha, Kovalam and Varkala. It involved swimming at the surface of the deep sea equipped with a snorkel or a breathing tube and mask. It allows the diver to view the natural underwater bounties and the diversity of marine life.

• Wind Surfing: Windsurfing is skimming the water face on a surfboard with a revolving sail. The skill of the surfer is tested in maneuvering the craft amidst the high waves and tearing winds. Windsurfing is a sport that rouses much interest in the numerous beaches that fringe coastal Kerala. This is not as popular as other sports, though at Kovalam and Varkala, one can find some wind surfers.

• Oxen Racing:- Oxen racing is an adventure sporting, where the racer needs to drive two oxens tied to wooden boards and need to make 5 circles around the paddy field. This is a popular village-side sports, especially done before sowing season, to make soil ploughable, while providing an entertainment option. Traditionally tourists are not encouraged to take part in this sport, as it requires high level of skill and expertise, though recently many tour companies are catering this option to their adventurous guests.

The cuisine of Kerala

KERALA'S TRADITIONAL RESTAURANT

The cuisine of Kerala is linked in all its richness to the history, geography, demography and culture of the land. Kerala cuisine has a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and meat.

Kerala's long coastline, numerous rivers and backwater networks, and strong fishing industry have contributed to many sea and river food based dishes. Rice and cassava (Tapioca) form the staple food of Kerala. All main dishes are made with them and served along with Kootan; the side dishes which may be made from vegetables, meat, fish or a mix of all of them. The main dish for lunch and dinner is boiled rice. Owing to the weather and the availability of spices, the Kerala cuisine is richly spicy especially the hot ones -chilly, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon.

MEAL TIME

Kerala is known for its traditional banquet or sadhya a vegetarian meal served with boiled rice and a host of side-dishes served especially during special occasions and festivals. The sadhya is complemented by payasam, a sweet dessert native to Kerala. The sadhya is, as per custom, served on a banana leaf, and is a formal-style meal with three or more courses of rice with a side-dish (usually sambar, rasam, buttermilk, etc.). In south Kerala the Payasam is followed by more (butter milk). Whereas in North Malabar it is considered to be the last dish to be served. A typical sadhya would have Boiled Rice, sambar, Parippu, Aviyal, Kaalan, Pachadi, Kichadi,Thoran, Pulisherry, Olan, Puliinji, Pappadam, Mooru, Kaya upperi, Sharkara upperi,Achar, Banana,Paayasam

Sweets and Desserts

Kerala does not have any indigenous cold desserts, but hot/warm desserts are popular. The most popular example is undoubtedly the payasam: a preparation of milk, coconut extract, sugar, cashews, dry grapes, etc. Payasam can be made with many base constituents, including Paal payasam (made from rice), Ada payasam (with Ada-broken strips of baked starch from various sources)

 

Breakfast

Kerala cuisine offers many delicious vegetarian breakfast dishes that are often relatively unknown outside the state. These include Puttu (made of rice powder and grated coconut, steamed in a metal or bamboo holder) and kadala (a curry made of black garbanzo beans chana), idli (fluffy rice pancakes), sambar, dosa and chutney, pidiyan, Idiyappam (string hoppers - also known as Noolputtu and Nool-Appam in Malabar), Paal-Appam, a circular, fluffy, crisp-edged pancake made of rice flour fermented with a small amount of toddy or wine, etc. Idiyapam and Paalappam are accompanied by mutton, chicken or vegetable stew or fish moli (the most common dish is black pomfret in a coconut milk.
 

For over 2000 years, Kerala has been visited by ocean-goers, including traders from Greece, Rome, the eastern Mediterranean, Arab countries, and Europe. Thus, Kerala cuisine is a blend of indigenous dishes and foreign dishes adapted to Kerala tastes.

Where to Stay and Dine in Cochin

Most guidebooks suggest going to Kerala between January and March, when it's dry and sunny. But the best season for ayurvedic massage is said to be June and July, when monsoons pound Kerala before sweeping north. They say that in the rainy season your body opens up like a thirsty flower to receive replenishment. Hotel prices are lower then, too.

You can see Kochi in four days, but it's worth spending a few nights in the backwaters. Fred and Ellison Poe, a father-daughter team who run Poe Travel (800/727-1960; www.poetravel.com), an Arkansas-based agency recognized in the list of super-agents.

