The World of Biennale

The exhibition of art at Kochi Biennale has always been something that interested us. The largest art exhibition in the nation has never ceased to draw people from not just Kochi or all around the state, but also from different parts of the nation and the world. We have had our journeys to biennale before, and people around Cochin have surely considered it to be a very significant event, something which happens with the Cochin Carnival at times, bringing an even bigger crowd to the area. Fort Cochin has remained the area of such cultural significance which cannot be matched with any other place.

The exhibition continues to be set in areas across Cochin, while using existing galleries, halls, and installations in public spaces, heritage buildings and abandoned structures. Ever since beginning on 12th December 2012, the popularity of the exhibition has only increased, despite the price of the tickets reaching a new high. The cost of the entry has now reached Rs. 150 from the early Rs. 50 which prevailed during the early times of the exhibition. As Fort Cochin is a destination of interest at all times, visiting the main locations of biennale remains a priority for the tourists.

A little bit of environment catches in with biennale every time.

Some scenes at the exhibition is worth being in the camera.

The Aspinwall House serves among the best destinations too.

There are always enough exhibits to explore at the biennale.

The Aspinwall House itself is a place which requires exhibition.

You look at the boats and the backwaters which lies in front of you.

And there is also the cafe, even though expensive and crowded.

There is also the option to travel on the boat towards other areas.

There is also that nice little biennale shop, even though it is expensive.

The old Mattancherry Bridge, also known as the Harbour bridge.

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***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during the visit to the last biennale at Fort Cochin.

TeNy

Grand Malayattoor Carnival

The mega carnival at Malayattoor set around one of the largest human made fresh water lakes in the Asian Continent is an attraction like no other. This is one other carnival which reminds us of the the Cochin Carnival. This seven day long festival with thousands illuminated stars spread around 110 acres of a lake begins with Christmas and ends with the New Year. This pool is a thing of beauty even without the stars, and it is a celebration like no other, with the crowd increasing further after the corona virus pandemic break. This event, just like Cochin Carnival, includes the burning of Santa Claus in the end.

Malayattoor is a place which was blessed by the work of St. Thomas the apostle who remains the central figure of this particular village community which consists of a large number of churches. Saint Thomas Church at the top of the hill has remained one of the most visited pilgrim centres of the area. As Cochin International Airport is less than twenty kilometres from here. The nearest towns are Angamaly and Perumbavoor which serves the village well, along with Kalady, the birthplace of Adi Sankara. Kanjoor, the nearby town is known for St. Mary’s Forane Church, another popular pilgrim centre.

The beautiful decorations of the lake keeps us interested.

Ferris wheel is the amusement ride that we shall have at all carnivals.

You see the stars, and you see thousands of them here.

The huge star and the even bigger Santa Claus remain charming.

You can keep walking around the lake to enjoy the illuminations and shops.

The number of people who visit the area in the evening is enormous.

The Christmas spirit remains there with the stars hanging around.

The pirate ship which swings back and forth would also be there.

The walk with water on both sides of the road makes a beautiful sight.

The lake and the forest – nature has blessed Malayattoor well enough.

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***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during the visit to the carnival at Malayattoor.

TeNy

Calicut: University and Others

This would be my third journey to Calicut by car, even though there were a few train journeys before that. The first one was the longest one, with a Kannur-Wayanad combination added to the trip. The second one was a direct trip to Calicut. If I am asked about which side of Kerala would I go from the centre, I would go North, to Calicut side. Well, food is one major reason for that. Otherwise, there are also others contributing to the same. Calicut’s Hilite Mall is my favourite mall from anywhere in South India. People would have wanted it to be Lulu Mall, but this one feels more like a divergent place. There are the best shops with fine offers, and the food, once again, is so good. Well, my next favourite malls are also Shobha City Mall of Thrissur and Centre Square Mall of Cochin – not the ones most people would have guessed.

This particular journey was meant to be about visiting Calicut University library rather than anything else. I visited the library for collecting some material for my research, and it seemed to be the better option in comparison with the other university libraries in Kerala, and going outside the state seemed to be difficult, considering the fact that there were too many Corona virus based restrictions at that time. So, this journey to library was made into a combination of different things – we wandered through the city, visited two beaches, and one mall – we were thinking about adding another mall to the list, but Hilite Mall was too good, and we really had to keep visiting it again. We had food from some more interesting places, and then decided to come back. We shall return to this side to visit the remaining beaches and a few historical places on the list.

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***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during the last trip to Calicut/Kozhikode.

TeNy

Thanjavur: Cholas and TTDC

We have been to Thanjavur multiple times, and the last one was in 2010, when we stopped on the way back from Velankanni – we had booked an a/c bus which had too much of air conditioning, leading us to choose the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation buses on the way back – then we had stopped at Thanjavur to visit the temple and then stayed in Trichy. But the new situation was different, as we were traveling in Tata Tigor, and the location chosen to stay was TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu in Thanjavur. Unlike their counterpart in Kerala, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation provides some fine facilities at a cheaper rate, and the free breakfast in the morning is just perfect. We have stayed in their Hotel Tamil Nadu at Kodaikanal and Yercaud before, and they had also proven to be some fine choices. But their hotel at Thanjavur is even better, as it is a very old building converted into hotel, providing the beauty of architecture along with the bigger rooms and a lot of space to walk around and also to park the vehicles. I would suggest that those who are traveling to Velankanni can also stay here, to travel early morning and return here.

