Kuttanad is a region covering a large part of Alappuzha and some of Kottayam district, the heart of the backwaters of Kerala. Kuttanad is the 'rice bowl of Kerala', being home to lush green rice fields spread extensively, divided by dykes. Travelling through this secluded alcove of nature will give you a feel of traditional countryside life of Kerala. A special peculiarity of this place is its geography. It lies around 2 metres below the main sea level, making it the lowest altitude place in the country.
In these lowlands, Kerala produces large portions of the everyday meal on reclaimed lands, split up by many small and big rivers and creeks. These streams are perfect for the tourists to sail over and soak in the absolute best the region has to offer in an hour-long cruise on a houseboat or shorter trips on canoes. These trips offer scenes and sceneries that are worth remembering as well as capturing, thus making them ideal for the nature-lovers, shutterbugs as well as the odd romantic.
1. Cruising Through the Backwaters
2. Canoe Rides in the Water Inlets
Other than being the greenest patch in God's Own Country, Kuttanad is also dominated by some water bodies which criss-cross with each other to form a most attractive labyrinth of waterways to explore. The bigger streams can be accessed by houseboats, but for the smaller inlets which lead into the quaintest and idyllic places which you would have otherwise missed. Though these little boats or canoes cover a lesser distance in the specific time, they take you right to the authentic rusticity of Kuttanad and let you witness the lifestyle of the locals from close quarters.3. Champakulam and River Pamba
Kuttanad, though mainly famous as a tourist attraction for its backwaters, also has some other unconventional spots that the wanderers would love to explore. One of them is Champakulam. It is a small hamlet located in the Kuttanad region. It is divided by the river Pamba, and both banks of the river are covered with paddy fields and Kerala's trademark coconut trees. River Pamba is considered to be holy and is given the nickname of Dakshina Ganga, making its significance in Kerala very clear by comparing it to the Holy Ganges.4. Punnamada Lake
Punnamada Lake is an eastern extension of Lake Vembanad, which is the second-largest lake of India and along the shore of this lake is located a good part of Kuttanad region. The place is engulfed in nature as the rest of the area and attracts a big number of travellers every year, especially those who love nature and a bit of distance from the maddening crowd in the more popular tourist spots. It is also known for the Nehru Boat Race which it hosts every year with much festivities.(4 reviews)
0.0 km
₹ 3,100 onwards
(4 reviews)
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₹ 6,900 onwards