Kumarakom ; The Hot Spot of Kerala Tourism.

Kumarakom : The Hot Spot of Tourism in God's Own Country

One of the serene village in Kerala, Kumarakom, is the hot spot of tourism in Kerala.This tourist village has a group of little islands on the Vembanad Lake.Kumarakom became a tourist location only in the recent times, but now the boom of tourists is increasing. And now being a internationally renowned tourism hub, this incredible land is a real paradise for the foreign visitors. This enchanting beauty offers leisure options like an Ayurvedic massage, yoga, meditation, boating, fishing, angling and swimming. Kumarakom is an unbelievably beautiful paradise of mangrove forests, extensive green paddy fields,known and unknown birds and coconut woods in between the waterways. The traditional country Crafts, boats and canoes are the beauties in the heart of this scintillating nature. Kumarakom has been declared a Special Tourism Zone by the Kerala state Government.All the activities beckon those who visited here.The beautiful creation of the nature,Kumarakom , provides one of the grandest shows in the world and this will remain in our hearts even years after our visit to Kumarakom.

Location
Kumarakom is situated in Kottayam District, in Kerala. It is on the west of Kottayam and on the north east of Alappuzha . The total area of Kumarakom is 52 Sq.Km. which includes 24 Sq.Km. is part of Lake Vembanad, 16 Sq.Km. is Paddy fields, the village is only 12 Sq.Kms.The western, southern and part of northern boundary of Kumarakom is Lake Vembanad.

How to reach
By Road:
Transportation by means of road is suitable for visitors in and around Kottayam. and some near by districts in Kerala.Buses and taxis are easily available at all times of the day from Kottayam.Kumarakom is only 16Km from Kottayam Town and 22 Km from Cherthala and Vaikom
By Rail: The nearest railway stations are Kottayam Railway Station, Cherthala, Alappuzha or Ernakulam Railway Station. Bus services are available from there to Kumarakom.
By Air:
Nedumassery International Airport at Kochi,in Ernakulam Dist., Karippur International Airport at Kozhikode and Trivandrum International Airport at Trivandrum. From these airports bus services are available to Kumarakom.
By Water:
Muhamma(near Alappuzha) to Kumarakom Jetty., Allappuzha, Kochi and Kollam

Climate In Kumarakom;
Kumarakom has a moderate climate with heavy rains during the monsoon months,June-August. The place is very close to Arabian sea.Winter starts from December to February .The temperature in Kumarakom rises to a maximum of 35°C in summer and 25°C in the winters.

History And It's Proximity to Literature;
Kumarakom was a developed into a Bird Sanctuary. Before that Kumarakom was a rubber plantation.An Englishman Henry Baker, fascinated by the beauty of Kumarakom, settled here in the last century. Arundhati Roy's 'The God of Small Things' is a story relating to Aymanam village, which is close to Kumarakom. The success of this novel has given some popularity to this place. Apart from Aymanam village, there is one more place is featured in this story. It is the "History House" in the story. This is now centred around the Taj Garden Retreat hotel complex. This was under the Bakel family, they lived in the "History House" for four generations .The Baker family's house is in ruins in the novel, as it was in reality before was developed into a hotel and has been restored by the Taj group. The Ayemenem house can be visited in the village by boat along the Meenachil river.The two storied Bungalow built by Mr.A G Baker in 1881on the muddy land is the one of the most visited site in Kumarakom. The bungalow still remains as a reminder of those people.