Thanjavur is located ninety kilometres from Velankanni and sixty kilometres from Trichy, making it a fine space in between. When we stay here, the one place which we cannot miss is Brihadisvara Temple which is part of the Great Living Chola Temples, the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The architectural marvel from the times of Chola Empire never really gets old, and provides the feeling out of this world – a perfect place to spend the evenings, as we witness the grandeur of an empire which needs to be considered among the greatest of the world. If you can travel some more distance, there are two other similar temples which can also be visited, but this one in Thanjavur city remains the best known work of architecture. Then we also visited Sacred Heart Cathedral, a lovely church located in the heart of the lovely city. We also found a favourite in Shri Dhivyam Sweets and Snacks, with Arya Bhavan vegetarian restaurant on the next floor, both serving as fine examples of quality. It is a fine place to buy some sweets to take home. Despite the posh looks, it is not that expensive a place either.

TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu is where we would stay whenever it is possible for us.

This TTDC hotel scores with the food & the looks both from outside & inside.

Thanjavur is one nice place which combines different elements for you to love.

You would never want to miss the Great Living Chola Temples in life.

Spending an evening with spirituality and history combined into one will be special.

There are not many UNESCO World Heritage Sites that provides such beauty.

Brihadishvara Temple, also known as Thanjai Periya Kovil is one of its kind.

Sacred Heart Cathedral of Thanjavur is a peaceful place of divine worship.

The cathedral is at a main area of the city & has people praying inside most of the time.

This proved to a perfect place for sweets & snacks, with also a vegetarian restaurant.

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***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during my visit to Thanjavur.

TeNy

District 13: Kannur Shores

I had my second visit to the thirteenth district of Kerala, Kannur recently. The summer in the busy town as well as the district in total felt very much hotter than what we had in the central districts of Kerala. Well, we used to complain about the heat then, and this felt more like in proximity to the sun than anything else. The journey was also very much difficult after Thrissur as the roads became narrower and with the drivers being more careless; it seems to be getting widened with more bypass paths though – the buses were more terrifying out there as we came across them; we feel that we have to move away from its path or die. But it is indeed a beautiful district, especially with the beaches which are much cleaner than what we have in the central of southern side. There seems to be poetry in the seas out there, and we enjoy the less polluted world out there.

Kannur has the beautiful town of Thalassery, which catches our attention, even though the roads are too narrow – same is the case of Mahe which is officially the part of Pondicherry even though within Kerala’s geography. Muzhappilangad Beach is among the best drive-in beaches which you will see anywhere in the continent, and there are so many other beaches to remember. St. Angelo Fort is a very well preserved Portuguese fort which provides a beautiful view of the sea in serenity. There is a lot to see with the fort too. Holy Trinity Cathedral also happened to be a lovely sight. For more of spirituality, you can travel to the Parassini Madappura Sree Muthappan Temple. There are some fine Indian Coffee Houses located in the area too. Parassinikadavu also has its own interesting Snake Park. The malls in the area are smaller, but still good enough for some random shopping.

Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach – nothing better for Tata Tigor.

You continue to visit the libraries, this time at Kannur University.

Holy Trinity Cathedral serves the spirituality well.

Tata Tigor has its first visit to any fort anywhere.

St Angelo Fort is surely among the best 3 forts of Kerala.

How many battleships has this particular cannon struck?

You look beyond the borders of the Kerala lands.

The view from the top of the fort is good enough for a soldier.

Kannur is a place which can easily be proud of its history.

Indian Coffee House never losses its charm.

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***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during the last trip to Kannur/Cannanore.

TeNy

Kolkata: Joy and Nostalgia

After the COVID-19 pandemic, our first grand trip was to Kolkata, and it was also the first journey by airplane – each and every other trip was by car, as we were not sure about traveling somewhere in public with the corona virus around. We did feel that the flight was also going to be difficult with the restrictions around, but thankfully, Kerala and West Bengal didn’t have problems with accepting travelers from the other. The basic motive of this journey was to visit the National Library of India, the largest of its kind in India, so that I could find some material for my research. It did turn out well, as we could get a membership online and use the reading room as much as we needed. The library is a beautiful structure in huge green compound. There is a huge collection of books, and I am sure that I wouldn’t find anything so well-maintained anywhere else. Indian Coffee House of Kolkata could have been better if people wouldn’t smoke in there, and if they had tea like those in Kerala.

