Kochi
Kochi or Cochin is a vibrant
city situated on the south-west
coast of the Indian peninsula,
in the breathtakingly scenic and
prosperous state of Kerala,
dubbed 'God's Own Country'. Its
strategic importance over the
centuries is underlined by the
sobriquet Queen of the Arabian
Sea. Informally, Cochin is also
referred to as the Gateway to
Kerala. This lovely seaside city
is flanked by the Western Ghats
on the east and the Arabian Sea
on the west. Its proximity to
the equator, the sea and the
mountains provide a rich
experience of a moderate
equatorial climate.
Munnar
Munnar is situated at the
confluence of three mountain
streams namely Mudrapuzha,
Nallathanni and Kundala. This
hill station, located at an
altitude of 1600 m above sea
level, was once the summer
resort of the erstwhile British
government in South India.
Sprawling tea plantations,
picture book towns, winding
lanes and holiday facilities
make this a popular resort town.
Among the exotic flora found in
the forests and grasslands is
the 'Neelakurinji'. This flower
which bathes the hills in blue
every twelve years will bloom
next in 2006 AD. Munnar also has
the highest peak in south India,
Anamudi, which towers over 2695
m. Anamudi is an ideal spot for
trekking.
Thekkady
Thekkady, is one of India's most
fascinating natural wildlife
sanctuaries, where you can watch
wildlife at close range. The
vegetation, the flora and fauna
and the birds of Thekkady are
uniquely rich, vast and varied
that it does not bear semblance
to any other wildlife
sanctuaries in the world. Even a
casual visitor to this place
will not fail to observe the
special ecological pattern of
Thekkady. Thekkady - The very
sound of the name conjures up
images of elephants, unending
chains of hill and spice scented
plantations. In the crisp, cool
air of the Western Ghats you
will experience the most
enchanting holiday. With the
animals of the wild and the
simple mountain people. In the
Periyar forest of Thekkady is
one of the finest wildlife
reserves in India, and spread
across the entire district are
picturesque plantations and hill
towns that hold great
opportunities for treks and
mountain walks. The Thekkady
sanctuary is one of the best in
the country for watching and
photographing wild life.
Thekkady is on the border with
state of Tamil Nadu , in fact
just 5 kilometers from the
border town of Kumily which is
very well connected by bus to
both Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Notable among the denizens of
Periyar are the tigers, the
majestic Asiatic wild elephants
and the distinctive Nilgiri
langur. Other animals include
the wild boar, wild dog, bison,
bear and leopards. Amongst the
avifauna, the most profuse are
herons, egrets, darters,
kingfishers and the great
Malabar grey hornbill. A cruise
through the waters of Periyar
lake around which the wild -life
sanctuary is situated, offers a
soul - stirring pleasant
experience.
Kumarkom
Kumarakom, an unbelievably
beautiful paradise of mangrove
forests, emerald
green paddy fields and coconut
groves interspersed with
enchanting waterways and canals
adorned with white lilies.
Situated on the Vembanad lake,
in this small water world you'll
come across plenty of
traditional country Crafts,
boats and canoes which will take
you into the heart of the scenic
lake. The resorts nearby offer
comfortable accommodation and
exclusive leisure options like
an Ayurvedic massage, yoga,
meditation, boating, fishing,
angling and swimming. Kumarakom
offers nature's best with its
virgin forest backwaters.
Slumbers on the banks of
Vembanad Lake, which weaves an
enchanting web with its canals,
streams and distributaries,
Kumarakom is a place fit for
those quiet and intimate moments
when you just want to be with
yourself in tranquility and
peace.
Alleppey
Carved out of the erstwhile
Kottayam and Quilon districts,
Alappuzha(Alleppey) district was
formed on 17th August, 1957 and
consisted initially of seven
taluks, namely Cherthala,
Ambalappuzha, Kuttanad,
Thiruvalla, Chengannur,
Karthikappally and Mavelikkara.
The name Alappuzha is derived
from the geographical position
and physical features of the
place. It means the land between
the sea and network of rivers
flowing into it. The district is
bounded on the north by Kochi
and Kanayannur taluks of
Ernakulam district, on the east
by Vaikom, Kottayam and
Changanassery taluks of Kottayam
district and Thiruvalla,
Kozhencherry and Adoor taluks of
Pathanamthitta district, on the
South by Kunnathur and
Karunagappally taluks of Kollam
district and on the west by
Lakshadweep sea. The present
Alappuzha district comprises of
six taluks namely Cherthala,
Ambalappuzha, Kuttanad,
Karthikappally, Chengannur and
Mavelikkara. Total area of this
district is 1414 sq. kms. The
district head quarters is
located at Alappuzha.
Trivandrum
Thiruvananthapuram which was
previously called Trivandrum, is
an ancient city with tradition
dating back to 1000 BC.
Thiruvananthapuram became the
capital of Raja of Travancore in
1750.The city gets its name from
the word, Thiru-anantha-puram,
meaning the city of Anantha or
the abode of the sacred Serpent
Anantha on which Lord Vishnu,
the preserver of the Hindu
trinity, reclines.
Thiruvananthapuram, the capital
of the state of Kerala is a
beautiful seaside city built on
seven hills. It is located on
the west coast of India near the
extreme south of the mainland
spreading over a total of
2,192sq.km.
Calicut
Kozhikode, formerly called
Calicut was the traditional
capital of Northern Kerala under
the Samuthiri rule. Calicut, the
most important city of Malabar
region of Kerala, was a leading
trading centre for spices on the
West Coast of India during the
medieval period. Vasco da Gama
landed at Calicut (Kappad - 16
KM from the city) in 1498,
becoming the first European to
reach India by the sea route
around the southern cape of
Africa. A bustling city and
commercial capital of Malabar,
Calicut, has an International
Airport, University, Medical
College and prestigious Indian
Institute of Management and
National Institute of Technology
to its credit.
Kovalam
Thirty years ago, Kovalam was a
hippy idyll: a picture perfect
tropical beach; a traditional
fishing village providing fresh
fish, fruits and toddy (coconut
beer). Today this tiny beach is
the focus of a multi-million
dollar business, drawing
thousands of tourists for a week
dose of ozone, UV and a
refreshing Indian Experience.
Kovalam was brought to the
public eye by the Maharaja of
Travancore. Over the past three
decades, the place has been well
developed, and now figures
prominently on the world tourism
map. Kovalam is just 16 kms away
from Trivandrum. Today Kovalam
beach is known as the "Paradise
of the South".
Kollam
Kollam or Quilon, an old sea
port town on the Arabian coast ,
stands on the Ashtamudi lake.
Kollam, the erstwhile
Desinganadu, had a sustained
commercial reputation from the
days of the Phoenicians and the
Romans. Fed by the Chinese
trade, it was regarded by Ibn
Batuta, as one of the five ports
, which he had seen in the
course of his travels during a
period of twenty four years, in
the 14th century. Kollam
District which is a veritable
Kerala in miniature is gifted
with unique representative
features - sea, lakes, plains,
mountains, rivers, streams,
backwaters, forest, vast green
fields and tropical crop of
every variety both food crop and
cash crop, so called 'The Gods
Own Capital'.
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