Tag: cheap kerala tour packages

Attappadi – An Exquisite Destination for a Splendid Romantic Vacation

admin

As we were nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts we always wanted to celebrate our romantic days in any of the scenic places in India. It was three months ago I got hitched to a software engineer working in a multinational company in Bangalore. Within a month I also travelled to Bangalore. In a couple of weeks, I got a job in a multinational company. Things were going smoothly. We were enjoying our newly married life. Our wedding photographer called us and told that our wedding album is ready. We were eagerly waiting for our wedding album. He told us that he handed over the album in my hubby’s house. I was not able to control my anxieties. We thought of visiting our hometown on the coming weekend. But unfortunately due to some issues in our offices we were not able to make the trip. Hence again for one more week we desperately waited for the week. Finally, without any hazards, we safely reached my hometown. The moment I entered my hubby’s house without getting fresh I suddenly ran to my mother-in-law and inquired for my wedding album. She played many tricks on me such as she tried to convince me that the photographer failed to give the album and so on. But I was not ready to believe in her pranks and finally, she admitted her failure and gave me the album. Soon from where I don’t know my husband came and tried to grab the album, from my hands but I somehow defeated me and ran to my bedroom and closed the door. My husband was knocking at the door. I know that the wedding album must be seen together, therefore, I opened the door and started to view the album together. We really enjoyed our betrothal and wedding pictures. We were looking stunning. The outdoor shooting of us was speechless. After viewing the album suddenly my hubby asked me “when are we going for the honeymoon trip?” I replied, “when we both are free”. For lunch one of my hubby’s cousins joined us. Just like us he also got recently married. We really had friendly moments with him. While discussing several topics he inquired about our honeymoon trip. “We haven’t gone anywhere”  my hubby replied. “What about you?” asked my hubby to his cousin? Two weeks ago they had their most awaited honeymoon trip at Attappadi. ‘Attappadi’ where is this place I asked him. It is a place in Kerala. What is the peculiarity of the place I asked him? It is an amalgamation of hill slopes, plantations, rivers, and bio reserves. It is an abode of enjoyment and excitement he replied. We asked him to tell the specialities of Attappadi. Without any hesitation, he started to explain it.

Kerala Honeymoon Packages

Attappadi is a small village in Palakkad district in Kerala. Located at a distance of 38 km from Mannarkkad Attappadi is famous for its eccentric charm and serene nature.  It is one of the most eye-catching destinations in Kerala. As Attappadi is situated on the slopes of Silent Valley it is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts and bird watchers. It is a perfect instance of religious beliefs. Attappadi respects all the religions and celebrates their festivals. Hundreds of travellers avail of tour packages to enjoy their honeymoon days at the cheapest rates from prominent travel operators. The important destinations in Attappadi are as follows.

 Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

Cheapest honeymoon packages in Kerala

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve has accredited the title International Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO. It is a combination of Silent valley, Aralam, Nagarhole, Mukurthi, Bandipur, Muthumalai, Wayaand, and Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuaries. Nilgiri Biosphere reserve shelters various varieties of fauna and flora. It is an exquisite palace to learn about plants, animals, and trees. Our tour guide helped us to stroll through the park. Inside the park, there is a museum that comprises models of various mammals, amphibians and birds with the description below. The park protects two rare creatures called Nilgiri Tahr and lion-tailed macaque. On purchasing the entry tickets of Rs. 250 we traversed through various streets of the park. Over there we met many travellers hailing from various corners of the country have come there by availing of cheapest Kerala tour packages. We had availed of safari rides in the park to explore its untouched beauty.

Hanging Bridge

kerala honeymoon packages with airfare

We hold our palms firmly and walked through the hanging bridge. The hanging bridge of Attappadi is 55 m long painted in yellow and red colours. We drove nearly 45 minutes from Attappadi to reach the Hanging Bridge.

Malleswaram Mudi

kerala tour packages from delhi

Malleswaram Mudi or Malleswaram peak is one of the tallest peaks in the district. “So you might have climbed the peak”, I asked him. With humble, he said “no”. Trekking to the peak is exclusively allowed for tribal people and too on Shiva puja. The peak is dedicated to Lord Shiva. A ‘Shivalinga’ is situated on the top of the people and tribal communities worship it.

Kunthi River

honeymoon packages in Kerala

Kunthi River is considered a sacred river. It consists of medicinal properties. The intriguing factor of Kunthi River is it always remains crystal clear and never turns muddy or becomes brown in colour. After seeking permission from the authorities we practised jeep safaris on the banks of the river.

Perumal Mudi

cheapest kerala tour packages

Perumal Mudi is well-renowned as ‘Ramar Kovil’. The people come here to offer their prayer to Lord Rama. It is believed that Lord Rama visited this place while his journey to Lanka to free goddess Sita, his wife from the demon Ravana.

There are many more outstanding places are present in Attappadi so do not be late avail of the packages as soon as possible. The perfect time to visit the iconic destination is from January to May and from October to December. Hearing to his conversation we pleased and decided to plan our romantic trip to Attappadi. He also suggested the travel operator from whom he purchased the package. It was the Dream Holidays trip planners. They are the leading tour operators in Kerala. People can purchase the packages either online or offline. For more information, travellers can contact their customer executives.