The other journeys were to Victoria Memorial and Mother House, both I am visiting for third time – never to be missed while traveling to the city. We also chose to visit the British Council Library which felt so small in comparison to the National Library, and also the Kolkata Book Fair which didn’t seem to have enough English book, but seemed like a nice place to wander – too crowded though. St Paul’s Cathedral was undergoing renovation, but remained as beautiful as usual. Another visit for a show in Birla Planetarium also followed. The South Park Street Cemetery became my third favourite cemetery after the ones in Bradford and Glasgow. We also visited three malls, City Centre Salt Lake, Forum Courtyard and Quest Mall. It was very quick a journey, as we did all of these in just a week and rushed back home. Yet, any time spent in Kolkata brings happiness, as it is indeed the City of Joy. I will still miss the trams as we couldn’t find them in the areas we visited.

National Library of India. The library of the life-time.

All the time, you visit Indian Coffee House for no reason.

Quest Mall is among my favourite malls, all-time.

St Paul’s Cathedral in the evening is lovely Gothic.

This one had fascinated my as a little kid long ago.

There is no end to a cemetery love that goes on.

I have always preferred Victoria Memorial to Taj Mahal.

Mother House has been a place of blessing for long.

The mall is lovely, but needs a food court with options.

Tea in a pot is something that we need here too.

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***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during my visit to Kolkata.

TeNy

Velankanni: Longest Car Trip

This is not our first journey to Velankanni, as we had been to the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health the last time in 2010. But this is the first time that we are traveling in that direction by car. Tata Tigor was ready for the most distant location from its origins, and the journey was a memorable one. We took the journey in two different routes – on the way there, we went through the Palakkad-Coimbatore-Karur-Trichy route and while returning, we took the Trichy-Dindigul-Pollachi-Nenmara route, and I would suggest that traveling through the return route, but avoiding Nemara would be the right choice, for traveling from Trichy to Pollachi is joyful. While getting to Velankanni, the route through Mannargudi was better than the shorter Nagappattinam route, which was undergoing repair. Well, we reached Velankanni at a time when there less visitors. There are times when so many people go to the pilgrimage site, and there is rarely even the space to pray in peace.

The better roads in Tamil Nadu made sure that the journey was not troublesome, and only a few areas were troublesome for the vehicle’s suspension. I don’t remember much about that earlier journey to the sacred place, but it didn’t feel like something that far away from memory; yet the place has changed in twelve years. Velankanni is part of Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) for urban planning, economic growth and heritage conservation, which means that we have hope for the place to feel better. We prayed in the Lourdes of the East, and hoped for the best, as we live in an uncertain world. These are the times when life in this world seems irrelevant, and therefore, such spiritual journeys seem to be the need. Among the requirements to survive in this world, the connection to the other world becomes more important than ever. This trip has been pending for a long time, and the completion of this one provides more confidence and self-belief.

The trip anywhere would require a Tata Tigor and the usual food.

There is something about visiting Velankanni that never leaves us.

The beauty of the basilica will continue to enchant us.

The basilica has been visited by all of us for such a long time.

There is always something about the prayers and penance around here.

You keep looking towards divinity for the spiritual guidance.

Resting at places of divinity has never ceased to bring blessings.

The shrine of the old times continues to be a place of faith and belief.

You look up to God and hope for redemption in a world of chaos and hatred.

No journey is complete without Tata Tigor stopping by the side of highway for tea.

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***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during my visit to Velankanni.

TeNy

Yercaud: Vagamon’s Twin

There are many interesting hill stations in South India, and among them, we have Yercaud, the less visited and lesser known one in comparison to the others of the same kind. With Ooty and Kodaikanal being the better placed attractions, and also with a cooler climate, this place has gone unnoticed by many nature enthusiasts. If we look at the climate there, the two places in Kerala which can be compared to it are Vagamon and Kumily. The place is located about thirty kilometres from Salem, to which a journey from Coimbatore is remarkable, considering the quality of the roads. We did think about going to Valparai, another hill station with a similar climate, but this one was preferred due to the roads. You can always trust Tamil Nadu with their roads, as they are as good as you will find anywhere else in the South. Well, always choose the less travelled good roads.

Yercaud is well-known for Montfort School, its chapel and the Sacred Heart Church, but all of them were closed. The three lovely viewpoints are Gents’ Seat, Ladies’ Seat and Children’s Seat, all providing some fine views of the area around. Cauvery Peak, despite a long drive away, is a must visit for coffee lovers – they also have some activities of adventure and some history attached to it. The boating and park area is pretty good, and the lake in the middle of the town is a lovely thing of beauty. There is scarcity of big restaurants, and the Guru Restaurant turned out to be a favourite. We stayed at Hotel Tamil Nadu just like we did in Kodaikanal, and it turned out to be lovely option, very close to the boating and lake area, also providing some fine breakfast. Our journey was quick, and it was lovely. The place was not crowded at all, and that helped us to go through the whole hill station very quickly.

You have the wonderful roads and you love the 20 hair pins.

We loved the rowing boats over everything else.

Just cool enough on the lines of Vagamon in Kerala.

The hair pin roads can be seen from a distance here.

The misty, foggy world of Vagamon was missing here though.

