5 things to do in Kumarakom
Kumarakom, a tourist paradise is situated 13 Kms away from Kottayam. The most attractive destination in Kumarakom is the Vembanad Lake. Considered to be the longest lake in Kerala, it is an enchanting picnic spot and a fast developing backwater tourism destination. The place provides boating, fishing and sightseeing experiences that are truly exhilarating. It spans several districts across Kerala and is known in different names in each district. It is known as Punnamada Lake in Kuttanad and Kochi Lake in Kochi.
The Kumarakom Tourist Village offers houseboat cruises and holiday packages. The place also offers many other attractions to make your visit a memorable one.
Cruising along the lake
Pick a houseboat or a motor boat and enjoy the calm backwaters. Dip your feet in or throw in fish bait and carch some booty. Another great option to enjoy is to hire a Kettuvallom, rice boat-turned-houseboat. The waterways take you through paddy and coconut groves, along freshwater canals and rivers that debouch into the Vembanad Lake. Midway, you can visit the Pathiramanal Island, a 10 acre isle that is a good picnic and bird watching spot.
Kumarakom Bird sanctuary
Located on the banks of the Vembanad Lake, the bird sanctuary is spread across 14 acres. The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, an ornithologist's paradise is a favourite haunt of migratory birds like the Siberian stork, egret, darter, heron and teal.
Aruvikkuzhi waterfalls
Aruvikkuzhi is one of the most popular sightseeing destinations in Kumarakom. Surrounded by rubber plantations, it can be reached by a narrow, sludge path. The first sight of these cascading waterfalls is breathtaking. Falling from a height of 100 meters, the falls join numerous smaller streams. It is an ideal spot to spend a lazy afternoon with a heart picnic lunch.
Get an ayurvedic spa
You are just back from a long day of touring around and feel drained. There is one thing that would make you feel rejuvenated and help you slip into a deep and relaxing sleep- a session of Ayurvedic rejuvenation therapy. Kumarakom offers a range of Ayurvedic treatments for complete relaxation and at the fundamental one, a complete realignment of your mind and body. Most of the resorts at Kumarakom offer luxury spas, but, you could also approach locally found traditional ones that will give you an ethnic experience. Multilingual Ayurvedic doctors and masseurs, both men and women, are employed in most of the Ayurvedic spas at Kumarakom.
Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race
If you are planning to visit around the festive season of Onam, never miss the Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race. Revered as a sport, and not thought of as anything less than one, the competition sees a lot of footfall in this part of Kerala. It is an amazing sight to see the long snake boats cruise forward at great speed as uniformed oarsmen oar in a synchronised manner.
In addition to all these, never miss out on the local cuisine. Have fun munching on boiled tapioca spiced up with traditional fish curry or try the curries from local toddy shops that are much famed for its unique taste.