 

The Miraculous Stories that Made Me a Strong Believer of St. Sebastian of Kanjoor

admin

Don’t ever think that lying at the bottom of the country; Kerala will remain unpopular among the Indians. More than any other Indian state Kerala has made a special place in the hearts of not only Indians but also of foreigners. I have been always surprised by what may be the reason behind such large popularity? Later I realized that it may be the colourful festivals and unique culture and traditions. And it is true. The state is blessed with 14 districts and each district is known for its dazzling festivals. Irrespective of the religion and creed all the natives together celebrate the occasions in a grand way. Thus make the state different from other places in the country. It is being a long time since my mother was wishing to attend the famous church festival of St. Sebastian at Kanjoor church located in Ernakulum district in Kerala. I just asked her where she heard the name and what the peculiarity of the church is. She asked me whether I remember the day when my cousin (i.e. my mom’s nephew) told me about the church and the miracles happened over there. I said I don’t exactly remember what he said but I know that he is permanently settled in Kanjoor with his family for years. She said every year the St. Sebastian’s festival takes place in the month of January in St. Mary’s Church at Kanjoor. She also said that the saint is very powerful. I was amazed at how he could be powerful when the main deity of the church is Mother Mary. And I also asked her to share any of the stories if she was able to recollect from her memory. Oh! Why not I will definitely she replied (from her words I understood she was desperately waiting for someone to share the stories as she got me she was very happy).

kerala tour packages from delhi

The famous St. Mary’s Church at Kanjoor which is located on the banks of Periyar River was built in the year AD 1001. Even though it is a Christian pilgrim centre the church was constructed in an ancient Hindu archaeological style. It also has copied the designs from Indian, Persian and Portuguese artworks. The sanctum of the church was made out of gold dust, fruit pulp, and rare plant leaves. The mural paintings of the Nativity, the Annunciation, Blessed Virgin Mother, the offering of Lord Abraham, the presentation of the Lord in the Temple and the Ten Commandments to Moses add beauty to the church. Apart from this the church also has a rare collection of paintings, manuscripts, and antiques. I asked her how could she describe the beauty of the church has she ever visited the famous pilgrim. She said during her school days, she visited this mesmerizing church with her siblings. During those days the travel to the church was a little horrible and it took long hours to reach the destination. The journey has now become easy. Nowadays people from various parts of the world visit the splendid pilgrim shrine by availing of tour packages from the famous Dream Holidays travel operators in Kerala. They curate the packages by inculcating the price of air tickets for travellers to visit the Saint of Kanjoor also known as Kanjoor Punyavan.
cheap kerala packages

There were many incidents took place in the history of Kanjoor that highly reflected the miraculous power of the St. Sebastian. Out of the several incidents, only two stories have gained much popularity. She started explaining the story. Years back on the day of the festival the famous ruler of the local kingdom named Sakthan Thampuran made a visit to Puthiyedam Kovilakam in Kanjoor. He was deeply immersed in a conversation with family. At that time the fireworks from the church interrupted his conversation and made the ruler furious. Angry ruler commanded his warriors to throw all the saluting mortars (Kathina Vedi) into the river. The warriors did accordingly. After returning to the mansion the mortars started bursting. The furious ruler scolded his disciples for not obeying his commands. They said they never disobeyed his words and asked him to go near to the river. By seeing the mortars bursting in the river he realized his mistake and went to the church and paid obeisance. He offered Elephant Lamp (Ana Vilakku) made out of from an alloy of five metals (Pancha Loha).

cheap kerala tour packages

Followed to it one more incident also took place. Years later the ruler asked to demolish the gatehouse (padipura) of the church. As soon as the demolishing started the elephant of the palace (Kovilakam) started destroying the gatehouse of the palace. Understanding his mistake the ruler apologized and donated a perpetual lamp (Keda Vilaku) to the church and for meeting the expense of the oil the ruler gave permission to possess the paddy filed of the palace without paying tax.

Another miracle that took place during the colonial period in the 18th century. Tipu Sultan visited Kanjoor and decided to destroy the St. Mary’s church. People over there begged the Tipu Sultan to not to demolish the church. If he attempted to do so the saint will punish him. But he didn’t hear anyone’s words. He even tested the power of the saint. He looked at the statue and asked ‘if the statue has divine powers let it speak to me’. Soon the statute replied ‘won’t you allow me to rest’. Hearing the voice Tipu Sultan left the place without destroying the church. And the incident has been mentioned on the walls in front of the church.

cheap and best kerala tour packages

After hearing the inspiring stories of Saint Sebastian, I now became a great devotee of him. More than my mom it is now me who desperately wants to visit the church. I told her to avail of the cheap and best tour packages to Kerala as soon as possible so that we could visit the church. But she asked me to wait until January. I asked why to wait for January. She told every year on January 19th and 20th the festival of St. Sebastian commences. And on 20th January after 2nd Holy mass, an eagle flies and it is considered as a glorious moment. I told her that I am going to book the packages for January in advance.

