World's 1000 beautiful tourist places

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Backwater trip in a houseboat : Houseboats are designed like a kettuvallam (rice boat) and a travel in it will be one of the most expensive experiences in India, but it's wroth every rupee. It is the biggest business in Kerala with Alapuzha as the main hub. Alapuzha has more than 250 houseboats with range of quality from veritable rust buckets to floating palaces. DTPC will be helpful in chartering houseboats at a right price. It will be cheap & safe if you book a cruise after reaching Alapuzha as you have greater choice.

Houseboats drifting through quiet canals lined with coconut palms, eating deliciously traditional Keralan food (served on a green banana leaf) prepared onboard by a chef, meeting local people, visit villages to watch coir making, boat building, toddy tapping, fish farming and sleeping on the water under a galaxy of stars will be an unforgetful experience.

Houseboats cater for groups (up to eight) or couples (one or two double bedrooms). Before agreeing to a cruise, visit the houseboat, make sure that everything has been included in the price (food) and agree for a reasonable price. Bargain is a must for getting right price.

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One can travel to Kollam or Kochi by houseboats fitted with outboard motor in 24 hour (around Rs 6000). It will cost more and will not be a peaceful experience. The small Canoe boats propelled by punting with two long bamboo poles obviously don't allow you to cover much distance (15 km max in a day at Rs 3000) but it will be a wonderfully relaxing way to travel.

The backwaters have unhindered spread of water hyacinth (African moss or Nile cabbage), which clogs many stretches of the canals. The houseboats have Generators for fans and light, furnished traditional rooms with furniture and Television, a kitchen, Yamaha engine, solar panels and sanitary tanks for disposal of waste.

Due to environment issues choose punting rather than motorised boat.

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Kottayam was the first in India to achieve total literacy. It is the home to Kerala's popular daily - Malayala manorama - with a circulation of more than 1.1 million. kottayam is 1.5 hour by bus from Alapuzha Rs 22).

Kumarakom is one of the top ten scenic places in the world listed by National Geographic traveller. It is located 16 km west of Kottayam (Rs 7, 30 min by bus) on the shore of Vembanad lake.

The bird sanctuary (Admission Rs 45)has a variety of domestic and migratory birds. Oct to Feb is the time for cormorants and ducks, Feb to July, night herons and Siberian storks. Early morning is the best time to watch birds. Kumarakom has some good resorts including one from Taj garden retreat.

Ettumanur : The Ettumanur Shiv temple is noted for it's superb woodcarvings and murals. The annual festival is in Feb/Mar with grant elephant processions (12 km from Kottayam).

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Thekkady : Periyar is South India' most popular wildlife sanctuary with a 26 sq km artificial lake in the 777 sq km sanctuary. It's home to bison, sambar, wild boar, langur, around 1000 elephants and 40 tigers. The mountain scenery, lake cruise for wildlife spotting and the jungle walk make the visit enjoyable. Nights will be chilly.

The small forest department boats (0930,1130, 1400, 1600 h at Rs 15 per person will help to view the animals a bit closer. KTDC boats also operate (Rs 45) at the above timings. Then first and last trips will be good for watching animals.

The three hour jungle walk (Rs 100, 5 km, 0700, 1030, 1400 h) with a tribal guide is a better way to experience the park. Leeches are a problem after a rain. For more adventurous three day tiger trail at Rs 3000 organised by Eco tourism centre www.periyartigerreserve.org .

Kumily : It is 4 km from Periyar with shops, spice shops and Kashmiri emporiums. The Green land spice garden and Abraham's spice garden are worth a visit (5 km from Kumily, tips expected). One can visit tea factories in operation here. Kottayam (Rs 52, 114 km, 5 hour by bus).

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Munnar : It is one of the world's tea growing estates at a height of 1524 m. The hill station is an ideal retreat with delightful surroundings and crisp mountain air. he attractions include Tata tea museum (Rs 50), Christ church (1910) with fine stained glass and the inside brass plaques honour the memory of tea planters.

DTPC conducts full day tour to Chinnar wildlife sanctuary (home to deer, leopards, elephants and endangered grizzled giant squirrel. Trekking and tree house stays are available inside the sanctuary, 60 km) at Rs 300 and Tea valley tour covering Echo point, top station (32 km , four daily buses, spectacular views of Western Ghats) and Eravikulam national park (16 km from Munnar is the home to the rare Nilgiri tahr - a type of mountain goat. Season Sep to May.). They organise full day, two to four day trek around Munnar. Kochi (Rs 70, 130 km, 4.5 hour by bus).

Anamudi, highest peak on Sahyadris is 20 km from the town. Mattupetty dam is on the way, 10 km from Munnar.

Thattekkad bird sanctuary : The 25 sq km park is a home to over 270 species, including Malabar grey hornbills, parakeets and rare Sri Lankan frog mouth and rose billed roller. It is 15 km from Kothamangalam. Kothamangalam is on the Kochi - Munnar road.

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Kochi : The main city in Kerala with India's oldest church, 500 year old Portuguese houses, shopping malls and good hotels. Fort Cochin and Mattanchery has a blend of medieval Portugal, Holland and an English country village.

Fort Kochi : The fixed, cantilevered Chinese fishing nets (Cheenavala in Malayalam) were introduced by the traders from the court of Kublai Khan. They are used at high tide and require four men to operate their system of counterweights. One can travel to the nearby Vypin island or to Ernakulam by boat.