There are always the signs of antiquity being seen around.

Cauvery Peak is a place of coffee, unlike the usual tea plantations.

It is calm, peaceful and without the crowd; so love the serenity.

I would always choose Hotel Tamil Nadu (TTDC) when available.

When roads are so good, why wouldn’t you choose to drive Tata Tigor?

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***The images used on this blog post were taken by me on my Samsung mobile phone during my visit to Yercaud.

TeNy

The Highland Connection

Kerala has always had its natural beauty in its hills, as these are the more preferred destinations in comparison to the beaches during the days when temperature is higher than it used to be. Among all these options, the first choice would always be Munnar, followed by these two special places – Thekkady and Vagamon. Located forty two kilometres, and about one and half kilometres apart, these two were to be combined in our trip. Our original idea was to travel to Thekkady and return after spending some time there, but the tour was rather extended. These two have been among our most visited destinations, with Thekkady being a place visited even when we traveled to the Tamil Nadu side, even though Munnar comes first as the most traveled hill station of all time, but a journey there would have meant eighty six kilometres and three hours, and so Vagamon seemed to be the much better choice.

At Vagamon, we stayed at Chillax Vagamon this time, and it was a simple place very close to the town itself, and the main attraction was a swimming pool at the roof top. During our earlier trip, we had stayed at Fairmount Vagamon Resorts, which was located further away from the town, and had a better view of greenery. At Thekkady, we stayed in Crown Valley Resorts, which was a grand place, a four star hotel which provided some fine facilities. During an earlier trip, we had stayed at Hotel SN International, which was closer to the town. The idea about this journey was more about traveling all the way there, and staying there to enjoy the atmosphere, and sight-seeing was not part of the plan. Well, at times, you need these hill stations for just the same, and not more.

The journey towards the destination always matters.

Reached the Crown Valley Resort, and then I had to take online classes.

Ford Aspire resting at Crown Valley Resort makes a fine view.

Note the route between Thekkady and Vagamon which is one grand sight.

What lies between Thekkady and Vagamon is the treat for the eyes.

Vagamon has its cute little hills at all places for you to see and admire.

There is always the setting sun which has the hills and clouds to hide itself.

Vagamon, even though the smaller among the hill stations, has its special charm.

View of the rooftop swimming pool of Chillax provided something to cheer for.

Some greenery is always there to be seen, from different angles and spaces.

*All the above photos were taken by me during our earlier trip in March 2021.

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TeNy

Just a Little Away from Munnar

Mankulam which is located at about twenty seven kilometres and an hour and a quarter from Munnar was our location of choice when a few months had passed after the end of COVID-19 lock-down last year. We had chosen this place over Munnar because is it is located ten kilometres closer to the midlands than Munnar, even though it will still take the exact same amount of time to reach there due to the bad condition of the roads – but the road is being repaired, and so that can change. We had chosen this area because it was peaceful there in comparison with Munnar, even though the temperature there was lower by three or four degree Celsius. But it was December, and so that ended up okay. It is to be noted that the other hill stations like Thekkady, Vagamon and Nelliyampathy also have lower temperature than Munnar, and so this is not that much of negative at that particular moment.

We really wanted a break at that time because we hadn’t gone for a trip in such a long time, and we were staying at home whenever possible. At Mankulam, we stayed at Treebo Trend Misty Garden Resorts and Spa, a fine place to stay with a swimming pool, and a good variety of food options available if ordered early. There is also some nice areas to visit nearby, even though they are not big tourist destinations. An evening walk in the area was refreshing. The roads which were being repaired at that time, if finished, can make this journey a quick and easy one. If Munnar seems to crowded, or if you don’t want to go that far, you can choose Mankulam, and I have shared ten pictures below for you to remember this particular area. After all, a stay away from the crowd and within nature with hill view can always be refreshing enough.

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***The images used in blog post were taken by me on my Samsung Galaxy A20S.

TeNy

Kumbalangi Nights and Days

There might be many islands which you know for the scenic beauty, but Kumbalangi is different. You will know the same, as I have known it from my childhood itself. It might be the same reason why it was chosen as the perfect setting for Kumbalangi Nights, one of the greatest films of the century, a flick which should have been nominated for multiple awards including international ones. With some fantastic performances to go with that background of Kumbalangi, the movie became the best of India, a thing worthy of sending for Oscars, even though they don’t seem to have considered the same in favour of some lower class films. I guess it was Gully Boy which was nominated during that time, much to the surprise of sensible people.

There, we stayed at the Kallenchery Resort, a place which we have preferred for some peaceful times for some years now. We celebrated my birthday there, and that proved to be the perfect one, with all settings being done there, and we had also ordered customized food – even though the place is known for its great seafood, the Paneer which we ordered was superb too. Kallenchery itself is an island which is connected by a small road to the island of Kumbalangi, thus making it a remote area – – it is the inner area of the village which provides a lot of view. This resort itself is getting more developed during these days, and during the next visit, I would expect things to be even bigger, as hope for a new dawn past COVID-19 is certainly there.

