Planning to holiday in Kerala? It's almost houseful

Tourists hoping to usher in the New Year amid Kerala's laidback charms would do well to have a plan B ready - if they haven't booked already. Most hotels, resorts and even houseboats are sold out for Christmas, and only divine intervention can get you a place in 'god's own country'.

As a result of the holiday rush, tariffs have touched stratospheric levels. Plush resorts in the backwater havens of Alappuzha and Kumarakom are charging upwards of Rs.75,000 a night for the New Year eve.

Likewise, travel agents too are running from pillar to post to get reservations for their clients at premier destinations like Kovalam, Kumarakom, Alappuzha, Thekkady and Munnar.

Tomy Pulikattil, who owns a dozen houseboats in Alappuzha, said anyone who manages to book a houseboat now should consider himself extremely lucky.

"We are finding it hard to accommodate people who have not made a booking. The peak season would begin from Dec 20 and continue till the first week of January. We are fully booked and now people are calling us daily to see if there have been any cancellations," Pulikattil told IANS.

Alappuzha, popularly known as the Venice of the East, has the largest concentration of houseboats, numbering more than 400.

Tariff for the peak season has gone up by 25 percent. A two bedroom houseboat would cost you about Rs.20,000 a day.

Tourism has become one of the biggest money spinners in industry-starved Kerala. The tourism department says both foreign and domestic tourist arrivals for the first half of this year have shown a rise.

Around 335,000 overseas tourists arrived here till June 2010, a rise of 13.9 percent over the corresponding period last year. Domestic tourist arrivals too grew by 5.59 percent to reach 4.1 million.

No wonder hotel and resort owners are in a festive mood.

"All our rooms have been fully booked for the second half of this month and so is the case with resorts in and around Kovalam. Unlike in the previous season, this time we feel that there are more domestic tourists," said K. Sudish Kumar, who owns a premier resort at Kovalam beach.

"Moreover, we hope the rains lashing the state halt briefly so that tourists can enjoy the beaches."

However, tour guide Koshy John sounded a word of caution, saying the lingering effects of economic slowdown were still visible.

"The free flow of foreign tourists that was visible from the end of November last year has not happened this time. But I am told that foreign tourists' January bookings look healthy," he said.

"On its part, the state government also should promote newer destinations because the premier destinations are choked during the holiday season."

Kerala - Paradise found

Kerala, God’s Own Country, has been voted by National Geographic as one of its top ten ‘paradise found’ places on the planet. Situated in the south western corner of India, it is a green and fertile state thanks to the annual south west monsoon. Traders have been sailing to Kerala for 3,000 years, riding the directional monsoon and trade winds. The Arabs, British, Chinese, Dutch and Portuguese have all traded here and the coastal city of Kochi (formerly Cochin) reflects the diversity of these influences: Chinese fishing nets, St Francis Church, the Jewish Synagogue and the Dutch Palace.



From Kochi/Cochin you can explore the fertile hinterland:

Travel inland through palm, rubber, tea and spice plantations before arriving at Lake Periyar National Park, a tiger reserve surrounding an artificial lake constructed by the British in the 19th century. This reserve is also home to bison and elephant.

Sail along the Backwaters, an extensive fresh-waterway of rivers, lakes, lagoons and canals with small settlements, palm groves and fishing nets adorning the banks.

Allow yourself to be transported along these waterways on a Kettuvallam, a houseboat in the style of the traditional rice boats. Enjoy the views in style while your meals are being prepared!

And for the ultimate paradise experience, why not sleep 40 metres up in the canopy in a Tree House?

Kerala Tour Operators: 5 questions you must ask

It has been quite some time now that the virgin beaches and lush mountains and backwaters of Kerala in India have caught tourist attention. Kerala is now a hot potato in the tourism map of India and the international tourists- backpackers, honeymooners, as well as those traveling with families are increasingly opting for tours to Kerala with Kerala tour operators.

Now this is one more very important aspect of tours to Kerala - the tour operators. To begin with, it is always advisable to visit Kerala under some tour operator since much of the major beaches or sanctuaries in Kerala are located in regions with very less habitation and for a person without any knowledge of the local norms or language the situation might get slippery on occasions. Tour operators in Kerala are available in plenty, including the government owned machinery of Kerala Tourism. You can contact these travel agents over the internet which provides all details like telephone numbers and address.

However, whenever you are getting in touch with Kerala tour operators you should and must ask him a few questions. To begin with, the best time to travel to Kerala. The best time to travel to Kerala might vary according to your specific interests. If you are interested in the country boat race, you must visit the place in July-August. It is the time when the Nehru Trophy takes place in the Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha. On the other hand, if you are interested in the Nilgiri Tahr that can be seen in the forests of the Nilgiri Mountains, you must not visit in February. February is the breeding season for this goat and the Eravikulam National Park which is a shelter for the tahr, remains closed for 45 days beginning from the 1st of February.

The backwater cruises in Kerala are most popular with the tourists. Now backwater cruises come in different types of packages. Some offer daylong trips, some offer night stays while others offer several days long trips. You must ask your agent what kind of a trip he has in mind for you and also remember to ask your agent before jumping into the water whether that is a swimming zone or not.

To come to clothing; Kerala is located in the southern parts of India and remains quite hot in summer (April to September). Winter brings mild climate and the hill stations like Munnar demand light woolens during winter. The beaches and backwaters can be best enjoyed in soft cotton clothing.

Temple entry norms in Kerala are also very strict in Kerala and if you are not of Hindu origin, you would not be allowed to enter most of the Kerala temples. Adhere very closely to your travel agent´s advice regarding temples, else you might face trouble.

Since you would be traveling with your agent, you would not have to bother about the booking formalities to the hotels in Kerala, but you must not forget to make yourself clear on the kind of accommodation you want in terms of budget, hotel type, and more. There are various types of hotels in Kerala like beach resorts, eco tourism resorts, treetop cottages and much more.

Last but not the least, while you are free to sport bikinis on the beaches, avoid getting too cozy with your partner. Kissing and necking in public is considered bad behavior in India and Kerala is no exception.