A lot of locals and tourists come to watch the rigorous practice sessions as much as the main event itself. They cheer their favourite teams in hordes. The popular name of the races is ‘Vallam Kali’. The Nehru Trophy Race takes place on the Punnamada Lake, in Alappuzha, The 58^th edition of the race will be held on the 14^th of this month.

The snake boats are specially designed and redesigned for the event. They are taken out months before the race and repairs made.

Several tour agencies have organised many packages for the month. You will be received at the airport and transferred to the respective hotels. A beautiful houseboat ride also awaits you at Alleppey. You can have your meals onboard. They also provide tours to Munnar, Thekkady, Kovalam and to most of the tourism destinations in India.

Chundan Vallams (Snake Boats) are the most famous category in the races. Other events you can spot use the Churulan vallam, Odi vallam, Vaipu Vallam, Vadakkanody Vallam and Kochu Vallam. The race is conducted on the second Saturday of August every year.

Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of Independent India visited Kerala in 1952. He was given a roaring reception by the people of Alleppey, escorted by the huge snake-boats. After returning to Delhi, Nehru donated a rolling trophy to be awarded to the winner of the race. The trophy is a replica of a snakeboat in silver, placed on wooden abacus on which the following words are inscribed, “To the winner of the boat race which is a unique feature of community life in Travancore-Cochin.”

The boat is set to anchor at around 50 coastal villages and towns in a day and comes as a boon to people living near the coast and on islands in Kuttanad and Alleppey region. With more than 10 lakh people living around the areas, this venture is set to become a hit. People who earlier used to travel to nearby towns by boat or walk to shops can now buy them off this boat right at their doorstep!

This solar-powered vessel stocks around 2,ooo items on board and even offers a 2-3% discount. Bravo!

There is a 144.33-ft high light house, constructed in 1902, at Thangaserry. Visitors are allowed in the evenings.There is also a fort constructed by the Portuguese, about 3km from town. The Thirumullavaram beach is only six km to the north of the town. There are buses and taxis that’ll take you there.

Vallikavu, a pilgrim centre near Kayamkulam, is the residence and headquarters of Matha Amrithananda Mayi Devi, a known scholar and spiritual leader. Lot of pilgrims and tourists visit this place. Sasthamkotta is the Kerala’s largest fresh water lake, and it is 29km from Kollam city. It is situated right on the right banks of the Kallada River. This small town has a temple dedicated to Lord Sastha.

Kollam is accessible by train, road and boat. The two airports at Cochin and Trivandrum are a couple of hours away.

The only other place in the world where such cultivation is done is in the Netherlands.  But, the difference is that they have only a few thousand acres under cultivation below sea level. In Kuttanad, the total area cultivated likewise is more than 1,30,000 acres!

On a houseboat trip, you can see these paddy fields on either side. The farmers there will explain to you the vagaries they face in terms of sea water flowing into the fields, interfering with the harvest. But, besides this, the place is one of the most visited in Kerala. There are over 600 houseboats plying on the Vembanad Lake from Cochin to Kumarakom and Kuttanad. Speed boats, too, find a place there. You can visit fields, backwaters, island resorts, watch sunset and even stay overnight on the houseboats.

Beaches at Kovalam, Cochin, Alleppey, Calicut, Varkala and Kannur are favourites for tourists from India and abroad. Each coastal city has its own history, culture and community lores. From the Malabar coast where Vasco da Gama landed to the one at Cochin, with its intricate backwaters, Kerala’s coastline is lined with beautiful beaches.

Tourist spots closer inland, too, find a mention. Seafood and Indian cuisine is a part of the coastal life. Most restaurants and shacks around the place have the option of letting you buy fish and them cooking it for you. Spicy fish curries, fried prawns and mussels, juicy lobsters and oyster dishes, all wait to be sampled.

visit: www.beachresortkerala.com

Boat cruises, diving trips, speed boating and house boating, are operated by travel agencies and private companies. Most cities also have trips and tours organised by government and private agencies. There are mangroves, estuaries, saltwater grooves, creeks and canals along the coastline. There are wildlife reserves, sanctuaries and bird parks which add to their tourist value and eco-knowledge.

A newly built 32-seater-boat will operate from Kumarakom, near Kottayam, and have tours linking Pathiramanal, R Block and Allepey. The government also plans to erect new boat jetties and snack houses near the existing ones and in new places.

Though there are more than 250 house boats operating from Kumarakom, it does not have a common boat jetty in the public sector so far. A new jetty, 40m long will come up at Kavanattinkara soon.

The council also plans to start a Lake Tourism project at Chanaganassery in a nearby district. There’s also a plan for a park, eatery and an open air theatre at Nattassery on the Meenachil riverfront.

Along with the government-sponsored houseboat packages, there are many operated by private agencies and tour operators.