You have to be there for the sunset, every time.

You watch the sun setting in peace, and so do you have serenity.

Ford Aspire had a journey to remember past the city.

They brought one of the best cakes we ever had.

You sit and watch this throughout the dark night.

Always spend some time to happily work from Kumbalangi.

The Chinese Fishing Nets make your perfect reflection of the world.

There is always a lot of space to walk around this resort.

You move around & find that the money spent here is worth it.

Just the random nice shot which you get by looking above.

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TeNy

Seven Nations of My Travel

1. United Kingdom: As I place a quick writing on the seven countries which I have visited in my life, this one basically counts as two nations, as we did visit both England and Scotland. We remember the same from those cricket matches itself. It was also the biggest journey we had, not just with the amount spent for flight as well as the time spent on transit, but also with the world which we had there to witness. From the monuments to writers to those huge church buildings, there were a lot to be witnessed, and the traces of history out there was indeed splendid. You know that there is Canterbury Cathedral, Lake District, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and more, being part of a very long list.

This is one massive structure at Liverpool that reminds us of our minuteness.

2. Sri Lanka: The Sri Lankan trip happened in the same year as the journey to UK. Both of these trips were actually the result of the inability to go for that Israel-Palestine-Jordan-Egypt trip which was supposed to be the official Holy Land trip. So, we ended up in Ceylon, the world of serenity with tea and Buddhism, even though we were there more for a Ramayana tour rather than anything else. The most beautiful place out there was Nuwara Eliya, a hill station which was indeed the Little England. It was a world which felt closer to Kerala in many ways, especially the nature and the climate prevailing out there. We were very close to going back there again.

Nuwara Eliya, my favourite hill station with awesome tea and natural beauty.

3. Thailand: Well, we all know that everyone wishes to go to Pattaya. The Malayalam movie, Amar Akbar Anthony had made it clear already, and there were indeed more Keralites around than people from anywhere else outside that nation. Pattaya is indeed a charming place, a perfect beach-based destination, while Bangkok is the city with the charm. Bangkok Metro also became the third metro I had traveled outside India after London, Singapore and Malaysia, a metro which I traveled in, even before traveling in the Kochi Metro which was already running. The Buddhist temples of the place has the charm too, even though we got to visit only two of them.

The beach at Pattaya about which you know very well from movies!

4. Indonesia: The trip which followed exactly one year after the journey to Thailand was to Indonesia, or the beautiful island of Bali, to be exact. Visiting the one place in Indonesia which was so popular with its natural beauty, beaches and Hindu temples became the next on the list. It is also that nation where you become a millionaire due to the exchange rate even though the cost doesn’t go down in comparison to India. You have those differently designed temples, the rice terraces, volcanoes and a divergent culture out there. There are places for some nice shopping too, even though we do need a direct flight to Bali rather than being forced to travel through Kuala Lumpur.

Everybody loves Bali, and you will love the place too, once you are there!

5. Singapore: This is a journey which happened much earlier in comparison to those other foreign trips. The trip to Singapore was also our first journey outside India, and it is also the result of a failed plan to travel to the United States which had become very strict with its visa policies after the World Trade Centre attacks. Well, you have Singapore, which has been the cleanest place you could be, as far as Asia is concerned. Being in a place outside the nation, it was a rewarding experience, and it would take another five years to go on a journey like this one, and another eight years for another foreign journey. Well, some years are indeed special in more than one way.

6. Malaysia: While Singapore had its Sentosa Island, Genting Highland make the highlight for Malaysia which was known for its Petronas Towers. We could go to the top of the tower though, as we were restricted to a few levels then. One has to say that Genting is a place of beauty like no other, not just related to nature, but also associated with the attractions which were provided in that particular theme park. We do have the journey on the ropeway, and Kuala Lumpur is a nice city to roam around too. It is to be noted that my first visit to a shopping mall was not in India, but at Singapore and then in Malaysia. We visited Kuala Lumpur airport again during our journey to Indonesia and back.

7. UAE: Almost everyone from Kerala has been to UAE, or rather Dubai in particular. Our visit to Dubai was rather a short stay during the journey to the United Kingdom. Emirates flight made a happy journey, and Dubai indeed has one of the best airports around, even though my personal preference is still the Cochin International Airport. We had to spend a lot of time at the airport, and therefore I could explore the place very well. I can go to Dubai at any moment as there are so many people I know right there, but even so, we are indeed getting delayed. Easiest places to visit are often the most difficult places to reach, just like it has been a while since we wanted to visit our relatives in Bangalore. A detailed note on the place will come soon enough.

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***The images used in blog post were taken by me during these trips between 2005 and 2019.

TeNy

Kerala Drive: 14-1 Districts

In the last few years, I have driven through thirteen out of fourteen districts of Kerala, along with three districts of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore, Theni and Dindigul. The only district in Kerala in which I haven’t driven by myself is Kasargod, where I haven’t tried to travel, and when I had finally had my plan, COVID-19 pandemic came upon us. As the district where I have been living, and where my ancestral home is situated, journeys through Ernakulam have been many. Ernakulam itself is a place with all kinds of tourist destinations, which can be visited again and again. Then, the other districts also follow, and among them, Kottayam and Thrissur have the lead with such drives.

