Monday 8 September 2008

BACKWATER DESTINATIONS OF KERALA

Kerala Backwater Destinations



Kerala has over 900 Km of interconnected waterways, rivers, lakes and inlets that make up the Kerala backwaters. In the midst of this beautiful landscape there are a number of towns and cities, which are the starting and end points of Kerala backwater cruises. These Kerala backwater destinations are a mixture of historic and modern towns and scenic holiday getaways in the backwaters of Kerala. Tourists from all over the world come to these Kerala backwater destinations to see their scenic attractions.

Some of the scenic Kerala backwater destinations that you can see on Kerala tours with Kerala Backwater are:

Cochin: This historic port city called "the Queen of the Arabian Sea," is known for its natural harbor. Consisting of a cluster of islands Kochi as it is now known, is the starting point for many Kerala backwater cruises and has many historic buildings, making it one of the most popular Kerala backwater destinations.

Alappuzha: This Kerala Backwater destination is also known as the "Venice of the East," because of its surrounding waterways and canals. Alappuzha, previously known as Alleppey, is famous for the annual Nehru Trophy Snake Boat race held here every year, around the festival of Onam. Large Snake boats called" Chundanvalloms" propelled by teams of rowers compete for the trophy instituted by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minster of India.

Kasargod: Kasargod a town in North Kerala is known for the Valiyaparamba stretch of backwaters, an incredibly beautiful and green corridor along the coast of Kerala. You can travel through this scenic backwater on Kerala backwater destinations tours with Kerala Backwater.

Kollam: Situated just over 70 Km from the capital of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam is an ancient seaport on the banks of the Ashtamudi Lake. The cruise from Kollam to Alappuzha, which lasts eight hours, is a magical ride along the scenic backwaters of Kerala. Kollam is also known as the "Gateway to Kerala's Backwaters."


Kottayam: Kottayam in Kerala is known for its fascinating backwaters on the seacoast and beautiful hills further inland. Crops such as rubber are grown in plantations in Kottayam district. You can see the backwaters and plantations of Kottayam on Kerala tours with Kerala Backwater.

Kozhikode: Kozhikode in North Kerala, is an important port, previously known as Calicut. Calico - a variety of checked cotton cloth derives its name from Calicut. It was at Kappad beach just 16 km from Kozhikode, that Vasco da Gama landed in Kerala in 1498.

Kumarakom: Situated in the beautiful Vembanad Lake, Kumarakom is a paradise on Earth. The bird sanctuary, the scenic beauty and the tourist resorts along the backwaters make Kumarakom one of the most sought after Kerala Backwater destinations.

Kuttanad: Known as the "Ricebowl of Kerala" Kuttanad brings to mind images of verdant paddy fields. A unique feature of Kuttanad is that the fields are below sea level and are barricaded from the surrounding backwaters by earthern bunds similar to the dykes of Netherlands.

Thiruvallam: Located 6 Km from Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvallam is a beautiful backwater destination at the conjunction of two rivers - the Killi and the Karamana and near the scenic Veli Lagoon.

Thiruvananthapuram: The capital of Kerala, previously known as Trivandrum, is a starting point for your tour of Kerala Backwater Destinations. Thiruvananthapuram is also known for its museums, Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple and proximity to the beautiful Kovalam Beach.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Kerala is the best place for backwater tourism. Kerala is blessed with many backwater and houseboats.
Kullu Manali

Gayathri said...

Kerala Houseboat Packages