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Archive for 'Kerala Travel Blogs'
BBC presenter and traveller Kate Humble embarked on a journey along India’s ‘Spice Coast’, Kerala to uncover the story of pepper, a spice once known as ‘black gold’. Sought after across the world, few know of its real story and origins.
As Kate went from one region to another in Kerala following the spice trail, she discovered the history of this amazing spice and how it enticed European invaders to come to the shores of Kerala. Amongst other things Kate discovered the pepper dance used to shake the berries from the stalk, saw first hand, the use of the spice in cooking and learnt the old secret language of pepper traders while at the same time discovering Kerala.
Kerala Travel Centre is proud to present its ‘Spice Trail tour’ which gives you the opportunity to follow in the foot steps of the presenter and go on a fascinating journey of discovery. As you unravel the many mysteries of spices in Kerala, you will also get to enjoy the region’s many delightful highlights including its mesmerising tea plantations, enchanting backwaters, captivating wildlife and vibrant culture. Explore spice plantations, witness actual spice trading, indulge in some fantastic culinary experiences and visit places that became historical for its spice.
Those who missed the program can view it by Clicking Here.
Call Kerala Travel Centre on freephone 0808 178 9799 or visit www.keralatravelcentre.co.uk for more details.
Kerala Tourism walked away with four of the top honours at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Awards 2011 for outstanding achievement announced in Bangkok on Thursday, February 3, 2011. Three of the awards were bagged by the State Tourism Department’s new global campaign film ‘Your Moment is Waiting’. This is the largest haul ever by any state government in the history of the PATA awards.
Calling it an unprecedented honour, Kerala’s Tourism Secretary V. Venu said that the awards were ‘recognition of the hard work by Kerala Tourism, its department, associates and its agencies in managing the Kerala brand and devising an innovative marketing strategy.’
Kerala, which is the only Indian state to have figured in this year’s PATA awards, also picked up one of the four PATA Grand awards in the environment category for its ‘Responsible Tourism’ efforts in Kumarakom. The PATA Gold award in the corporate environmental programme category for best eco-friendly practices went to Kerala’s prominent resort chain CGH Earth.
Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan who also heads the Tourism Ministry apart from his responsibilities as Home Minister was philosophical, saying ‘The grand award puts an even greater responsibility on us to ensure that the achievements of responsible tourism in Kumarakom are sustained and taken to the next level to create a replicable model in tourism practices.’
Launched in September 2008, the ‘Responsible Tourism’ programme was the first such initiative by a tourism board in India. Under the project, ordinary people of Kumarakom worked with industry representatives like hotels and resorts, tour operators, travel agents, home-stay operators, souvenir shop owners, NGOs and government agencies to protect the environment in the high-profile destination.
For more information on Kerala tourism’s initiatives or for more information on the destination call the Kerala Travel Centre on Freephone 0808 178 9799 or visit www.keralatravelcentre.co.uk
Marari Beach, not far from Alleppey in Kerala, is laid back and perfect for relaxing and taking it easy. The name Marari is shortened from Mararikulam, a small and sleepy fishing village. It can easily qualify as one of the most beautiful beaches in the country with soft golden sand and tranquil waves making it an ideal spot for families with young children.
Miles of powdery white sands, boundless blue waters with flocks of sandpipers sweeping over the surf, and coconut palms skirting the shoreline, make Marari Beach a powerful sight and a destination by itself for worshippers of sun, sand and surf. A number of interesting day trips are also possible around the area. These include the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, traditional coir-making units, and the extensive backwaters for which Kerala has become famous. If you’re there during August, you can also check out the Snake Boat Races. The drive along the road to the beach also offers glimpses into the life of the local fisher folk.
The weather at Marari is warm and humid throughout the year. Rain is received from both the southwest and northeast monsoons, which produce intensely heavy downpours. The rain is at its heaviest from June to July. Heavy downpours also occur from late October to December. If you really want to have the place to yourself, late December to March is the best time when the weather is dry and sunny every day.
Marari has a couple of good resorts and a number of homestays. The closest train station to Marari is in Alleppey while the nearest airport is Cochin International Airport.
Call Kerala Travel Centre today on freephone 0808 178 9799 and find out more about theMarari and to include it on your next holiday to Kerala.
Kashi Art Café on Burgher Street in Fort Kochi, Kerala, is located in a restored Dutch heritage house. It is a sleek contemporary art gallery cum outdoor café. This is where art meets coffee and where you will find that some of the benches are made out of coconut trunks and old sewing machines with foot pedals making for tables.