Kottayam: Vagamon’s location in Kottayam itself makes the district a favourite travel destination. Along with the same, I have driven to Ilaveezhapoonchira multiple times, and Illikkal Kallu was also added to the list later. Along with the same, visiting St. Alphonsa Pilgrime Centre and shrine at Bharananganam came naturally to us. Other pilgrim centres like the Kuravilangad Church also comes into the picture, and these have made the district regular driving destinations. Along with the same, there are some relatives’ places out there which made me go through the district early itself. Kottayam should be the most driven through district outside Ernakulam.

Thrissur: It is to be noted that Thrissur is so close to Angamaly that we keep visiting the district’s border areas on regular intervals. There are also some relatives’ places to add to it, and pilgrim centres also exist there, starting from the Koratty Church. Some of the best known tourist destinations, Athirappilly and Vazhachal Waterfalls are there, and it is the district which serves as a border to Tamil Nadu through the Sholayar side, and towards Valparai on the other side. We have also loved traveling to the Shobha City Mall in Thrissur City itself, a mall which is one of the best in Kerala, and having a fine multiplex to go with it. There are some very nice resturants on the way.

Idukki: Having some of the best places of natural beauty, Idukki is a district which provides all the beautiful scenery to the eyes. There is always Munnar and we always have Thekkady out there. Along with the same, when we are crossing the borders, Kumily is always there to have a charming journey through the area. The best of tea is also available there, and just crossing the borders, takes us to those grapes in the vineyards of Cumbum. There are so many places which we have visited in Idukki, and you know Munnar very well in advance. Parunthumpara, Panchalimedu, Kuttikkanam and all have you there, and in the lowlands, there is the town of Thodupuzha which I always come across.

Alappuzha and Kollam: There have been many journeys witnessing the beauty of the backwaters of Kerala, and Alappuzha is indeed close enough – we also have some nice beaches to go with the same. Kollam might not be that close, but it also has the beauty of backwaters and those fine beaches. We remember having visiting a good number of them, and going through some interesting journeys on this path. Both the district capitals got their own fine beaches too. Yet, it has been some time since we went through this path, and there is the feeling of such a requirement.

Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram: The former is known for its beauty of nature, which we have quickly gone through, and the latter, is the charming capital of Kerala. The most recent visit to Thiruvananthapuram was for Varkala Beach, but there have been other journeys to that direction earlier. The capital city does have many interesting places to visit, and we have covered most of the beaches. Yet, Pathanamthitta is a district which we require to explore more. With some presence of the relatives, maybe that could happen later at some point of time.

Malabar (Palakkad, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Malappuram): We keep on traveling through Palakkad whenever there is the need to cross over the border to Coimbatore, and Palakkad Fort is always a charm. The Kozhikode trip was a nice one with Thusharagiri Waterfalls, multiples beaches and others. We had visited Thunchan Parambu and other beaches in Malappuram, and more beaches like Muzhappilangad, as well as multiple forts in Kannur with a fine dose of history. We also had a taste of the natural beauty of Wayanad even though a more detailed trip is needed there, as well as in most of Malabar.

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***The images used in blog post were taken by me during these trips between 2005 and 2019.

TeNy

Kodaikanal: Hills and Us

Kodaikanal has been as much a well-known destination as Ooty has been, during our childhood. There hasn’t been many people from around here who didn’t go to the place, it reminded one of Ooty itself, and the temperature was around eleven. Coming from Cochin, Kodaikanal is almost as the same distance as Ooty, and both becomes perfect destinations for vacation as they have served for a long time to the students and families of Kerala. There are many routes to Kodaikanal, and we decided to go through the one which goes through Kuttikkanam, Kumily, Cumbum and Theni. It was a fine route except for the high traffic of Sabarimala season. Unlike the other hill stations, I have felt that Kodaikanal is not a place of different tourist attractions, but a grand attraction all by itself. We stayed at the TTDC Tamil Nadu Hotel, and that proved to be good too.

Journey through the mist means towards eternity.

One side of TTDC Hotel Tamil Nadu located close to the town.

The clouds are never too far away when in Kodaikanal.

The views are grand, and we need to be there again.

Some smaller, but lovely views are yet to be had here.

Always have a look from up above when in Kodaikanal.

You have to stop often, either for tea, or for some fruits.

Some places of spirituality are around when at this hill station.

A foggy morning serves Ford Figo Aspire with tea.

Some roads are divergent, and less traveled, but too good.

