Things to do in Southern Kerala
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Houseboat
Renting a houseboat designed like a kettuvallam (rice barge) could be one of your most expensive experiences in India, but it's worth every darned rupee. Drifting through quiet canals lined with coconut palms, eating deliciously authentic Keralan food, meeting local villagers and sleeping on the water under a galaxy of stars - it's a world away from the clamour of India.
Houseboats cater for groups (up to eight bunks) or couples (one or two double bedrooms). Food (and an onboard chef to cook it) is generally included in the quoted cost. Houseboats can be chartered through the DTPC in Kollam or Alleppey, or a multitude of private operators.
This is the biggest business in K…
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Tourist Cruises
The popular cruise between Kollam and Alleppey departs at 10:30 and arrives at 18:30, operating daily from August to March and every second day at other times. Many hotels in Kollam and Alleppey take bookings for one or other of these services; some offer cheaper rates but you'll end up paying the difference on board.
Generally, there are two stops: a 13:00 lunch stop (be aware that you'll pay extra for every element over the standard meal!) and a brief afternoon chai stop. The crew has an ice box full of fruit, soft drinks and beer to sell. Bring sunscreen and a hat.
It's a scenic and leisurely way to get between the two towns, but as a backwater experience the cruise is …
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Zoological gardens
The modern zoological gardens are among the most impressive in India. There are shaded paths meandering through woodland and lakes, where animals, such as tigers, macaques and lots of bird-life, happily frolic in massive, open enclosures that mimic their natural habitats. There’s a separate reptile house (entrance with zoo ticket), where dozens of the slithery things do their thing and cobras frequently flare their hoods – just don’t ask what the cute guinea pigs are here for.
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Thaff
An absurdly popular joint that has scrumptious Indian bites, with some Arabic flavours mixed in, to boot. It does succulent roast spit-chicken (Rs90), scrumptious shawarma (Rs25) and brain-freezing cold ice-cream shakes (Rs25).
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Pizza Corner
A bit of East meets West, with tasty pizza’s sporting everything from traditional toppings (margarita) to Indian twists on a theme (ie Punjabi chicken tikka).
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The Backwaters
Trips through the backwaters cross shallow, palm-fringed lakes studded with cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, and travel along narrow, shady canals where coir (coconut fibre), copra (dried coconut meat) and cashews are loaded onto boats. Along the way are small villages with mosques, churches, temples and schools, villagers going about their daily chores, and tiny settlements where people live on narrow spits of reclaimed land only a few metres wide.
Travelling through the 900km network of waterways that fringe the coast and trickle far inland is the undisputed main attraction of a trip to Kerala. Long before the advent of roads these waterways were the slippery highways…
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Matha Amrithanandamayi Mission
Matha Amrithanandamayi Mission is the incongruously pink ashram of Matha Amrithanandamayi. One of India’s few female gurus, Amrithanandamayi is also known as Amma (Mother), or ‘The Hugging Mother, ’ because of the darshan (blessing) she practises, often hugging thousands of people in marathon all-night sessions. The ashram runs official tours at 5pm each day. It’s a huge complex, with about 2000 people living here permanently – monks, nuns, students, Indian families and Westerners. It offers food, ayurvedic treatments, yoga and meditation, as well as souvenirs from the cult of Amma, everything from books to postcards of her toes. Amma travels around for much of the …
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Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram
Just before Neyyar Dam, this superbly located ashram, established in 1978, is renowned for its hatha yoga courses. Courses start on the 1st and 16th of each month, run for a minimum of two weeks and cost Rs600 per day for accommodation in a double room (Rs450 in dormitories). Low season (May to September) rates are Rs100 less. There’s an exacting schedule (5.30am to 10pm) of yoga practice, meditation and chanting; and students rave about the food (included in the rates). Bookings are required. Month-long yoga-teacher training and ayurvedic massage courses are also available.
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Vijnana Kala Vedi Cultural Centre
This French-run centre at Aranmula, 10km from Chengannur, offers highly recommended courses in Indian arts with expert teachers. You can choose from a range of 15 subjects to study, including ayurveda, Kathakali, classical dances, Carnatic music, Keralan cooking, languages (Malayalam, Sanskrit and Hindi) and kalarippayat. Classes are generally individual and are held for a minimum of three hours per day, Monday to Friday.
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German Bakery (Waves)
In a swanky new location on an airy, sunburnt-orange balcony, this remains the most popular hang-out in town. Finger-licking pastries still take pride of place on the menu, as do a huge range of winning breakfasts, strong coffee and quiches. Nowadays it’s easy to spend the entire day relaxing here, with a varied selection of classy main courses featuring curries, seafood, tofu and pizzas taking you into your evening meal.