An Amazing Trip to Kerala Trees

admin

Travellers often love to visit Kerala. The reasons may vary among travellers for visiting the state. Some visits the state to witness the charming beauty. Others visit the place either for business or educational purposes. Whatever may be the reason travellers are always lured by the beauty of the serene nature of Kerala. Many people believe that Kerala got its name due to the presence of coconut trees (also known as ‘Kera’ in the Malayalam language). And is true. People always feel amused by seeing the splendid view of trees oscillating in accordance with the cool air. The state is known for its thickly populated forest trees with coconut trees in abundance. Many people have a myth that a trip to Kerala may be wastage of time. There would be anything apart from many trees and animals. But such myths should be removed from your mind. Kerala is not like the past. It has changed completely. It is one of the most popular tourist and fastest-growing destinations in India. Nearly ten thousand tourists visit this amazing state to enchant its glory as part of their honeymoon, and family travel packages. The amusement parks, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, bird sanctuaries, hill ranges, plantations of spices, tea and coffee, boating, houseboat rides and many more are the highlighting features that grab the tourists to the state. Availing a tour package to Kerala will never make the travellers disappoint. There many travel agencies that curate packages for not only nature lovers but also for adventure lovers at cheapest rates. The state is also famous for a plethora of enthralling activities such as paragliding, bamboo rafting, boating, trekking, canoeing, kayaking, mountaineering, and so on. However, sitting under a tree and tasting delicious traditional foods will present a marvellous experience to each and every traveller that no five-star hotel could provide. Trees have always become an inevitable part of Malayalees. The state is blessed with different varieties of trees. Let us go through the kinds of trees seen in the state and their uses.

  1.  Coconut Tree

cheap and best kerala tour packages

Coconut tree or ‘thengu’ known in the Malayalam language is the state tree of Kerala. The tree is branchless and it is known as ‘Kalpavriksha’. Coconuts, the fruit of the tree is big and oval in shape. The hard shell of coconut comprises of edible material of sweet taste with tasty water. It is protected inside the hard shell which is encircled with thick fibre. Coconut is one of the main ingredients of Keralite foods. Coconuts are used in different forms in the traditional foods of Kerala. Coconut oils are popular not only in South India but across the world. It used for multi-purposes. It is the main ingredient of shampoo, soap, cosmetics, candles, cooking, and so on. The coconut oils are extracted from the dried form of coconut called ‘kopra’. After the extraction of oils, this kopra is given as food to cattle and fowls. The fibre is used for the formation of ropes and mats which are resistant to saltwater. The coconut water is a natural health drink good for dysentery and vomiting. Toddy of coconut is also used as a beverage. The leaves of the trees are used for thatching roofs and trunks are used for bridges. The hardest part of the coconut is used for the preparation of vessels and cups.

2. Golden Shower Tree

cheapest honeymoon packages in kerala

The Golden Shower tree is also known as ‘Kanikkonna’. It is the state flower of Kerala. The tree got its name due to the presence of golden-yellow coloured leaves. The tree gains more importance during the festival of Vishu.  A garland made up of golden flowers is adorned on the lord Krishna’s idol on the day of Vishu and it is also considered as the first sight. The tree blooms in the months of April and May. When the flowers bloom it is a treat to the eyes. One would find difficult to identify leaves from the flowers. The tree is also a kind of messenger. It tells the arrival of monsoon. The parts of the tree such as fruit pulp, roots, and barks are also considered for medicinal purposes. Due to the presence of tannins in the barks of trees, it is used for fabric colouring and leather processing.

  3. Sandalwood Tree

cheap kerala tour packages

The Sandalwood tree is also known as Chandanam in Malayalam. The tree is famous for it’s cooling and healing properties. The tree consists of purple and black in colour succulent fruits with purple flowers in small dull in bunches. The tree is a solution from the scorching heat, inflammation problems, and excessive sweating. To get rid of the sweating one uses sandalwood in the form of paste, dry powder or mixed with oil and others. The powder of sandalwood is used as a treatment of gonorrhoea. The paste of sandalwood regularly applied to foreheads will increase the level of concentration. It also has the ability to reduce the temperature and headache during fever. It is also a medicine for painful urination problems and inflammation of the bladders. It is one of the prominent ingredients in Hindu rituals. The incense from the sandalwood is used to pacifying the minds.

I hope you have got a clear idea about the trees seen in and around Kerala. The trees are protected as part of the conservation of the earth. Some people export the woods of trees to other states. After reading the above-mentioned information don’t you feel to taste yummy and scrumptious fruits from the tall and thick trees? So what are you waiting for? Buy the Kerala tour packages at affordable prices from the eminent travel operators like Dream Holidays. They always try to inculcate places such as sanctuaries, forest areas with tourist spots in the itineraries of Kerala packages. While on your Kerala trip don’t forget to carry a camera and a notebook to note down the important points about the trees. You can also record the videos or audio of your tour guide while explaining the trees and their uses. If you are planning to visit the state during monsoon don’t forget to carry an umbrella and raincoats. Also, you can accompany your dearest friends to explore the state in an adventurous way.