***All images here were taken on my Samsung Galaxy J4+

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TeNy

Mango Meadows: Through Nature

Kerala always has new places to visit, and Mango Meadows had only become a new much appreciated attraction just a few months before we went on a trip there. The nearest town is Kaduthuruthy, at five kilometres, and the place provides a fine experience close to nature. Claiming to the world’s first agricultural theme park, it has all that is needed for a person to stay there with family the whole day. You are walking through the greenery, and there are many things to do, from archery and shooting to cycling and fishing. There are even more activities to do, and even staying there without doing anything is interesting too. There is nice food, and in this green world, there is some happiness in store with nature. The place seems to be still being built, and one can be sure that there will more to be seen during the next visit there, but even as of now, it is an interesting place to visit.

A stop on the way near Government Hospital, Perumbavoor.

Good restaurant just before Koothattukulam on the way.

The fishes do have some good feeling here.

This one is supposed to be the largest Malayalam Bible sculpture.

Parashurama, the sage who is supposed to have created Kerala.

Some boating together can always give a better feeling.

The coracle boats make an interesting option.

The bridge here leads to the centre of this lake.

The view from the watch tower in the theme park.

Ford Figo Aspire as usual makes the perfect companion.

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TeNy

The Two Sides of Kappil

Kerala’s long coastline continues to assure us of the presence of more beaches, and there are a few which are less known, but are more beautiful than most of the other beaches around. One such beach is Kappil, in Trivandrum district, but close enough to Kollam. It is a place which you can visit in combination with the journeys to the beaches of Varkala, Kovalam and Vizhinjam. It is located at around one hundred and fifty kilometres from Cochin, fifty kilometres from Trivandrum and twenty kilometres from Kollam. Varkala Beach itself is just about eight kilometres from there. The places is less crowded in comparison, and there is more than what you see from the roadside, about this beach.

Kappil has lake on side and the beach on the other, separated by a tiny stretch of land full of sand, and on the side of the lake, we can see some jelly fish at times. It makes a beautiful view on both sides, and even better when you see both together. With less crowd, it is enjoyable in a better way. The parking needed to be more though, even as you can choose to park on the side of the road some distance away from the main beach area. On most part it is clean, even though on some areas, some waste thrown here and there can be seen, mostly on the side of the lake. But Kappil is clean as a whole, and the beauty that it provides is to be witnessed and loved, as it stands above many other overrated beaches.

A small, beautiful church of the local people near the sea.

Parking the car near the lake on the sands.

Just the lake being beautiful as usual.

Finding the jelly fish around the place.

Beyond the sands, sea on one side & lake on the other.

Just the usual day at Kappil Beach near Varkala.

Not many people to be seen at the Kappil Beach.

Two worlds, of the lake and the sea – call Aquaman.

Looking towards the lake between the trees.

The path on the side of Kappil Beach.

Click here to read reviews on some of the best movies of the year, Unda, Virus and Uyare.

TeNy

Varkala: The Beach and the Cliff

With its long coastline, Kerala is certainly not short of its beautiful beaches, and the names which everyone knows and is full of visitors at all times might be Kovalam and Cherai. Muzhappilangad is our lovely drive-in beach to remember. On that long list, there is one place which stands tall. Varkala Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches, one which is not to be forgotten. It is the only beach in Kerala with cliffs like these so close to the sea. It is the kind of place which reminds one of Dover Beach, and that wonderful lyric poem by the English poet Matthew Arnold, which we have studied more than once – “the cliffs of England stand, glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay”. About 170 km from Cochin, and 35 km from Kollam, the beach is Thiruvananthapuram district, with its capital 45 km from there. The town of Paravur is only 12 km from the place.

Along with its beauty, Varkala also have some places of spirituality with its temples. There are some fine options for food while walking through the cliff. There are some nice shots to be taken both from the beach and the cliff. In comparison with other beaches, this one has its shops opening late in the morning and closing late in the evening. When coming from the North of Kerala, both the Kottayam and the Alappuzha routes can be chosen. There is much to be seen through the latter route, even though both routes can be joined at different places except for certain parts of the low lying areas filled with water. There are some fine choices with food and accommodation, and if it is off-season, the better idea is to book directly from location as rooms should be available, unless some huge event comes up.

You look down from the cliff, and you want to be there right now.

Reached the hotel a little late for lunch, and had to rush through.

As the sunset approaches, you are always hoping to stay on.

Just another side of Varkala Beach which is not that explored.

Spent some time looking at Varkala beach and cliff at night.

The colours of the sunset spreads, and leaves us with a happy feeling.

Not exactly the while cliffs of Dover, but Matthew Arnold won’t mind.

Had some variety food from God’s Own Country Kitchen on the cliffs.

It is happy walking through the Varkala Beach and surroundings at night.

Thiruvambadi Beach Retreat Resort provided some good space.

Also read on the Indonesian Bali journey.

TeNy

The Indonesian Saga

Being at Indonesia, especially at the island of Bali is a fantastic memory, something which would stay for a very long time. Before visiting the place itself, we knew that the two things which would rise above others were to be the temples and the natural beauty. The beaches were to be there, and the greenery too. It was just a few days before we planned the journey that there was a fire at the Bali airport, and there was a volcanic eruption just the day before we had the tickets booked. It is the same thing which kept us wondering as we couldn’t find the name Bali on the list of flights – well, the place was named Denpasar, and that was were we had to go in Bali. From the moment our flight landed at the beautiful airport with sea around, we know that there would be a lot to see.