Where to Stay;
Kumarakom Hotels
Abad Whispering Palms
Backwater Ripples Coconut Lagoon Kumarakom
Dubai Hotel
Golden Waters

Kumarakom Homestays;
Taj Garden Retreat
Vaithara Homestay Kumarakom
Pannikode Homestay
Varsha,Waterscapes,
Tharavadu Heritage Home

Kumarakom backwater;
The sparkling waters of Kumarakom is the largest backewater in Kerala. This is a network of rivers and canals which empty into the Vembanad lake.The stunning backwater destination is a chain of brackish lagoons, canals, lakes, and rivers which pass through the length of this breathtaking land.These alluring backwater provide the experience of a life time. This enchanting natural beauty gifts the tourist a lot of leisure options. Boating and fishing facilities are available at Kumarakom. Holiday packages on the houseboats, traditional Kettuvalloms, are an out-of-this-world experience at Kumarakom. A stay at the houseboat, called Kettuvallom is an unparalleled experience.This provides the best way to explore the majestic beauty of Kumarakom village through the shallow waterways. The reflection of the greenery in the glassy waters along with the blooming flowers make this trip more fascinating.This is an enamoring site with its exotic bio network, sounds of the green nature with its flora and scenic beauty. This virgin forest backwaters promises a enchanting livings and beauty in Kumarakom.

Boats and Kumarakom Boat Race ;
Kumarakom has a wide variety of houseboats. A separate boat known as Kettuvallam is used by the people to go fishing and transport goods. Apart from these, there are special boats like Kochu-odi Vallam, Odi-Vallam, Iruttukutthi Vallam, Churulan Vallam and Chundan Vallam. These are the boats which take part in the boat races around Onam time during August or Septemper. The Kumarakom boat-race is conducted in the big canal in the centre ,near the market. The electrifying races by carved wooden boats set the backwaters on fire.Snake boat race is the largest team sport in the world..Usually a snake boat is manned by four helmsmen, 25 singers and 100 - 125 oarsmen who row in unison to the fast rhythm of their own full throated singing. There are many myths associated with these races.
Kettuvallams :
Kettuvallams are colossal houseboats which were traditionally used to transport goods across Kerala. It has a portion covered with bamboo and coir serving as kitchen and rest rooms for the crew. It is an unbelievable fact that these boats are entirely built without the use of nails.Modern-day Kettuvallams are called as . They carries finished bedrooms, modern toilets, cozy living rooms and a kitchen.
Sunset Cruise on a Kettuvallam :
The sunset in Kumarakom is the real beauty at it's core.No trip to Kumarakom is complete without a Kettuvallam sunset cruise. The ride offers a close look into a delightful rustic life.

Kumarakom bird sanctuary;
Kumarakom bird sanctuary is The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is a favorite haunt of migratory birds from across the world .This 'ornithologist's paradise' is situated on the eastern banks of the Vembanad Lake.The bird sanctuary extends over 14 acres. This land offers a glimpse of very rare birds.Egrets, darters, herons, teal, waterfowl, cuckoo, wild duck and migratory birds like the Siberian stork are really fascinating. The best way to watch the birds of the Kumarakom sanctuary is by canoes and is best undertaken in the evening or early morning to avoid the afternoon sun.Pathiramanal is an isle in the sanctuary. The best time for this is between November and March, when a range of migratory birds from Siberia make it their winter home. Some of the species include the Snake bird, Little Cormorant, Crow Pheasant, White-branded water Hen and Tree pie.

Flora and Fauna:
Kumarakom enjoys a wide variety of flora and fauna . White lilies and mangrove vegetation are the typical features of Kumarakom backwaters. The backwater is a habitat for many marine and freshwater fishes like Crabs (Karimeen),shrimp (chemmeen in the local language) and prawns.The paddy fields, the coconut woods , the white lilies along with the birds in Kumarakom completes the rich diversity in Kumarakom.

Two more Spots ;
1. The Aruvikkuzhi Waterfalls is another natural attraction. These waterfalls are located 18 kilometers from Kumarakom and has surfing water flowing down the mountains
2. Rubber plantations and Old Christian churches

Kumarakom is a fastly developing tourist destination in Kerala. More than 17,000 foreign tourists and 30,000 domestic tourists visit year here. Nature's bounty is the unique selling proposition to attract visitors from all parts of the world to this small and energetic village.