Welcome you to munnar

Munnar – The Abode of Nature

Munnar is a beautiful tourist place in Kerala, which are always loved by the tourists visiting here. Well connected with all important cities in Kerala, Munnar is easily accessible too. You will be rather excited with the mere plan of visiting Munnar and now get ready for more excitements as Munnar is
blessed with rolling hills, mist covered valleys, streams, waterfalls, lush tea plantations and rare flora and fauna.

Visit www.munnar.com

Thekkady Tourist Information

Thekkady Tourist Information

Bamboo Rafting in Thekkady

Bamboo Rafting is one of the exciting program in Thekkady, Periyar tiger reserve. It is a splendid eco-friendly, entertainment program for the nature-lovers who visit Thekkady. Bamboo rafting is a full day program from morning 8AM to 5PM. Each team comprising ten tourists will be accompanied by an armed forest guard and four guides. Most of these guides belong to the tribal communities, who are familiar with every nook and corner of these dense forests. more

Plantation Tours

Plantation Eco-Tours are arranged from the District Tourism Information Office at Thekkady jn. in Kumily. Tours cover cardamom, pepper, coffee and tea plantations, tea factories, tribal settlements and the surrounding hill regions Tel. : 91-486-322620.

Elephant rides

The forest Department, Thekkady offers facilities for elephant rides through the jungle. Time : 1000 to 1700 hrs. Duration of a trip : 30 minutes Fare : Rs. 30 per person. Tickets are available from the wildlife information Counter Tel. : 91-486-322028

Trekking

Main trekking areas in Thekkady : Kurisumala near Kumily, Pullumedu, Ottakathalamedu : 5 km from Kumily, Grampi near Vandiperiyar. The Forest Department conducts daily treks from the boat landing station at Thekkady to the Nellikkampetty area and Manakkavala. Starting : 0700 hrs. Fare Rs. 10 + entrance fee. Booking can be made with the Wildlife Preservation Officer, Thekkady Ph : 322027 322028.

Boat cruises on the Periyar Lake

07:30AM, 09:30AM, 11:15AM,1:45PM, 3:30PM hrs. Fare : Lower deck : Rs 25 + 10 ( entrance fee) Upper deck : 50 + 10 (entrance fee). The forest Department (Contact Ph : 322023) conducts boating trips from Thekkady. Entrance fee at check post. Foreigners : Rs. 50 (valid for 3 days) Domestic tourists Rs. 2

DISTANCE OF A FEW MAJOR TOWNS FROM THEKKADY Kumily : 4 km , Sabarimala via Pullumedu : 50 km, Idukki : 65 km, Munnar 106 km , Kumarakom 128 km, Sabarimala via Erumeli : 134 km, Kodaikanal : 149 km, Alappuzha : 164 km, Kollam : 220 km , Ooty : 390 km.

Bekal

Kerala, the small, thin state on the Malabar Coast, in the southwestern region of India, had remained a void on the tourist map up to the last decade. Things changed fast in the mid-nineties with the government's policy of liberalization and suddenly Kerala has become the tourist hot spot in the 2000s.Industries are wary of starting a business in this state, as Keralites are known for an exuberant consciousness of their rights - a result of living in the most educated and developed state of the country with a literacy rate of a 100 per cent.

According to Bekal Rama Nayak, a local Kannada writer, the word, Bekal is derived from the word Baliakulam, meaning Big Palace.  The place is said to have been the seat of a big palace in the past.  The term Baliakulam got corrupted as Bekulam and later as Bekal.

 It was usual in older days for every royal palace to be protected by a fort.  The Bekal for might have, therefore, existed even from early days of the Chirakkal Rajas. While giving   a description of the Kolathiri Kingdom   in his Kerala History, K.P. Padmanabha Menon writes;  “The eldest of the male members reigned as sovereign Kolathiri.  The next in succession, the heir apparent, was the Thekkelamkur.  The residence assigned to him was the Vadakara fort.  The third in succession was the Vadakkelamkur in charge of Vekkolath fort.  This V(B)ekkolath fort is identified by some scholars as the present Bekal”.

 H.A.Stuart, in his Handbook of South Canara (1985), makes this observation: "Several forts were built by the Shivappa Nayaks of Badnore between 1650 and 1670 A.D.  The two forts of Bekal and Chandragiri were originally under the Kolathiri or Chirakkal Rajas until the time of Shivappa Nayaka’s  invasion.  Perhaps, the Bednore rulers might have rebuilt and improved it”.

