Kerela - The Heaven for Backpackers

 KERELA- The Backpacker's Heaven

 We Indians start anything and everything with God's name, and I being a true Indian soul, did the same. I am starting my travel blog "The Unfame Traveller" from the "God's own county - Kerela".

Kerela is rightly labelled as the God's own country as it covers all the geographical features within its small boundary. You can do backwaters, walk across the forest, see wildlife or simply relax and sunbathe by the sea, and can feel the cold at hill stations of this relatively hot and humid southernmost state of India.

The whole state is packed with natural surprises, however, the South and central regions are the gem amongst them. So we backpacked and travelled across south and central Kerela by train, bus, ferry and other local transport facilities available to minimize our travelling expenses, as the money saved was well spent on food and drinks. We started our voyage from Kovalam in south and covered Kollam, Kumarakom, Thekkady/Kumily, Munnar and finally ended up in Cochin.

It was a 12N/13D trip. Usually if you take a cab for such a long period it will shoot-up your travelling cost and result in a big dent in your pockets. To save those, you can travel with trains or local buses. in some parts you can travel with boat/ferry too.



KOVALAM

A small town with serene beaches located at 15 kms south of capital city Trivandrum. The serene beauty of its beaches is impeccable. The warm welcome we got by the sea-breeze when we were few hundred meters to reach the Lighthouse beach. The sound of waves striking hard on the rocks gives us a melodious welcome. The moment we reach there all our tiredness vanished with a mere sight of azure blue sea. The beauty was incredible. Despite so many tourists, the beaches are so clean.

How to reach Kovalam - A 30 min journey with cab or auto-rickshaw from Trivandrum Central Railway station or Trivandrum International airport would cost you around Rs. 600 and 300 respectively.

Where to stay in Kovalam - One should book the hotel/homestay at the Lighthouse beach or Kovalam beach. This would be convenient as their is no provision for showers and changing rooms at the beach. So it is advisable to book a room within walking distance from the beach. Preferably book the rooms online to get a good deal.

What to eat in Kovalam - You can have a taste of deliciously cooked sea-food in a restaurant across the beach. There are number of restaurants by the beach offering fresh variety of sea-food cooked in different styles. You can choose the fish, bargain the price, select the cooking style and enjoy the candle-light dinner by overlooking the ocean. Sea-food will cost within a range of Rs. 250-1200 according the size and variety of fish.



KOLLAM / QUILON

Its an old seaport town on the banks of Ashtamudi lake. A good place to enjoy the beaches, lake and backwaters at single place. On one side it has large and crowded market-places and on the other it offers the peaceful calm backwaters at Munroe Island. 2 nights of stay is required to explore each and every color of Kollam.

How to Reach Kollam-  There is just 1 hour train journey from Trivandrum Central Station to Quilon Jn. The train ticket would cost Rs. 25-300 per person depends on the class you chose to travel. You can also take a KSRTC bus from Trivandrum bus stand to Kollam. But train journey is better in respect of time and comfort.

Where to stay in Kollam- A wide range of economy hotels are there near Railway station, Kollam beach, Ashtamudi lake and good range of homestays at backwaters of Munroe Island.

What to eat in Kollam- Being a big town you'll get a huge variety of foods here. From pure-veg restaurants for vegans to delicious non-veg for meat lovers. From continental food to Kerela local cuisine. You should try (both veg and non-veg) at Ramees restaurant near LIC building.



KUMARAKOM

A small beautiful village at the east bank of Vembanad lake, just 15 kms from the Kottayam city. The view of sapphire colored water of second largest lagoon lake of India and the emerald colored coconut trees gives a glimpse of big oval sapphire surrounded by bedazzled tiny emeralds. The view itself is so soothing to the eyes. You would just get a feel to capture the view in your eyes for ever.


How to reach Kumarakom - Take a train to Kottayam jn from Quilon Jn. Its a 2 hour journey which cost you around 140-300 depends on the class. Then take a bus that cost you Rs.12 to drop you at Kumarakom. Cab and auto-rickshaw options are also available. Some resorts also offers complimentary pick-up from Kottayam station.

Where to Stay in Kumarakom- There is a huge list of luxurious resorts/homestays on the banks of Vembanad lake. However, resorts here are quite expensive, ranges from Rs 2000-10000 per night, but you should choose a room that offers a lake view as its once a lifetime experience.

What to eat in Kumarakom - Though its a small town with many private resorts that have in-house restaurants, so eating out is not a good option. You should take your meals in your resort or you can go to some other resorts that have restaurants open for outside guests. You should definitely try "Karimeen" fish, a pearl from the Vembanad Lake.



THEKKADY

After covering the sea, backwaters and lake, we headed to Thekkady/Kumily to experience the wildlife of Kerela at Periyar Tiger Reserve, Thekady. A good place for eco-tourism where you can do a handful of nature activies like nature walk, jungle walk, bamboo rafting, elephant ride, spice garden visit, jungle boat safari, border hiking and even jeep safaris at night in middle of the jungle. If you are lucky enough you'll get a glimpse of the Tiger or a Leopard through any of the jungle activities. 2 nights stay is required to experience the jungle activities.

How to reach Thekkady - Take a KSRTC bus in the morning after breakfast from Kottayam to Kumily. The 110 kms drive took us around 3 hours as the bus passes through curvy roads surrounded by green trees. The bus ride cost us Rs. 97 per person.

Where to stay in Thekkady - There are many hotels, resorts and homestays providing the jungle view and ambiance ranging from Rs. 300-5000 per night depends on the location and luxuries.

What to eat in Thekkady - Being a town which is densely populated with the tourist, there is a wide range of restaurants offering varieties of cuisines. The food is tasty and reasonably cheap.



MUNNAR

One of the most precious jewel of Kerela, Munnar is a hill station at the peaks of Western ghats. Most of its mountains covered with the lush-green tea estates provides a breath-taking picturesque view to the tourists. You can rent-a-bike and roam around the curvy roads to see the dams, and picture-perfect view-points and shop for local home-made chocolates. At least a 2 nights of stay is required to explore the sheer beauty of Munnar.

How to reach Munnar - An early morning bus from Thekkady would take around 4 and a half hour to cover many curvy, hairpin bend roads through up and down of few mountains. The scenery on its way itself is so beautiful that would be enough to keep you awake throughout the journey.

Where to stay in Munnar - As it is the most visited place of Kerela so it has many hotels and homestays that are located with scenic views in Munnar town and surrounding valleys away from the hustle-bustle of town. You need to book the rooms early to get a good range of hotel and price.

What to eat in Munnar - Meals here are relatively expensive in restaurants. Sarvana bhavan at main town offers tasty and hygenic pure-veg meals at cheap price.



COCHIN

An important port city since mid 14th century for Arabs, Chinese and European traders. It is still one of the main trade cities of the state and known as the economic capital of Kerela. Being a Portugese territory for more than a decade, its colonies reflects the beauty of ancient Portugese architecture. You can roam around the historic city of Fort Kochi and have a glimpse of modern India at Ernakulam. Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi are the main attraction. Visit there to experince the ancient non-powered but mechanised fish catching techniques.

How to Reach Cochin - Cochin has an inetrnational airport and a railway station at Ernakulam Jn., well connected to the trains from allover India. A bus ride from Munnar takes 4 hours to reach Ernakulam and would cost around Rs. 100

Where to Stay in Cochin - Fort Kochi us the best option to stay. It has many Heritage hotels and homestays where you can have a feel of  typical 19th Century Portuguese homes.

What to Eat in Cochin - All the options are available here for both veg and non-veg lovers. One must try chiken biriyani at Kayees Rahmathulla cafe.