The area doubles as a gallery for local artists, and is extremely popular with locals and tourists, many of whom use the café as a gathering point to network with friends. Plants interspersed with carved stone panels and a traditional grinding stone help create a fantastic fusion ambience of the traditional and the modern.
This unique hangout has on their menu beverages suited for taste buds of Indians as well as Europeans and other tourists. It serves up hot and cold beverages with chocolate cakes or sandwiches. Hot drinks include Italian specials like Press Coffee, Espresso, Café Latte, Leaf Tea, Masala Chai and Chamomile Tea. Press coffee is the special Italian coffee made from freshly ground coffee beans. The cold drinks available here are Limeade, Homemade Iced Tea, Cold Coffee and Pineapple Juice. They also serve continental fare of fruits, toast and eggs for breakfast and soup, salad, and sandwich lunches. The Café is open 7days a week from 8.30 AM to 7.30 PM.
While you savour your coffee, you can wander around and admire the many pieces of art and paintings at the Café.
The first of its kind in Kerala, Kashi is worth checking out. Call Kerala Travel Centre today on freephone 0808 178 9799 and book yourself a fantastic holiday to Kerala. And while you’re there, check out this delightfully different eatery.
In a stunning natural habitat abounding with diverse flora and fauna lies ‘Thenmala’- literally meaning ‘Honey Hill’- a unique eco-tourism destination in the Kollam district of Kerala, which lies 500 metres above sea level and shares its boundary with the famous Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary. The honey obtained from these hills is considered to be of excellent quality owing to the bio diversity of the place.
The rugged terrain of this land harbours a fragile ecosystem, and is ideal for some very exciting nature related activities. Nature trails dotted with delightful waterfalls and enchanting picnic spots attract naturalists, conservationists and adventure seekers. With large tracts of forest land and extensive rubber and tea plantations, Thenmala provides the perfect background for leisure activities.
The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) have developed Thenmala as an eco-tourism project, making it the country’s first planned eco-tourism destination. Attractions include a musical fountain, elevated walkways that allow you to stroll around at tree top level, an amphitheatre, and a sway bridge. A forest trail leads to a sculpture garden with several sculptures revolving around the theme ‘Nature and Man’. Interesting pathways around the sculptures and the integration of the natural features in the zone gives the sculpture garden its own exclusivity.
Besides the zone-based activities for a visitor, Thenmala Eco-Tourism also offers other attractions like an enchanting boat ride in the reservoir within the Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary, and a visit to the Deer Rehabilitation Centre where one can have a look at groups of spotted deer, sambar deer and barking deer, which have been given protection here after straying out from the forests.
On your next holiday to Kerala it would be a good idea to deviate a little from the routine tourist trail to explore places like Thenmala. Call experts at the Kerala Travel Centre today on Freephone 0808 178 9799 who will be happy to create a customized itinerary for you that includes this fascinating eco tourism destination.
Tourism in Kerala, which has so far targeted sandy beaches, lush forests and panoramic backwaters, will soon showcase the glory of a 3000-year old ancient port city. Archaeologists have recovered the remnants of the port city called ‘Muziris’, considered to be one of the earliest of its kind, at Kodungallore.
Located about 27 kilometres from Cochin, Kodungallore had trade links with the Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Chinese, who thronged to buy and sell a variety of spices.
(Pic Above: A peg found at the excavation site)
When completed, the Muziris Heritage Project, which is claimed to be the first of its kind in the country, will turn Muziris into a major destination for archaeological and cultural tourism. Muziris is said to be the place where the Apostle Thomas (of ‘doubting Thomas’ fame) landed on his evangelical mission to India. Muziris is also unique for being home to India’s first Christian church (St. Thomas Church), the country’s first mosque (Cheraman Juma Masjid) and the oldest European structure in India (the Portuguese Fort).
(Pic Above: Cheraman Juma Masjid- India’s oldest mosque)
There are also two ancient Jewish synagogues. Recent and ongoing excavations by archaeologists have yielded substantial evidence including a wooden jetty, wood from which was carbon dated by scientists as being 2500 years old.
The Muziris Heritage Project aims to link all these aspects of Muziris. A series of 27 museums, spread over the heritage region will display articles pertaining to maritime trade, life style, barter system and handicrafts of the period. Five of these will be opened in 2011. Since Muziris had links with many countries, the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation is planning to coordinate with the tourism departments of those countries with the help of UNESCO.
