First visit to Kumarakom

Kumarakom Lake Resort facing the Vembanad lake is a visual treat. Periyar to K.kom is almost 5.5 hours, thanks to neat roads. We got into a nice backwater facing cottage with colorful murals inside(I loved the intricate paintings) with a completely wooden and rustic feel. Kartik loved the open bath-tub with a lion-headed spout the most. The visual high point was the swimming pools merging almost seamlessly into the Vembanad lake and creating a carpet of shimmering blue in the evenings. Early morning, we tried our luck at spotting birds, but couldn’t spot anything except a crows, sparrows, resort ducks and a few snake birds on the lake front. Unfortunately the Kumarakom bird sanctuary is devoid of birds as on date due to increase in noise levels. Its a place to relax, be one with nature, laze around in a hammock, sleep, eat, sleep, eat, walk, listen, read and do nothing else :)

Periyar Cruise

Periyar is 3 hours by road from Munnar. In Kerala or TN, you can never get tired of crisp dosas & at any time in the day. Also when you are on vacation, something happens - you get up early, walk more, eat more yet feel so light. The pleasant drive made up for the numerous potholes on the road. Spice Village Nature Habitat, a wonderful property spread over acres and acres of greenery was our halt. After an exotic welcome & lunch, we headed for a cruise over the Periyar river. Its important to get a vantage seat on the deck, to ensure a clear sight. We sighted lot of snake-birds which were diving for fish, also spotted crested water birds, wild boars & sambar deer on the shores, but no elephants. The Aranya Nivas, which we went pretty close by has a picturesque location, but needs to be booked well in advance (next time i guess). Took lot of pictures in the 2 hour cruise. We found a wide range of spices in the various shops around the bank of the river and near the resort. Good shopping for everyone ! Ayurvedic massages are also very popular, but one has to book in advance (the previous day is better) and the best time for a massage is early morning. The head massages are marvellous & there are numerous options for one.