India's oldest European built church, the St Francis church was constructed in 1503 by Portuguese friars who accompanied the expedition led by Pedro Alvarez Cabral. Vasco da Gamma, who died in Cochin, was buried here for 14 years before his remains were taken to Lisbon. The tombstone is still in the church. The 1724 Dutch cemetery has many European graves.

The impressive Catholic Santa Cruz basilica dates from 1902. The Indo-Portuguese museum (Rs 10, Monday closed) in the garden of Bishop house exhibits vestments, statues, silver processional crosses and altar pieces from the Cochin diocese.

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Mattanchery palace : The palace (Rs 2, Friday closed, no photography) was built by Portuguese in 1555 for the raja of Cochin (Dutch palace - palace was renovated in 1663 by the Dutch). The central hall on the first floor is a portrait gallery of the maharajas. The astonishing fine murals depicting scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas. The ladies bed chamber downstairs features a cheerful Lord Krishna using his six hands and two feet to engage in foreplay with eight happy milkmaids.

Jewish Synagogue : Originally built in 1568, the Synagogue (Rs 2, Saturday closed) features ornate gold pulpit and hand painted, willow pattern floor tiles from China in the mid 18th century, and is stunningly bedecked with chandeliers and coloured glass lamps. The clock tower was built in 1760.

The area around the Synagogue is known as Jew town and is one of the main centres of Spices (ginger, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, cloves, pepper etc) and antiques trade (there's a plethora of shops selling antiques and reproductions).

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Kathakali : The temple art form of Kathakali was developed around 2nd century. Kathakali (story play) performance is the dramatised form of a play base on Hindu epics. In Kathakali, most of the themes are covered - righteousness and evil, frailty and courage, poverty and prosperity, war and peace.

Drummers and singers accompany the actors. The scrip is vocalised by the singers, but it's the performers who actually tell the story with movements, mudras (hand gestures) and facial expressions. Normaly, temple grounds are the venue and the play will lasts the whole night.

Preparation for the performance is lengthy, fantastic costumes and paints are applied on the face of the dancer, highly decorated headpieces are fitted, small seeds placed in the eyes to redden the whites. The Kathakali characters are grouped as -

Pucca - The heroic, royal and divine creatures such a Vishnu or Rama. The makeup consists of green faces (symbolising heroism and righteousness) with large crown headgear.

Katti - The demons and villains such as Ravana, the evil king who abducted Sita. They are also green indicating their high position, but a red mark and white knobs on their noses and foreheads indicates their evil nature.

Tati - The wild creatures, wearing artificial red, black or white beards ('tati'). Hanuman, the monkey god is with white beard, while primitive animals have black beards.

Kari - The demoness, all in black, black beard and huge breasts
(Shurphanaka, Ravana's sister).

Minukku - The servant class, often female, with simple costumes and yellow face paint.

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Thrissur (Trichur) : It is the state's most vibrant temple festival scene at Vadakkunnathan temple and the cultural capital of Kerala. The main churches include Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral, 'Puttanpalli' (New church) and the Chaldean (Nestorian) church. Thrissur zoo and the state museum are worth a visit. Sakthan Thampuran palace is having a well furnished museum.

|||Temple festivals |||

Trissur pooram : State's biggest temple festival with colourful processions of caparisoned elephants, biggest number of drummers and the best night long fireworks (Apr/May).

Thypooya mahotsavam : A seven day festival is celebrated at Sree Maheswara temple, Koorkanchery (2 km from town) in the month of Jan/Feb. On the last day a kavadiyattam procession with hundreds of dancers with kavadi (tall ornate structures) is held.

Sri Krishna temple at Guruvayur (33 km) is another major Hindu pilgrim centre. The beginning of the 10 day festival (Feb/Mar) is celebrated with racing of around 30 elephants. The 16 th century temple is the most famous temple in Kerala (Hindus only). The temple has 63 elephants and are kept at an old Zamorin palace, Punnathur Kota.

Peruvanum pooram : On the festival day (Mar/Apr, 12 km from Thrissur), sumptuously decorated elephants accompanied by scores of drummers will be the main attraction.

Arattupuzha pooram : On the sixth day of the seven day festival at Arattupuzha temple, (Mar/Apr, 14 km from Trissur), 61 gaily caparisoned elephants gather in the temple grounds, accompanied by the temple music.

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Darjeeling (2134 m), West Bengal : Darjeeling (666 km from Kolkata) is a major hill station with hills covered with tea plantations, complicated series of interconnecting roads, Victorian colonial mansions and a striking population of Nepalis and Tibetans. The peak tourist season is Oct and Dec, while the best season is from mid March to May with clear skies. Share jeeps run in the town.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (Toy train) : It is a world Heritage route by UNESCO. One has to reach Siliguri/New Jaipalguri from Kolkata. The toy train connects Darjeeling by narrow gauge (86 km, 7 hour). The 2 ft wide narrow gauge toy train is operational since Sep 1881. One day advance reservation will ensure your seat. Batasia loop on the railway line near Ghoom is a great engineering feet.

Dhirdham mandir is near the railway station.

Chowrasta is the town centre, the main shopping street is Nehru road. For Great Himalayan views, follow the Bhanu Bhakta Sarani from Chowrasta to Observatory hill (200 m). In clear weather the skyline is dominated by Khangchendzonga, India's highest peak and world's third highest peak. Sky will be clear in the early morning. Mahakala temple and the Dorje Ling monastery with gompa at Observatory hill are the major pilgrim centres of the town. Gandhi road near the TV tower has many budget hotels. Bhutia Busty gompa with gold accented mural is follow CR Das road from Chowrasta (400 m).