Taj Malabar
The five-star landmark on Willingdon Island is where we stayed in Kochi. It's on the water and 20 minutes away, by either car or ferry, from Mattancherry or Ernakulam. The staff is extremely helpful, and the food at the hotel's Rice Boat restaurant is superb (try the njandu ularthiyathu, a crab appetizer). Rather regret accepting the chef's suggestion experience a traditional banana-leaf lunch out by the dock, in full view of the entire hotel's guests,

DOUBLES FROM $150; DINNER FOR TWO $50
Willingdon Island; 800/448-8355 OR 91-484/266-6811; www.tajhotels.com

 

Brunton Boatyard
This reconstruction of an 1849 boatyard is where we would stay next time we visit. It sits on the Arabian Sea in the center of Fort Cochin. There are terra-cotta floors, punkah fans in the lobby, and antique four-poster beds in many of the 26 rooms. DOUBLES FROM $130
CALVETTY RD., FORT COCHIN 91-484/221-5461; www.cghearth.com

Malabar House
A diminutive boutique hotel in Fort Cochin that feels a little fussy, but its owners have two beautiful hideaways in the backwaters: Serenity, a rubber-estate bungalow with five bedrooms, and Privacy, a romantic two-bedroom retreat in Sanctuary Bay. DOUBLES FROM $136
PARADE RD., FORT COCHIN 91-484/221-6666; www.malabarhouse.com

Nimmy Paul
As part of her ongoing plan to take over the world, this Indian domestic goddess just inaugurated homestays this October. Her guest room is spare but clean; she also offers meals, cooking lessons, and full- or half-day foodie immersions. Ask her son to teach you how he folds a napkin into the shape of a lotus flower. $125 PER NIGHT WITH FULL BOARD
CHAKALAKAL RD., ERNAKULAM 91-484/231-4293; www.nimmypaul.com

WHERE TO DINE

Badettu
This vegetarian restaurant in the Sarovaram hotel on the road to the airport serves wonderful traditional Keralan lunches on banana leaves: a dozen varieties of tasty, spicy curries and rice. We were the only WESTERNERS THERE; YOU EAT WITH YOUR HANDS. DINNER FOR TWO $8
NH 47 COCHIN BYPASS RD., ERNAKULAM; 91-484/230-5519

Shreekrishna Inn
They start you off with ayurvedic water—which tastes like chicken! Well, licorice, actually. The Keralan curries packed with chiles, ginger, and mustard seed are excellent (though the service is a bit lackadaisical). DINNER FOR TWO $5
WARRIUM RD., ERNAKULAM; 91-484/236-6664

Dream Cochin       

Location.

four and five star

SA Road, Ernakulam, Cochin, 682020 India 1800 102 3346

 Situated in Cochin's Ernakulam neighborhood, Dream Cochin is close to Durbar Hall Art Gallery. Additional area attractions include Mattancherry Palace and Jain Temple.
Hotel Features.
Dream Cochin has a spa tub, a fitness facility, and a pool. Wireless Internet access is available in public areas (surcharges apply). Business amenities at this 4.5-star property include a business center and small meeting rooms. This luxury hotel offers a restaurant. Guest parking is complimentary. Additional amenities include gift shops/newsstands, concierge services, and an elevator (lift).
Guestrooms.
The 151 air-conditioned guestrooms at Dream Cochin include minibars and safes. Televisions are equipped with satellite channels and DVD players. All accommodations provide phones with voice mail. Wireless high-speed Internet access (surcharge) is provided. All units feature refrigerators and coffee/tea makers. Bathrooms offer showers. All guestrooms at Dream Cochin are non-smoking.

Ramada Resort Cochin

4 stars

Pv Sreedharan Rd Kumbalam S, Cochin, 682506 India 1800 102 3346

Location.
Situated in Cochin's Vembanad Lake neighborhood, Ramada Resort Cochin is a business-friendly hotel and area attractions include Hill Palace, Durbar Hall Art Gallery, and Mattancherry Palace. Additional regional attractions include Jain Temple and Santa Cruz Cathedral.
Hotel Features.
Ramada Resort Cochin has an outdoor pool, a spa tub, a steam room, and a sauna. There is a business center on site. This business-friendly hotel offers a restaurant. Guests are served a complimentary breakfast. Additional amenities include a fitness facility, laundry facilities, and complimentary newspapers in the lobby.
Guestrooms.
Amenities in air-conditioned guestrooms at Ramada Resort Cochin include minibars and safes. Rooms open to balconies. 32-inch LCD televisions are equipped with cable/satellite channels. Rooms have high-speed Internet access. All units feature refrigerators and coffee/tea makers.

Cochin or Kochi

Kochi is  possibly the ideal starting point for exploring the unfathomable diversity and beauty of Kerala,

The august city of KOCHI also known as Cochin, Kerala's prime tourist destination, spreads across islands and promontories between the Arabian Sea and the backwaters. Its main sections – modern Ernakulam and the old peninsular districts of Mattancherry and Fort Cochin to the west – are linked by ferries, and less idealistic bridges. Although some visitors stay in the more convenient Ernakulam, the overwhelming majority base themselves in Fort Cochin itself, where spice markets, Chinese fishing nets, a synagogue, a Portuguese palace, India's first European church and seventeenth-century Dutch homes can all be found within an easy walk. Kochi also offers traditional dance performances, both in authentic and condensed tourist versions.

