Punnamada Lake Punnamda lake is the alternative name of Vembanad lake. It is known so in Kuttanad. The Nehru Trophy boat race is conducted in here. The most popular event of the race is the competition of the Chundan Vallams snake boats. Other categories of vallams also participate in various events of the race.
The Nehru trophy boat race is held at the second saturaday of every August and is a famous tourist attraction. Alleppey Lighthouse The Alleppey lighthouse is situated in the coastal town of Alleppey. It was built in the year of It is the first of its kind in the Arabian coast of Kerala.
Visitors are allowed in here with a small entry fes. By Air. The Cochin International Airport, located at a distance of 75 kiolmetres is the nearest airport to Allepey. Kumarakom is a popular tourism destination located near the city of Kottayam 16 kilometres 10 mi and is a village on the banks of Vembanad lake, the longest lake in India, Kumarakom is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna.
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is a noted bird sanctuary where many species of migratory birds including cuckoos and Siberian storks visit. The Vembanad Lake, the largest backwater in Kerala, is habitat for many marine and freshwater fish species and it full with fish varieties like Karimeen Pearl spot , shrimp commonly known as Poovalan chemeen , etc.
The bird sanctuary extends over 14 acres , and came into existence following the preservation efforts from the government. It is a major tourist attraction of this area. Kumarakom has a moderate weather and climate throughout the year. It has a balanced tropical climate, including two monsoons named south west and north east. The average rainfall at Kumarakom is mm. Fishing, agriculture and tourism are the major economic activities of the people in Kumarakom. The place has expanses of mangrove forests, paddy fields and coconut groves.
Also, cocoa and coffee, chena yam and chembu colocasia , grow well and were cultivated under the coconut trees. This rich agricultural environment is mainly irrigated using interspersed waterways and canals of the Meenachil river.
The smaller canals are often lined by hibiscus plants which lean partly over the canals to form a green canopy, from which hang the lovely hibiscus flowers , like coloured earrings on a beautiful ear. In the olden days, when the bund separating the backwaters from the sea was not yet built, the water in the canals moved in and out with the sea tide and it was salty.
After the Thanneermukkam bund was constructed, the connection to the open sea was not free anymore, and so the tidal movement of the water in the canals stopped. It stagnated and then plenty of water hyacinths started growing densely in the canals, forming lovely green carpets with pale lilac flowers carpets. Kumarakom has a wide variety of houseboats and is well known throughout the world for houseboat experience.
The canals extending all around Kumarakom provides a scenic and superb view of the beauty Kumarakom has. Kumarakom is the first destination in India to Implement Responsible Tourism practices.
With all scenic features and warmhearyed people Kumarakom is considered one of the best tourist locations in Kerala. Top Places to Visit in or around Kumarakom. Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary Kumarakom bird sanctuary is situated in Kumarakom, on the banks of Vembanad lake is a perfect place for bird watching. Since it is set in the backwaters, it is a favorite haunt for migratory birds.
There are local birds like waterfowl, cuckoo, owl, egret, heron, etc as well as migratory birds like Siberian crane, Parrot, teal, lark, etc. Some migratory birds come from Siberia and some other from Himalayas. Bay island driftwood museum displays a unique collection of superior quality driftwood sculptures of very high artistic value.
These sculptures are prepared through a rare and innovative modern art form. A visitor would find huge collection of root sculptures of various shapes and designs. Thannermukkam bund was built as part of Kuttanad development scheme to prevent tidal action and intrusion of salt water into Kuttanad across Vembanad lake. It is the largest mud regulator in the country. While Alleppey and Kumarakom are at different ends of the majestic Vembanad Lake, the largest in Kerala and the longest in India, but interestingly both the tourist hotspots offer a different experience for a tourist thanks to their geographical variation.
Alleppey is more popular than Kumarakom. Alleppey offers you a splendid view of paddy fields and tiny hamlets in the lap of nature. Its narrow house-facing canals provide you with a unique opportunity to sneak into the life of the locals. You can see the locals washing their clothes, doing their routine work, travelling in their boat and much more. Most of the houseboats can pass the canals in Alleppey, and the best thing about this place is that, as it is a major city in Kerala, has all the facilities you may need as a tourist.
