Houseboat trip, Kumarakom, Kottayam.

This was a trip I did with two of my Polish friends in December 2014 and I thought of writing about it as it would at least give some info for some who really wanted to know about the backwaters of Kumarakom in Kottayam district, Kerala and see some photos. As they say that Kerala is God’s own country, while approaching to land at Thiruvananthapuram, my friends excited to see the greenery below and exclaimed, “wow, so green!”. It was a kind of pleasant change from the very noisy Delhi to slightly less noisy Thiruvananthapuram. According to them, honking was virtually zero compared to that of Delhi.

We got down at the Kottayam railway station and took a taxi to Kumarakom. The houseboat was alongside a small canal that quietly flows into Vembanad lake and was ready to take us. There were plenty of houseboats along the canal.

Houseboats

This was our humble abode for the day

There were houseboats on both sides of the canal

There were houseboats on both sides of the canal

We board and settled down, weather was still hot and humid.  The house boat was quite big, with 2 rooms.  We were quite hungry and the lunch was ready soon. Food was really amazing. There were 2 crew members, quite friendly guys, explaining everything clearly.

Houseboats started to move towards the lake

Slowly we started to move towards the mighty Vembanad lake. It was such large body of water, the width at the widest part is almost 7km. At the mouth of the canal, distance to the opposite bank is about 4km. 

 This guy was wandering around the lake on a simple wooden boat

we took a right turn and sail towards the Thanneermukkom bund, amazing to see it from the lake.

Thanneermukkom bund

A family enjoying ice-cream on a hot afternoon at the thanneermukkom bund

The lake was full of houseboats, of various sizes and shapes. There were much bigger ones, some with an additional balcony above.  

various types of houseboats

various types of houseboats

various types of houseboats

various types of houseboats

Slowly sailed back towards Pathiramanal island and after sunset moved towards the starting point.  Houseboats are not allowed on the lake after sunset, as it belongs to the fishermen after that. It is a nice place to watch sunset, especially the reddish colour display on the sky. Such a peaceful and serene environment, start to get windy. Amazing to watch the sunset, sipping tea along with tasty banana fries.

Fishermen start to move in 

Sunset in the Lake

There were resorts all around the lake, at many places. The one close to the mouth to the canal was really amazing, a typical Kerala house converted to a resort.

A resort along the Canal

Another view of the resort along the Canal

Night was quiet, we stayed on the boat after dinner. Then one more small trip around the lake in the morning and return back by 10am.

Cooler morning, all boats are covered with sheets

Cooler morning, all boats are covered with sheets

Some more photos of the interior of the boat and the food.

This is the front area of the boat 

Lunch onboard

Appetiser before dinner!

Dinner

Dinner

Breakfast

I really recommend this trip for anyone who just want to stay away for a peaceful and quite day, it will surely refresh you.

A Drive along the coast, from Pozhikkara to Quilon

I should have posted this before the Munroe Island blog, as I drove along this coastal route from Varkala (my hometown) to Quilon and then to Munroe island. As it was a cloudy day, I didn’t stop to shoot pictures before reaching Pozhikara. But I plan to walk along the coast from Varkala to Kappil estuary (and beyond if possible) next time and will give a detailed account of the route. 

An old picture of the Kappil Estury.

Pozhikkara is a beautiful coastal village, located at the south-western tip of Quilon (Kollam) district. There is some geological significance to this place also, as Quilon formation is best exposed at the Pozhikkara cliffs .  Paravur lake meets the Arabian sea here, along an approximately 500m long narrow channel or canal. 

Pozhikkara behind the temple, where the canal meets the Sea

A view of the narrow canal and the bridge with shutters at the far end

The bridge that is built to cross the chanel also has shutters to control the probable lake water-seawater mixing. I don’t know whether they still work.

 The bridge with shutters, the seawater inflow is also visible.

Amazing view of the Paravur Lake

Amazing view of the Paravur Lake and the coconut trees on the land.

Sand deposits can be seen above the water level at the lake side of the canal, deposited through the seawater-lake water interaction.  The deltaic shape of this sand deposit is distinct even on the google maps.

Fishermen on Paravur Lake, sandbars on the foreground

Fishermen on Paravur Lake, sandbars on the foreground

Fishermen on Paravur Lake

As you drive along coastal road, you will see a narrow strip of land separating the Paravur lake and the Arabian sea. Shade of the tall coconut trees on one side of this road and the beautiful sandy Mayyanad beach on the other side. The beach along the coast approximately 2.5 km long and is protected by many sea walls.

Mayyanad beach, protected by sea walls 

There are a lot small huts along the beach for fishermen, to store their nets and other gears. A lot of catamarans are resting on the beach, probably stretching their legs before the next sail.  There are a few fishermen repairing the nets, some getting gears ready for the sail, some selling the last catch on  the road. Probably not a good day for them as not many fishes were there for sale, or the bigger portion has already gone to the market before my arrival.

Fishermen getting the gears ready

Fishermen getting the gears ready

Fishermen repairing the nets 

Huts for the fishing fears and that catamarans

A lonely wooden boat, appears to be resting for a while.

Then the road slowly moves away from the beach and follow the canal connecting the Paravur lake and Ashtamudi lake. This canal runs parallel to the coast and is not navigable at the present moment due to sand deposits at many places.

At Eravipuram beach area, road comes back close to the shore, however; there are many settlements (fishermen) separating the road from the beach.

A grounded vessel can be seen close to the Kollam beach, probably abandoned. It says a name “Hansita. V”, however; the old name “Hang Fa Jun” is still clearly visible. A lot of people gathered around the ship watching it.

Grounded ship Hansita. V, a view from Eravipuram beach

Grounded ship Hansita. V, a view from Eravipuram beach

Grounded ship Hansita. V