Old Kochi, the thumb-shaped peninsula whose northern tip presides over the entrance to the harbor, formed the focus of European trading activities. With high-rise development constrained to Ernakulam across the water, its twin districts of Fort Cochin, in the west, and Mattancherry, on the headland's eastern side, have conserved an astonishing wealth of early colonial architecture, spanning the Portuguese, Dutch and British eras – a harvest unmatched in India. Approaching by ferry, the waterfront, with its sloping red-tiled roofs and ranks of peeling, pastel-colored warehouses, offers a view that can have changed little in centuries.

Four places you must visit

• Willingdon Island — large man-made island made from sand dredged from the backwaters to deepen the Kochi Port. Named after Long Willingdon, then-the reigning Viceroy of India, it houses the Kochi Port, Southern Naval Command Headquarters of Indian Navy and many five star hotels.

• Mattancherry and Fort Kochi (Old Kochi) — primarily a tourist enclave. Fort Kochi forms the upper part of the Peninsula with neatly arranged colonial buildings, narrow well-paved roads, Anglo-Dutch influenced structures and large antiques shops. Mattancherry is primarily a trading city, famous for its thriving Gujarati settlement brought to the city in the 16th and 17th centuries by the spice trade.

• Bolgatty Island — the island where the British established a Royal Residency, which is now converted into a five star hotel. Famous for its large golf course, horse riding tracks, marina and boatyards.

• Vypin Island — one of the most densely populated islands in world with numerous fishing villages, tourist villages and the popular Cherai Beach.

The tourist season is normally from August to February. December being the most tourist rush month has many festival and special attractions to welcome along with the famous Cochin Carnival and Christmas celebrations. Onam season (mid Aug-mid Sept) is also a busy tourist season considering traditional line up of various festivities. Recently monsoon is being promoted heavily by tourism dept as a rejuvenation season which also slowly becoming a popular season to visit to experience the heavy rain falls. However it is always advisable to avoid March and April, considering the harsh summer, though it is primarily Indian domestic tourist season.

Tourist information

Free information and city maps are available at state run Kerala Tourism Development Corp (KTDC) offices at:

• Tourist Reception office in Marine Drive, ☎+91 484 2353534 from where KTDC city tours starts/ends.
• Railway Tourist Office at Ernakulam South Railway Station, ☎+91 484 2378723.
• Airport Tourist Counter in Arrival hall of both terminals, ☎+91 484 2611308, +91 484 2611309.
• City Tourist Information Center at Old Collectorate in Park Ave, ☎+91 484 2381743.
• Central Toll Free Number, ☎ 1 800 4254747

The India Tourism also has its office at Willingdon Island ☎ +91 484 2668352. The District Tourist Promotion Council (DTPC) also helps in providing information to tourists about other parts of Kochi District, which can be reached at ☎ +91 484 2367334, +91 484 2383988.

Munnar - The real Heaven

Munnar, which means confluence of three rivers, was the summer resort of the erstwhile British rulers in the colonial days. In the late 19th century, A.H. Sharp planted the first tea bush and since then tea has been the main agricultural crop in the region. Today, the hills around Munnar are blanketed with best-in-class green tea bushes. With its sprawling tea plantations, pristine valleys and mountains and cool air, it’s no surprise that Munnar has been rated the second-best Asian travel destination for 2010.

If you are a true admirer of nature who has a passion for driving, Munnar is your dream destination and cruising along winding smooth roads across mist-sheeted lush green tea gardens is the finest experience you can ever have.

Around every corner is another stunning view. You do not need a map or a guide; all you need is a good pair of shoes and the curiosity to see what is around the next curve. You need not necessarily be a shutterbug; random clicks can get you incredible photographs. The distant view of the reservoir follows you for another 15 kms and it’s an excellent location for photography.

The dude who poses here is Varayadu or Nilgiri Tahr, stocky goats with short, coarse fur and a bristly mane. Nilgiri Tahr is an endangered mountain ungulate listed in schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. Eravikulam National Park which has the highest density and largest surviving population of this species is situated hardly 14 kms from Munnar town. Know more about this endangered species

Does this picture suggest land’s end? It virtually is. This is Top Station, which is 41 kms uphill from Munnar. Located at the border of Kerala and Tamilnadu, this spot offers an ‘awebreathtakingsome’ panoramic view. Strolling down this pathway with steep abyss on both sides is adventurous, rather risky, but the view you get there is one of a kind.

At every other corner you will find women with baskets full of locally grown fruits and vegetables. Don’t forget to bargain and buy tender carrots, passion fruits and wild tomatoes, all farm fresh and delicious.

The sprawling Kundala tea plantations, Kundala Lake and the echo point are other attractions in the vicinity. A boat cruise on the lake is the best way to enjoy the leisure.

Anamudi is the highest peak in the Western Ghats situated at a height of 2,695 metres (8,842 feet) above mean sea level. It is located in the southern part of Eravikulam National Park, fifty kilometers from Munnar. It is also the ideal place for wildlife travelers and nature lovers. It literally means “Elephant forehead”.

Bristling with wildlife and crystal clear streams, the enticing charm of Munnar is simply irresistible. The area has many attractions within a short distance of the town of Munnar, including the Sandalwood Forest of Marayoor and the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.