Have you ever imagined the exquisiteness of experiencing the nature through a scene houseboat cruising? Then Kerala backwaters are the best option for you. For making that experience a completely hassle free one, Lifemadeasy, one of the top tour operators in Kerala like Lifemadeasy offer you Delightful Kerala backwater packages, that comes in varied budgets and duration. The backwaters of Kerala is noted for its picturesque locations, scenic beauty, amusing climate, lovely scenery, world class resorts and so on. Here are some of the fascinating experiences to have with your Kerala backwater cruise.
Witness the art of coir making
The backwater villages in Kerala produce a 60% of the total world supply of the coir market. If you are wondering, Coir is the fiber obtained from the dry coconut shell. In Kerala, this coir fiber is used to make many fascinating things. Many beautiful handicrafts are made out of these including coir mats, ropes, mattresses and many artistical items. So make a plan to stroll around the backwater villages during your trip to one of them and witness the art of the locals making coir ropes in a specific way using their hands with the help of weaving wheels. The coir holds many natural properties which make it strong and this texture and strength are brought into the life with the skillful hands of the craftsmen here. So do not miss out on the interesting stories that these coir villages have to tell. It has become a part of the day to day life of the people here and is a main livelihood for the women here. You really have to observe the process to feel the bond of those involved in the process.
Other than coir, you can see many of the people here making abundant of handicraft items, that are made out screw pin, count leaves, and so on. So if you want to feel the real cottage industry kind of experience, you would have to take a village tour and you will be welcomed by utmost hospitality everywhere. You can see how lovingly the people here take care of each other and live in complete harmony and oneness. To feel the real beauty of it, you got to see the life through their eyes.
Best spot- Coir museum in Alleppey
The unique bio-diversity of backwaters
The backwaters of Kerala are blessed with a rich yet unique biodiversity that will fascinate anyone who drops a visit. You can witness a rich assemblage of exquisite flora and fauna which are preserved by preventing the salty sea water from mixing up with the fresh backwaters. The livelihood of many communities revolves around this rich aquatic life of the fresh lake water. As you sail through those vast sandals you would often spot large herd odd ducks quaking and moving across the lake guided by the shepherded men on small local boats. Another exciting sight is the men dive deep into the water and come back with a vast collection. And the other men cast their nets in the traditional way in cane baskets to catch fish and water shrimps. There are plenty of frogs, crabs, mudskippers and much other aquatic life to make the whole scene more lively and the leafy water plants add a green hue to the whole scene.
Best spot- The backwaters of Vembanad and its surroundings wetlands are considered to be of international importance due to its unique biodiversity.
The paradise for the bird watchers
Another thing that makes the backwaters stand out is the plethora of bird species that migrate here in peak seasons. You have to plan ahead your Excellent Kerala houseboat packages, itinerary so that you could visit here during the months between November and February to take up a trek along the Kumarakom bird sanctuary to spot some rare bird species. There are also more than 100 species of native birds that you will get to see here. The major ones are the egrets, Siberian storks, darters, teal and the heron. As you stroll along the endless paddy fields you would be fascinated to see a group of parrots flocks here and there and along dawn spreading a thick blanket along the sight.
Indulge in amazing cuisine
The typical Kerala cuisine- the real backwater bounty is a must try for a complete backwater experience in Kerala. there is some unpretentious appeal to the food you would find here. A typical meal is usually served in green banana leaf and one has to eat with his or her fingers to do it in full Kerala style. There are many popular spicy seafood items like shrimp fry or grilled, fish curry with tapioca, made in traditional earthen pots will have a unique flavor. These are few of the traditional favorites of the Keralites. For a light supper, Keralites prefer Kanji along with the layer of chutney and do not forget to try out the most popular Karimeen polichathu, a local variety fish item.
Where to experience – Like all other Kerala authentic cuisine, the Kerala backwater cuisine also revolves around the coconut, rice, seafood and so on. You can try all these with the Exotic Kerala houseboat packages that you would be signing in for. And if you choose to spend some leisure time at some of the top class resorts here, then they would have restaurants that provide you with all kind of cuisines. You can experience these from various small authentic food joints in the villages also. Or choose to stay at homestays and request for the host to prepare some dishes which may not be found in standard menus of the restaurants. The houseboat cruise can be complimented with such food delights of the land.
Feel the heart of the backwaters by a village tour
Taking up a houseboat cruise won’t let you see the heart of the backwater lives. You have to go for an authentic village life for that. Navigate the canals in a countryside boat and come across those backwater villagers doing their day to day life activities like farming, fishing, toddy tapping and so on. These village people will also showcase many traditional ways of engaging in activities like bow and arrow fishing, organic farming, coir making and so on. These village tours will be insightful and also let you try out these things by yourself. At some area, you would see and feel the alluring simplicity of this world which is untouched by the artificiality of the urban world.
Where to experience– Kumarakom is one of the popular spots to have a village life experience along with your backwater cruise. The village life experience at Kumarakom is renowned as an innovative community-based tourism model by UNWTO. These would be more like some guided experience that will let you have benefits of village tourism and the people and their lifestyle will give anyone some invaluable experience, which they can’t have anywhere else in the world. There would be trained guides to assist you throughout your tour and take you from one allocation to another where you would get opportunities to learn all these from the local people itself by interacting with them, and then you would get the true essence of the land and a fully immersive travel experience.