THE BACKWATER PARADISE OF KUMARAKOM
Situated at the heart of the
Vembanad Lake, Kumarakom is a must-visit tourist attraction in Kerala. Kerala, the city of three Ls – Letters, Latex and Lakes boasts a rich cultural heritage. As one of the relatively peaceful states when compared to the busy cities of Delhi and Bombay, Kerala is very much like Sri Lanka with its lush green surrounds and of course, the food.
Kumarakom is a half an hour drive from Kottayam, a town at the extreme South of the Kerala District. A drive through some unspoilt landscapes will bring you to the boat jetty at the Meenachil
River. Kumarakom is known for its houseboats industry, where you would be taken on a ride along the Vembanad Lake. As the largest of the three Ramsar sites in Kerala the Vembanad Wetland System covers an area of 2033 square
kilometres making it the largest wetlands system in India. Houseboat tours begin from morning till evening and one can book a houseboat depending on the number of nights they want to spend. Houseboats include those with one bedroom to four bedrooms and prices vary accordingly.
Kumarakom Castle – floating in luxury
Due to the recent floods in Kerala and the continuous hartals in the district, the tourism industry has been badly affected. Houseboat owners claim that it has been a challenge to find profits even during the peak seasons. On our way we dropped into one of the most exclusive houseboats – The
Kumarakom Castle. Staying true to its name, these houseboats are designed to provide maximum comfort to its guests. The rooms itself are designed similarly to those in a four-star hotel along with a 24 hour kitchen and a culinary brigade ready to serve you with some of the finest dishes in Kerala.
One of its popular houseboats include the Venice Castle, inspired by a ‘ Nalukettu’ – a traditional Kerala homestead with a courtyard at its centre. While its interiors are decorated with a wealth of handicrafts, its aesthetics are further underlined by its flatdomed roofing made of palm leaves. It’s popular among newlymarried couples who want to spend a romantic honeymoon with a twist. Moreover it’s a favourite among nature lovers and bird experts who want to study wildlife as the Kumarakom bird sanctuary also lies in the vicinity.
In addition to these luxury houseboats, the people in the area also finds an income through these houseboats. During our visit we also stepped into M. Santosh’s one-bedroomed houseboat. Having been in the industry for the past 25 years, Santosh claimed that the industry is rather competitive today. “Therefore we have to move with changing trends and introduce different facilities,” Santosh said in his comments to the Daily Mirror Life. “I don’t have a website or an online booking system. So it’s on first-come-first-serve basis. When we see visitors at the junction, we would go to them and ask what they need. Depending on the requirements we bring them to the boat. Some want to spend the day and others want to book it for one or two nights.”
The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary
Another major attraction at Kumarakom is its bird sanctuary which is home to various species of endemic and exotic flora and fauna. When you visit the Sanctuary, visitors can sit through a nature interpretation session before they go and observe the wild. The Bird Sanctuary includes a butterfly garden featuring the Southern Birdwing known to be the largest butterfly in India along with Common Crows and Blue Tigers. In addition to that the Sanctuary also attracts many birds including the Asian koel, egrets, cormorants, common myenas etc. Its waters are also home to turtles, toads and other water species. Otters are another rare sighting at the Sanctuary.