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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<— Click here to go to the Bali post.

TeNy

Being There: Vagamon

The first time I went to Vagamon was during my school days, and during that time, I didn’t know that this place was a hill station. I used to think about it as another scenic place because it was very close to my place, and it might the one hill station which I can go for a one day trip from my location. It is also the only hill station to which I have driven the car all by myself. It is not located not that high as compared to the other popular hill stations like Munnar, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Yercaud and Valparai, and the roads don’t have that much of complicated turns. There is also more than one path to reach there even if you are coming from the same direction.

You can combine the journey to Vagamon with Ilaveezhapoonchira which is another destination on a hill on the way, and is a place of amazing scenic beauty. The first time I was at Vagamon, it was not that much of a big tourist destination, but things have become different now. But still, it doesn’t bring many people from outside Kerala for visit. It is located about a hundred kilometres from the city of Cochin, and the nearest big towns Palai and Thodupuzha are about thirty five and forty five kilometres from Vagamon. Sixty five kilometres away, Kottayam is the nearest railway station. The Cochin Airport is close to a hundred kilometres from Vagamon. Here are ten photos which I had taken during the journey to this particular place, on my Sony Cybershot DSC-W310. Even though I have only limited captures of the beauty of the place, I am hoping that this serves as inspiration for your future visit 😀

TeNy

Kerala and Houseboats

During your journey to Kerala, you might have wandered around Alappuzha/Aleppey which is called the Venice of the East, and also through Kumarakom, both being huge tourism destinations on the Vembanad Lake – the longest lake in India, and the largest in Kerala. This lake which serves the three districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam, is also known by the names Punnamada Lake and Kochi Lake as it has Kochi’s significant islands located on it or bordered by the lake and the Arabian Sea. The houseboats or kettuvallams have been a major component of Kerala’s backwater tourism, and these will be the special attractions which you should have noticed during your journeys! Here are a few photos of them with the natural beauty of Kerala from around Alappuzha-Kumarakom area.

So, have you been to one of these houseboats or traveled through/near the backwaters of Kerala having one of the most beautiful waterways around? If this hasn’t been accomplished yet, when are you making an attempt? There are also some interesting temples and churches which you can also visit while doing the same. The Venetian Capital of Kerala and the other towns around awaits you, as a journey to the South of India won’t be complete without witnessing the charm of this area which has canals, backwaters, beaches, and lagoons within a few kilometres.

***The images used in this blog post were taken by me on my Sony Cybershot DSC-W310 around Alappuzha and Kumarakom during the period of 2010-2011, and it is a small selection from a big collection of photos.

TeNy