The Bekal fort, which is of great historical and archaeological interest, is the largest and best preserved of its kind in the district and the land on which it is situated, runs into the sea with fine bay towards the south.  According to the South Canara Mannual, Bekaln fort fell into the hands of Haider Ali in 1763.  It housed the Huzur of Canara during Tipu’s time and the remains of a gallow reminiscent of the days of Mysorean occupation were seen here till a few years back.  After the overthrow of Tipu Sultan in 1799, Bekal was incorporated into the dominions of the English East India Company.  The erstwhile Kasaragod taluk of South Canara district was known as Bekal for more than half a century.

The Bekal fort is now under the Archeological Department of the Government of India.There is a Travellers’ Bungalow, maintained by the PUBLIC Works Department of the State Government within the Bekal fort.  The natural scenery at Bekal is alluring and makes a visit to the place an exhilarating experience.  There is a recently renovated temple dedicated  to Hanuman, at the entrance to Bekal.  An old mosque is also situated very near  the fort and this is believed to have been founded by Tipu Sultan.

Large number of forts, big and small like Bekal, Chandragiri, Hosdurg, Kumbala, Panayal, Kundamkuzhi, Bandaduka etc. reveal the historical importance of this land. Bekal Fort remains the largest and best-preserved fort in kerala. History and legend are interwoven together in Bekal, particularly regarding its antiquity.

During the Perumal age Bekal was a part of Mahodayapuram. The Kodavalam Inscription (Pullur-Kodavalam) of Bhaskara Ravi II (the king of Mahodayapuram) illustrate the undisputed political sway of Mahodayapuram over this region. Following the political decline of Mahodayapuram Perumals by the 12th century AD, North Kerala including Bekal came under the sovereignty of Kolathunadu. The maritime importance of Bekal increased much under kolathiries and it became an important port town of Thulunadu.

The Battle of Thalikkottai in 1565 led to the decline of the mighty Vijayanagara empire and many feudatory chieftains rose in political prominence including the Keladi Nayaks(Ikkeri Nayaks). The Nayaks realized the political and economic importance of Thulunadu (Kasaragod District) and attacked and annexed this part of the country. Bekal served as a nucleus in establishing the domination of Nayaks in Malabar. The economic importance of the port town prompted the Nayaks to fortify Bekal subsequently. Hiriya Venkatappa initiated the construction of the fort and it was completed during the period of Sivappa Nayak. The speedy completion of the port was aimed at the defence of the fort from overseas attack and to strengthen their attack on Malabar. Chandragiri fort near Kasaragod was also constructed during this period.

Kerala Tourism

High RangeTourism :

Kerala tourism is increasing at a high alarming rate. We can see thousands of tourist flowing to Kerala yearly.

Known for the scenic beauty, natural beauty and other attractions, Kerala tourism never had to look back ever in its growth. Kerala is known for its densely forested mountain ranges comprising the Western Ghats and covering tropical evergreen, deciduous and semi-deciduous jungles that are home to some rare, exotic plant life and wildlife species. These hill stations and high range zones are the favourite haunts of nature and wildlife enthusiasts. 

The high and rugged Western Ghats endow the state with a number of Hillstations, which unlike the rest of the state have a high rate of tourist influx during the summer months. On these hill slopes are cultivated expansive stretches of coffee, tea, rubber and fragrant spices such as cardamom, pepper and clove. Kerala tourism promotes long chain of lush, mid-clad hill stations that are home to exotic wildlife. All the hill resorts in Kerela offer the most enchanting experience of nature in all its virgin beauty.

Kerala Tourism has its hills which offer pleasant and pleasurable diversions that range from going on hiking, biking, trekking and hill climbing tours to wildlife safaris to the numerous wildlife sanctuaries located on the Kerala hills 

Kerala Homestays

The word `Homestay’ in a Kerala context means a home of a keralite in which a few rooms have been let out to guests to stay and experience the hospitality and life of a local Keralite. The experience includes living with the family and sharing in the life of the family.

• Our list of homestays covers the entire spectrum from the best to the latest entrants into this space.
• Please look for our rating colour ; green denotes our recommended choices, blue denotes quality homestays with less than 3 years experience and red denotes new entrants and accordingly choose your special homestay experience.

keralatravels

Welcome to Keralatravels.com!

Kerala is a microcosm of the Indian sub continent. With all the major religions, languages, cuisine, varied cultures, ancient systems of medicine, undulating topography and a chequered history of spice trade and colonialism .

A multicultural society that boasts of a social health index comparable to western nations; indigenous, colourful art and ritual dances from Kathakali to Kalaripayattu and Theyyam; the ancient system of medicine, Ayurveda; its unique, winding waterways known as `backwaters’; its damp paddy fields lower than sea level; its forests home to some of the rarest wildlife and plant species; its verdant, clean beaches - all these have earned Kerala the sobriquet, `God’s own country’. Visit : www.keralatravels.com