Call the Kerala Travel Centre on Freephone 0808 178 9799 for more information about the Muziris Heritage project. If archaelogy and history interest you, then ask one of our experts who would be happy include a bit of both on your next holiday to Kerala.
‘Utsavam’, meaning ‘Festival’, is a unique initiative by Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) to sustain and popularize traditional art forms of Kerala, some of which are dying out for want of patronage. Utsavam has already run through three editions. The fourth one was kick started on December 12, 2010 and will continue till February 27, 2011. Utsavam features a wide range of classical, folk and tribal arts performed in their authentic style by seasoned artistes.
Kerala has a vast repertoire of performing art forms, most of them derived from folk tradition. As has been the practice, the festival has been planned to coincide with the peak tourist season in the state to provide international tourists with an opportunity to savour Kerala’s multi-faceted cultural heritage.
More than a thousand artistes and musicians from various art and culture backgrounds will participate in the festival to showcase the richness of Kerala’s traditional art forms. Performances will be held at various venues across the state during the course of the festival. Each event will be a treat to watch. Besides promoting traditional folk and classical art forms that are fading into oblivion, Utsavam, which has now become an annual event, also greatly benefits many artistes for whom these art forms are the only source of livelihood.
The event is doing a world of good for propagating Kerala’s rich cultural heritage while acting as an added attraction during the peak season and luring tourists by the plane load. In the course of this year’s festival, as many as 80 art forms will be staged during the 350 programmes scheduled to be conducted at 47 select venues across the state.
KTDC has released a cultural calendar detailing the venues, dates and performances for the benefit of tour operators and agencies abroad. Seminars and study classes will also be conducted as part of the festival with the intention of making these art forms popular among tourists as well as among the younger generation within the State.
In Cochin, the stages are set at the Vasco da Gama Square at Fort Cochin, Bolghatty Palace, Kumbalanghi Model Tourism Society Hall and at Munnambam in Vypeen.
If you are a culture enthusiast, Kerala has plenty to show. And this is the best time to catch her in the act. Call Kerala Travel Centre today on their freephone 0808 178 9799 for more details of the Kerala Utsavam art festival . If you are a culture enthusiast, and are planning a cultural holiday to Kerala you may also want to have a read through our cultural tours.
Cochin is a gourmet’s paradise, and eating out is nothing short of a gastronomic joy ride here. There is a large selection of restaurants that specialize in unique menus offering you a mind boggling variety of diverse and delectable cuisine.
So here is Kerala Travel Centre’s list of top 10 places to eat out while in Cochin. (In no particular order)
History Restaurant - The Brunton Boatyard Hotel, Fort Cochin
Located in the Brunton Boatyard Hotel, History Restaurant is an ingenious concept in stylish travel. The food is exquisite. The menu here offers a wide range of options tracing Cochin’s Jewish, Syrian, Arabic and Portuguese history. These cuisines have been enriched with recipes borrowed from the kitchens of Kochi families. For the main course, one can have the ‘Fisherman’s Stew’, a Portuguese favourite of mixed seafood cooked with kidney beans, herbs and fresh ground pepper; the ‘Kariveppila Kozhy’ which has chicken cooked in Kerala spices with coconut; and the Curry Leaf and ‘Byculla Club Curry’, a dish from the British era which consists of cottage cheese dumplings stuffed with banana and served in a velvety green sauce. The hotel is located in the heart of Fort Cochin but is easily reachable from the main town as well.
Upstairs - KB Jacob Road, Fort Cochin
Located at the street corner near the Santa Cruz Basilica at Fort Cochin, this Italian restaurant serves a variety of pastas and pizzas, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The restaurant occupies the upstairs area of an old structure that has been converted into a one room diner, thus the name. Fabio Batistatti, who was already a cook in Italy, wanted to bring some Italian flavour to the historic town. So he started ‘Upstairs’. The restaurant offers freshly baked bread, celery-walnut salad, blue cheese pizza, bruschetta, and pasta Bolognese, besides a choice of desserts like affogato or apple cake to be washed down with plenty of coffee. It is easily one of the best Italian eateries in India, and is open from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., 12 Noon to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.
Tea Pot Café - Peter Celli Street, Fort Cochin
Tea Pot is a small tea shop, with myriads of tea pots and kettles in all shapes and sizes from different parts of the world hanging on its walls. What grabs your attention as you enter Teapot is the huge, glass centre table supported by an old, elegant tea bush, about six feet in diameter. The Teapot Cafe has the ambience of a typical old English-garden atmosphere. It is a cosy place, which treats the tea concept with élan. This spot has tea chests for tables, tea paraphernalia as décor and 15 kinds of India’s favourite brew. (There’s coffee too, if that’s what you prefer.)
