Along awaited trip finally took place on August 2023 - Kerala!!
As I embarked on this journey with my husband, I could barely control my excitement because I have been planning this trip for long. It was going to be a relaxed and laze around kinda trip and thus we zeroed down on places like Kochi, Kumarakom and Alleppey.
Day 1 : We took an early morning flight from delhi to kochi and straight from the airport we went to the famous Athirapally waterfalls. We hired a self driving car and headed straight to the waterfall. We were greeted by the famous kerala monsoon and it was a scenic drive through the Palm forest, where we could witness the palm oil cultivation. It is a short steep walk to get to the waterfall and the view is amazing. A huge waterfall, water gushing down and cascading through huge boulders is a sight for amazing photography; so don't forget to carry good camera. From there we headed straight to our hotel and on the way had some authentic kerala cuisine for brunch (Appam and Kadala curry).
In the evening we enjoyed a cultural program organized by the hotel (kuchipudi dance) along with some filter coffee and fritters and later went on a shikara ride on the backwaters of Kochi. For dinner we chose the inhouse restaurant (one of the best in town for sea food) and ended our day.
Day2 : After a hearty breakfast we headed to Fort Kochi and explored the jew town (good place for souvenir shopping), the mattencherry palace, dutch cemetery, Jewish synagogue (for a quick dose of history) and the very famous fort kochi beach - a small but beautiful stretch of beach to take a stroll or you could sit and get lost in the sea or much better if you could come early morning or during sunset to feel the gentle cold air. We also got a demonstration of how the Chinese fishing nets work. These fishing nets are the first thing anyone will notice in Kochi, its in almost every water body that you cross by, but in fort Kochi you actually get to see and understand it in detail. Then we headed for lunch in one of the many cafes of fort Kochi (there are plenty of options to choose from).
Atrip to Kerala is incomplete without witnessing the Kathakali performance; hence we booked ourselves tickets to witness this amazingly beautiful form of art in Kerala kathakali Centre. We got to witness the makeup being done on the artists and before they start the performance they explain about the various mudras used in the dance form. It is indeed one of the beautiful experience of Kerala journey and I strongly recommend it to anyone travelling Kerala
It was Onam round the corner and the entire city was busy prepping for the festivities, so even I indulged myself in some traditional shopping - The beautiful kasavu saree and ended the day
Day 3 : After breakfast we checked out out from our hotel in Kochi and drove to kumarakom a quaint small town in the banks of Vembanand Lake and checked into hotel. Had lunch, took some rest and went for a shikara ride on the magnificent vembanand lake. the lake is huge and the cool evening breeze just sets the mood right :) just close your eyes and feel the breeze and by the end of the ride you feel energized. Post this we headed straight to our resort and had early dinner enjoying the flute and tabla performance by local artisans.
PS : Kumarakom being a small town, you have to depend on the resort you booked for all meals, no such option I could found outside.
Day 4: Again after some relaxed time in the resort and a heavy breakfast we checked out from Kumarakom and headed towards Alleppey. We booked ourselves the famous houseboat of kerala for a 3hour cruising along the many canals and a traditional lunch. The food was awesome and the cruising experience was worth the hype!. Post that we headed back to kochi and checked into a hotel all exhausted after such a tiring day. But as they say a trip to kerala is also incomplete if you haven't indulged in spa. So after a power nap, we headed out for a full body spa with traditional oils and it was sheer bliss! Had dinner with some local friends and called it a day
Day 5 : Left Kochi with memories to cherish forever and a hope to visit once again and explore the other parts of Kerala
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