by Debbie Ross
Womens Travel Network founder
Day 11 India tour – Drive to Kumarakom, rated among the top 25 best getaways in the world.
After breakfast we bid farewell to our captain and board the bus for our drive to Kumarakom, a cluster of little islands on Vembanad Lake. Kumarakom captures the essence of Kerala in a unique and lovely setting. Conde Nast Traveller rated Kumarakom among the 25 best getaways in the world. It is an enchanting paradise of mangrove forests, green paddy fields and coconut groves, interspersed with a network of waterways.
During our drive we stop for a few photo opportunties along the way. The first is to capture a train crossing by. Next stop is to put our feet in the Arabian sea. The beach is very wide and the sea is nice and warm. The gals had a ball taking photos and letting the waves crash in and wash over our feet.
We stopped at the Prince hotel for lunch. It was a nice restaurant with good food but the service was a bit slow. My dessert of small sweet bananas in a warm sweet sauce was the best! There are 265 varieties of bananas in kerala, Afterwards our guide Phillip took us to grocery store to purchase some typcial foods from the area, specifically cashews which are grown in the region . It’s quite interesting how the nut grows outside of the fruit.
We also stopped for a tour of the coir museum. They collect the fibres from the coconut shells and make them into coir, from these strong ropes they make many items. Household furniture, carpets, elaborate pictures and much more. Along the road there are many shops selling the coir products.
Upon arrival at out hotel, the Backwater Ripple, Kumarakom, we were greeted with fresh pineapple juice and cool wet towels. The hotel is located in the popular backwaters of Alleppey and offers panoramic views of the lake. Bags unpacked, most of us head for the pool and some took an evening boat cruise on the lake. The water in the pool is warm and relaxing. After dressing for dinner we had an impromtu wine party at Tish’s room. Then off to the restaurant for dinner and off to bed. We are getting up early tomorrow for a yoga session.