Kumarakom, on the other hand, is little away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The houseboats take you along the more extensive canals before merging into the Vembanad Lake. Kumarakom is also the first tourist destination in India to adopt Responsible Tourism practises. Image Source. A wide range of houseboats is available for backwater tours. Apart from these, you can also choose to explore backwaters on Shikaras, Canoes and Motorboats.
Alleppey is a place where the houseboats are way more than the backwater can handle. The lake will be crowded with the houseboats on a peak day! Even though the number of houseboats is less at Kumarakom, the quality, upkeep and cleanliness of the boats, in general, are much better. Check out the different way to explore the backwaters of Kerala. You can opt for a day cruise package or a houseboat overnight stay as per your schedule.
Due to the large number of canals connecting the villages, you will really enjoy the cruise there passing through the villages. On the other hand, in Kumarakom, there are only a few canals and they are more of calm and relaxing type than the busy canals in Alappuzha. In Kumarakam, the primary views from the houseboats are the Kuttanadu paddy fields, coconut lagoons and some Chinese fishing nets here and there.
Crowd vs Calm: When you cruise in the houseboats in Alappuzha, what you see most are the houseboats. Look through the window of your boat and you will see hundreds of boats in the lake. When you pass through the canals, every few minutes you will see a few boats with few people waving hands at you and keep you busy.
Kumarakom is a better place to relax and enjoy the nature, away from the crowd and without much disturbances from other tourists. Alappuzha is crowded with houseboats. You will see hundreds of boats parked in the canals waiting for the customers. You can visit the booking counter and choose from a good number of options.
There are AC and non-AC houseboats. Also, there are day cruises which starts at about 11am, serves lunch and drops you back by about 4pm to 5pm. This is a pretty old rate chart for the houseboats at Alappuzha, but the rates haven't changed a lot in the recent year. In Kumarakom, there are no such prepaid booking counters. However, you won't find much travel guides trying to pull you in to some deals.
You can approach any of the travel guides or agents in Kumarakom and they all pretty much charge you the same for same type of houseboats. Accommodation: Alappuzha is the district headquarters and is a bigger town. There are several hotels, resorts and lodges.
You can find accommodation at any range - starting from economic lodges to 5-star hotels and resorts. Kumarakom is a relatively peaceful village and there are not many hotels. But you will find several homestays and luxury resorts.
During my recent visit, I stayed in "Kerala Backwater Retreat". If you are low on budget and wish for an affordable budget houseboat, it is a wise decision to choose Alleppey as your tourist destination. However, if you are looking for a luxurious stay you can choose top places to visit in Kumarakom. There are various luxurious houseboats in Alleppey as well.
Alleppey backwater day tour is cost effective and affordable. Alleppey provides you the facilities of a town whereas the Kumarakom provides the look and feel of that of a village. Hence if you are looking for the peace of mind during your stay, Kumarakom is the best choice for you as here you can enjoy the quiet atmosphere and rejuvenate yourself. It offers silent and scenic natural beauty as it is a cluster of small islands that consists of lagoons covered in lagoons.
Here you can enjoy the quieter side of life with the help of canoe boats and visit places where the houseboats cannot go. Kumarakom bird sanctuary is also a peaceful place where you can see a number of rare migratory birds. Along with the same, Alleppey to Kumarakam houseboat trip can turn out to be quite pleasant.
Alleppey has a number of places of interest near its surroundings. Hence if you are a traveler type, Alleppey houseboats are the advised option for you. Here you can enjoy visiting temples, churches, national parks, lighthouses, and other tourist spots.
If you are on a honeymoon trip, Kumarakom backwaters is a perfect destination as it is quite enchanting and relaxing. For the newlyweds, the overnight trip on Vembanad lake is a quiet romantic experience. The number of houseboats in Alleppey is much larger than kumarakom. Here you can easily avail the houseboats at quite affordable rates. However, if you are planning for a long stay, both the places are worth visiting and are amazing in their own right.
Various houseboats provide Alleppey to Kumarakom houseboat packages that can help you to visit both the places so that you can enjoy the luxuries of both the places during your stay.
Motorboat and speedboat services are also available for Alleppey or Kumarakom houseboat day cruise where you can enjoy cruising and fishing in the lakes, enjoy its scenic beauty and green surroundings, watch snake boat races and its practice, Kumarakom bird sanctuary, fish sanctuary, Thanneermukkham salt water barrage, coconut plantations, etc. Here there are certain areas where farming is carried out below sea level.
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