Dal Roti - Lilly Street, Fort Cochin
Located in Fort Cochin, on Lilly Lane, this place is too good to miss. True to its logo ‘Desi Khana’ ( meaning local food) the menu has a variety of North Indian food ranging from Mughlai Parathas (breads), paratha stuffed with minced chicken and cooked to crisp perfection, Lachidar Parathas served with Lucknowi chicken and others. The setting is lovely especially at night when the whole place is lit up beautifully.
Shala - Peter Celli Street, Fort Cochin
Shala serves delicious Keralan food. The restaurant is in a beautiful and tastefully restored historical building and is quite simply a gem. Its USP is home-cooked food prepared by housewives in the vicinity. The restaurant has a limited menu. They offer barely five dishes — recommended are the Malabar prawn curry, kingfish steak, and the vegetarian special, which changes daily — but they do them well.
Menorah- Koder House, Fort Cochin
If you love your sea food then look no further than the Menorah restaurant at the Koder House in Fort Cochin which is famous for its cordon bleu cuisine. The seafood platter here is to die for. The property’s proximity to the beach and the numerous Chinese fishing nets ensures a steady supply of fresh fish at any time of the day. The Menorah also has the rare distinction of being the only restaurant in India to serve Jewish food.
Grand Pavilion, Ernakulam
The Grand hotel Pavilion is one of Cochin’s oldest and most popular restaurants. The restaurant is part of the Grand Hotel which started in 1963 offering lodging and food. But it’s the restaurant which has become the landmark, and not without reason. The Grand is famous for its Syrian (Christian) food and the Karimeen Pollicahthu (fried pear spot fish) here is highlight. So is the seafood and the Biryani (a rice dish made of herbs, spices and meat).
It can be a tad crowded during lunch hours (not surprising, given its popularity) but if you are looking for true Keralan delicacies at fantastic value, the Grand is the place to be,
Korean Spicy Chicken - Jawahar Nagar, Ernakulam
A fun eatery, Korean Spicy Chicken is the perfect fast food joint serving the most popular Korean dish, Spicy Chicken. Korean Spicy Chicken was started by three enterprising and energetic Korean women living in Cochin, and is the first of its kind in Kerala. The menu consists of a variety of chicken dishes including deep fried spicy chicken coated with a ‘special sauce’ laced with ginseng, and the famed Korean cabbage salad - Khimchi. The small menu is reasonably priced, which makes the joint attractive for families and students. It is the perfect on-the-run food shop, and the ideal hangout where one can enjoy crispy chicken over cups of Sujeonggwa, a typical Korean drink.
Lokah – NH 47 Bypass, Ernakulam
A classy restaurant and café, Lokah in Sanskrit means the world, and that is it what the restaurant provides. What is pulling the crowd in is the unique tagline of the restaurant – ‘the world on your plate’. With an extensive menu offering a variety of dishes from all over the world, you have a lot to choose from. What sets Lokah apart from other restaurants is not just the food and an ensemble of delicacies from such places as Lebanon, France, Thailand, Mexico, Vietnam, India, Africa and the US, but the eye catching elegance of its interior décor. Old Latin maps that trace the silk route and spice route are mounted on the walls. It is mainly a travel centric restaurant catering to those who have travelled to different places and want to savour those flavours again, as well as for those who haven’t been able to travel much, but want to try out the cuisine.
(Kayikka’s) Rahmuthala Hotel - New Road, Mattancherry
Practically everybody knows this restaurant and Kayikka, the man behind it, but hardly anybody knows the name of this eatery. Everybody calls it Kayikka’s. Synonymous with Biryani, this family concern is the busiest Biryani restaurant in Cochin and is a local institution. It was established in Mattanchery more than 50 years ago by Kayee. At Kayees the Biryani is cooked in pure ghee. If you go on Friday, you will get fish Biryani and on Tuesday, prawn. On other days it’s chicken and mutton. Another outlet on D.H. Road, Ernakulam is housed in a capacious, old bungalow, refurbished in the traditional Kerala homestead style.
On your next holiday to Kerala, make sure to look up Kerala Travel Centre’s list of top 10 places to eat out in Cochin. If you have any further queries, call us on Freephone 0808 178 9799. Food connoisseurs may also want to check out our cuisine tours. Bon appetite!