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Village Tours
Village tours usually involve small groups of five to six people, a knowledgeable guide and an open canoe or covered kettuvallam. The tours (from Kochi, Kollam or Alleppey) last from 2½ to six hours and cost around Rs300toRs600 per person. You visit villages to watch coir-making, boat building, toddy (palm beer) tapping and fish farming, and on the longer trips a traditional Keralan lunch is provided.
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Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple
This 260-year-old temple is Trivandrum’s spiritual heart. Spilling over 2400 sq metres, its main entrance is the 30m tall, seven-tier eastern gopuram (gateway tower). In the inner sanctum, the deity Padmanabha reclines on the sacred serpent and is made from over 10,000 salagramam (sacred stones) that were purportedly, and no doubt slowly, transported from Nepal by elephant.
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Krishnapuram Palace Museum
Two kilometres south of Kayamkulam (between Kollam and Alleppey), this restored palace is a fine example of grand Keralan architecture. Now a museum, inside are paintings, antique furniture, sculptures, and a renowned 3m-high mural depicting the Gajendra Moksha (the liberation of Gajendra, chief of the elephants) as told in the Mahabharata.
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Padmanabhapuram Palace
With dozens of lumberyards worth of intricately carved ceilings and polished-teak beams, this palace is considered the best example of traditional Keralan architecture today. Parts of it date back to 1550 though, as the egos of successive rulers left their mark, it expanded into the magnificent conglomeration of 14 palaces it is today.
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Fusion
This funky eatery has an inventive menu where dishes from the East meet dishes from the West – and it seems like they get along pretty well. You can get regular Indian or Western meals, but the fun part is trying their fusion options where the two cuisines collide to form yummy new taste combinations. Also serves French press coffee and herbal teas.
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Janakanthi Panchakarma Centre
Janakanthi Panchakarma Centre is an ayurvedic resort, 5km from Kollam, popular for its seven- to 21-day treatment packages (seven-day packages including basic accommodation start at around Rs9000). You can also just visit for a rejuvenation massage and herbal steam bath (Rs750). An autorickshaw from Kollam should cost around Rs100.
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Margi Kathakali School
Margi Kathakali School conducts courses in kathakali and kootiattam (traditional Sanskrit drama) for beginner and advanced students. Fees average Rs200 per 1½-hour class. Visitors can peek at uncostumed practice sessions held 10am to noon Monday to Friday. It’s in an unmarked building behind the Fort School.
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Veli Tourist Park
At the junction of Veli Lake and the Arabian sea, 8km west of the city, the unique Veli Tourist Park showcases strikingly oversized sculptures by local artist Kanai Kunhiraman. It's well-designed, and the ponds, mammoth concrete conches and quasi-erotic curves of the artwork make for an interesting backdrop for a picnic or a stroll.
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Puthe Maliga Palace Museum
The Puthe Maliga Palace Museum is housed in the 200-year-old palace of the Travancore maharajas. The traditional Keralan palace has carved wooden ceilings, marble sculptures and even imported Belgian glass. Inside you’ll find Kathakali images, an armoury, portraits of Maharajas, ornate thrones and other artefacts.
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Thiruvananthapuram City Day Tour
KTDC offers tours, leaving from the Tourist Reception Centre at the KTDC Hotel Chaithram on Central Station Rd. The Thiruvananthapuram City Day Tour visits Trivandrum’s major sights plus Kovalam beach (half day 8.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 7pm; full day 8.30am to 7pm). Avoid Monday, when some places are closed.
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CVN Kalari Sangham
CVN Kalari Sangham offers three-month courses (Rs1000 per month) in kalarippayat for serious students with some experience in martial arts. Contact Sathyan for details. On Monday to Saturday at 7am to 8.30am, training sessions are open for public viewing.
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Sreepadman
For dirt cheap and authentic Keralan fare – think dosas (paper-thin lentil-flour pancakes) and thalis – where you can rub shoulders with rickshaw drivers rather than tourists, hit Sreepadman. This is a real hole-in-the-wall with a view: there is neat seating out the back with temple tank views.
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Academy of Magical Sciences
Ever wanted to learn how on earth they do that Indian rope trick? This is your chance. This academy works to preserve traditional Indian magic, give recognition to street magicians and train students in the art of illusion. It holds regular shows and have a store selling magic kits. Fun.
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Ayurveda
The students at Ayurveda College perform massage and general panchakarma (cleansing and purification) treatments (after consultation with a doctor) free of charge. Expect to wait in line, and expect Indian hospital, rather than Western resort-style, ambience.
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Kerala Coffee House
With oodles of atmosphere and top service, this perennially popular hang-out has tableclothed dining under the swaying palms. It serves cocktails (around Rs80) and has particularly flavoursome pizzas (Rs70 to Rs90), all served to a dancy, reggae soundtrack.
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