We actually had a very good guide to help us there, and the person named Putra from Pacto was a very understanding person. Everyone around there would ask if we were from Delhi whenever we said that we were from India – maybe because all Keralites are going to Thailand focusing on Pattaya, there are not many people from South India who come that way, except for Hyderabad which a few people knew. Being close to nature, this is the first time I am seeing an active volcano, and also the friendliest beach around – there is also the first sight of terrace farming, and we could also deal with money in lakhs and many thousands – considering the fact that one rupee was two hundred rupiyah. It is one way of becoming a millionaire even though you need to spend thousands to buy anything. There are two sides to a few things, but Indonesia remains a cheaper destination for sure, and Bali proves the same.

One of the two active volcanoes of Bali – the lava flow route can be seen in black.

There is something about the sunsets of Bali – they make you feel immortality.

This marks our first encounter with rain when in Indonesia – the highlands with clouds.

Watching sunrise from a hotel at Semanyak with a cup of tea never gets tiring.

You look at the options you have, with beaches as well as these rocky beaches.

Mountains and lakes will have your attention, as you stop at different places.

More than one happy monkey family will wish to say hi to you from the trees.

This certainly looked like a perfect place for a wedding shoot, but its too late.

The rice terraces of Bali are worth your attention, a closer one, will do more good.

The Kuta beach makes sure that you have a lot to walk around and into the sea.

*All these photos were taken using my Samsung Galaxy J4+ that replaced the Asus Zenfone Max which I used for taking photos in Bangkok and Pattaya.

TeNy

Bali: Land of Temples

Our last journey was to Thailand, focusing on Bangkok and Pattaya, the two cities where almost everyone from Kerala goes these days. Pattaya has been the one place where every Malayali wanted to go, as shown in the movie, Amar Akbar Anthony itself. With Thailand done and Singapore and Malaysia already done in the South East, the next option had to be Indonesia in the South East. There were no direct packages to the other interesting South East Asian nations like Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Burma – there were none for the Himalayan nations of Bhutan and Nepal either, which made Indonesia the right choice, and the packages were all for Bali. Still, the journey was to be done with a stop at Kuala Lumpur Airport, Malaysia – Air Asia, Air Asia X and Malindo Air were the options – the last one had free check-in luggage, in-flight entertainment and food, which made it a fine option while returning, as the luggage would be more on the return flight.

Indonesia feels cheaper than Thailand without doubt, and is simpler, less crowded and closer to nature as far as Bali island is concerned. The spiritual side stays very strong too, with the temples like these. Most of the Indian presence here were from the North, and we rarely saw any Keralite presence here unlike in Pattaya which had Keralites on tour at almost every corner. The temple design here is incredibly beautiful, even though rooted in simplicity. There is the same feeling being reflected with the people here too, ever happy and helpful. Have a look at a few shots of temple which I took using my Samsung Galaxy J4+ which replaced the Asus Zenfone Max which I used for taking photos in Bangkok and Pattaya. There are also the pictures of Bali’s natural beauty, agriculture, beaches, mountains, lakes and volcanoes, but that will be another story.

Tanah Lot – With a temple on the rock, going further into the sea.

These gates of heaven are common entrances to Balinese temples.

Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is also known as the Lake Temple in short.

Tanah Lot is more than just a rock formation and a temple with its view.

Bali has the charm in its Monkey Temple, forest and sanctuary.

Let the gateway to heaven take you to the same in the beautiful island.

There is no shortage of beautiful temples in the Island of Bali.

You always feel the great need to take a walk towards eternity.

The temples of Bali might be smaller, but the level of beauty goes further.

Most temples seem to lie close to water & well-maintained for sure.

*Please read my review on Avengers: Endgame, the biggest movie of the year. Also read my review on Lucifer, the biggest Malayalam movie release of the year.

TeNy

Grand Palace of Movies

Varikkasseri Mana is one of the oldest traditional Brahmin houses of Kerala, located at Manissery, a small village in Ottapalam, within the district of Palakkad. It is the place where two of the most loved movies Devasuram and Aaraam Thampuran were shot, along with Rappakal, Drona, Simhasanam, Sufi Paranja Katha, Thooval Kottaram, Rudra Simhasanam, Valliettan, Madambi, Manthrikan and the most recent one which specifies the name of the place itself, Pretham 2. As far as Malayalam movies are concerned, the place is something special, and no movie lover from Kerala is to fail to identify it. There are other common locations too, but this one stands taller. There is more than one path to take while traveling here from Cochin, and it will be a tiring journey if the trip is during March, April or May. It is better to have some milk shake or juice in between. Without the movie setting, the place might seem to be lacking something, but for the small entry fee of Rs. 20, it is worth the journey.

*The photos on this blog post were taken by me on my Asus Zenfone Max.