Thats right! If you are in Cochin over the New year, then dont miss the biggest party in town….the Cochin Carnival.
Fort Cochin in Kerala to this day remains a melting pot of cultures. It is the diverse facets of a multi-ethic, multi-lingual culture that the Cochin Carnival has sought to capture in a brief spectrum of uninhibited gaiety heralding the New Year. The carnival dates back to the Portuguese New Year revelry held here during the colonial days. Gradually, it evolved to take the form of what is today popularly called the Cochin Carnival.
Like the famous carnivals of Europe, Latin America and Goa, Cochin Carnival brings together people from all walks of life in a riot of colour and gaiety to celebrate the advent of the New Year. Innumerable people come from all over the world, clad in exotic coloured attires to add that special touch to the revelry. Their ultimate aim is the fostering of communal harmony by offering people a platform for a common celebration of life.
The activities of the carnival revolve around five concepts: Peace, Progress, Environment, Participation and Adventure. The start of the Carnival is heralded by the hoisting of the Carnival Flag, followed by the flags of all participating Clubs on the beachfront. The message of the Carnival is then read out to the world. With this a period of celebration and gaiety is unleashed. Preparations generally begin months in advance, and the events, spread over two weeks at Fort Cochin reflect the festive mood of the Carnival and consist of fun events, unique games, fairs and partying.
With the setting of the sun over the Arabian Sea each day, the cultural fiesta commences. The grand final of the Carnival is the Carnival Rally on New Year’s Day in which floats and processions are taken out depicting the various facets of life in Cochin, important national and international events and the diverse historical and cultural heritage of the area.
With the passage of time, the form and method of Cochin Carnival has also changed. Now it has become more focused on the colourful and flamboyant New Year day celebrations. Many foreigners also like to be here on New Year day to participate in the celebrations.
To know more about the Cochin carnival, call Kerala Travel Centre today on freephone 0808 178 9799. Book yourself a fabulous holiday in Kerala, and catch Cochin at its colourful best.
Photo Credit: Seny Arukattu
An overnight cruise on the mesmerizing waterways of Kerala is possibly one of the world’s best and most tranquil experiences. Embark on an experience where the grandeur and the magnificence of what you see and experience will fill your soul. Lose yourself to the serene sublimity of it all. And as the night falls and the stars speckle the skies, let the gentle lullaby of the lapping waters lull you to sleep. Kerala Travel Centre tells you why this is one experience not to miss…
A houseboat cruise is the best way to experience the tranquillity of the waters, to see glimpses of the lives of people who are shaped by them, to gape in awe at nature’s best kept secrets, to find recluse from the urban grind.
The houseboats in Kerala are huge, exotic, slow moving barges used for leisure trips. They are reworked Kettuvalloms, a word which literally means ‘boats tied with knots’, referring to the way they are built. Not a single nail is used in their construction. Kerala’s houseboats are the most popular tourism products in the country today. They offer the best way to experience the labyrinth of meandering waterways, canals, streams, and lagoons forming the famous backwater system of Kerala.
In earlier times these houseboats were used to carry consignments of grain and other produce along the waterways. The kettuvalloms of yore were famous for the way in which they were built. Huge planks of Jack wood or Aanjili (Artocarpus Hirsuta) were sewed together with coir. The hulls were then coated with a caustic black resin made from boiled cashew kernels. These days brass nails are also used to improve the longevity of the boats. While converting Kettuvalloms into houseboats, care is taken to use only eco-friendly and traditional materials, retaining the bamboo matted roofs and coir matted floors.
These houseboats are innovatively designed and incorporate the best of the old and the new. They come in various sizes, with some of them having as many as seven air-conditioned, bath attached bedrooms, conference halls, open lounge deck, dining area and kitchenette. The crew comprises of oarsmen, a cook and a guide. The houseboats are generally powered by remarkably unobtrusive inboard diesel engines, allowing one to cruise along the backwaters at a gentle pace. Most of them are equipped with chemical toilets. Some even have solar panels. Authentic Kerala food is served onboard.
You can choose from a wide selection of beautiful routes to cruise and experience the bewitching beauty of Kerala’s backwaters. Whichever route you choose, the sweeping vistas that unfold before you at every turn are beyond description. You need to see it yourself. We could go on and on about this magical experience. Which is why every one of our Kerala tours includes a houseboat cruise.
Call the Kerala Travel Centre today on freephone 0808 178 9799 to discuss this experience of a lifetime.
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