Kerala Backwaters and Varkala - India

On Thursday 4 February we set off on a long travelling day by taking the 5 hour public bus to Kottayam and then a 3 hour boat ride through the backwaters. These waters are stunning and include 5 large lakes connected by canals. The waters are also strewn with some of the most amazing houseboats you ever did see. After an amazing 3 hour trip through this area enjoying the amazing scenery, we ended the day’s travels with a train ride to Varkala as the sun was setting which made for beautiful views. We arrived pretty late in the evening and were shown to our gorgeous little bungelows on the beach. We dropped our bags and popped into the nearest restaurant for a very average dinner food wise.

We woke up the next morning to a stunning day, so we took a walk along the scenic cliffs and enjoyed the views over the sea. We were treated to a wonderful sight of fish eagles swooping in the air and dolphins diving in the ocean. After a lovely breakfast we checked out of our beautiful bungalows and headed to a hotel which Sheeba had recommended, unfortunately it was only after we were all checked in that we realised we’d downgraded somewhat for a higher cost.... schoolboy error on the travellers front. Anyway we headed to the terrace bar for a few cold cokes and some cards before we made our way to the nearest beach for a quick swim.

The closest beach to our hotel was quite small and private which is nice as there is a reputation for the locals to tend to gawk at the scantily clad ladies in their swimmers. Luckily none of that where we were. We spent most of the time in the sea as the beach sand is volcanic and black which makes for very uncomfortable hot tanning time.

Once we’d had our swim we made our way back to freshen up before heading out. The girls made their way in search of a beauty salon and the boys headed to a bar.... surprise surprise! Lara, Shands and I eventually found a lovely little place run by a sweet lady and her husband and we were soon treating ourselves to pedicures and eyebrow threading! After a short session, we came out looking like new woman and managed to get back to the boys in time to catch the last glimpse of the sunset.

We then made our way to a lovely restaurant on the corner cliffs were we got stuck into some amazing tandoori dishes. All cooked in front of us in a big tandoori oven. As it was the Leisegang and Van Alvin’s last evening together on tour we then made our way back along the path in search of a spot for some goodbye beers. We finally found a great place and settled on the terrace for just one or two drinks as everything shuts down in this sleepy little place at around 11.00 pm.

The next day we woke up and decided over breakfast we wanted to move back to our lovely bungalows so after establishing that they had availability we packed up and set off to check in. Once we had dropped our bags we made our way to the main beach which was a little further up the path. The main beach was a lot bigger and covered with white sand so Lara and I hired an umbrella (the first time on this tour) so that we could chill there for longer than five minutes (it’s hot hot hot there). After a swim the boys went back to the hotel so that they could catch the cricket and leave us girls to lap up the sun.

After enough sun we headed back to the hotel for some shade time before we popped out for sundowners and dinner which was to be our last of the tour with the Leisegangs. We ended up back at the same restaurant as the night before to enjoy those tandoori dishes again, that’s how good they were!

The next morning we had a quick breakfast and headed to the train station to catch our train to Trivandrum. When we arrived we were told our train was delayed by an hour and a half so we settled in and read our books to pass the time. Once the train arrived it was of course packed...... as we had no pre-booked seats we had to squeeze onto the door way and that’s where we stood for the 45 minute journey, wedged between the toilet and the open door.

Once we arrived in Trivandrum we said quick goodbyes to our travelling buddies who were then flying to Mumbai while we made our way to our one night of 5 star luxury in the Mathoot Plaza hotel. We stayed a short night in Trivandrum, which only allowed us a little walk through the town (where we met the world’s cutest kitten) and a lovely dinner before bed. We were up very early the next morning for our flight to Mumbai where we spent the day before bidding farewell to India and flying out to Kuala Lumpur.

Varkala is a lovely little Hippie beach town. These are the lowlights and highlights:
- The litter here is terrible, one view shows you the seaside in all its stunning glory and a glance to the left you can see the Cliffside strewn with rubbish of all kinds
- Great place to stay if you just want to unwind, there are a variety of yoga courses offered in the town and all shuts down after 11.00 pm
- The sunsets are beautiful if a little disappointing due to the haze of pollution which sits above the sea makes it a little unclear
- The beach here is stunning and the water clear and refreshing

Kerala Backwaters and Varkala - Photos

KERALA BACKWATERS

About to board the local bus from Kumily to the Kerala Backwaters

The crew are all aboard

We arrive at the Backwaters and board our ferry for the trip
V enjoying some fresh air on another scorching day!

The Backwaters are made up of multiple canals linking 5 large lakes

Enjoying the amazing scenery from the top deck

Some of the locals carrying out their daily tasks on the canals

Greg and I have a chess challenge below deck

One of the many house boats cruising this area

Arriving with our bags at the train station after our enjoyable ferry trip
Another adventure on a packed Indian train

A stunning sunset on our train trip

Watching movies on the laptop to pass time

VARKALA
A new day and our cute resort in Varkala

One of the local beaches near our resort

Beautiful beaches and water

The main pathway along the coast, packed with bars and restaurants

And what a stunning view

A Fish Eagle on the hunt

We tuck into lunch and enjoy the view

And what a view!

Late afternoon and V hits the hammock!

This is the main beach in Varkala, one of our favourites!

Leise and I enjoying the sunset

A quick beer while waiting for the girls

A beautiful end to the day

The girls arrive and its dinner time

Our chicken being prepared in the Tandoor oven

Shandy, V and Lara are ready to eat!

Our farewell dinner with Greg and Shandy who leave in the morning

The locals out fishing and picking mussels

V and I about to hit this amazing beach

The climb down to the beach

The only negative thing about Varkala - the litter!

Setting up camp on the beach

Leise and V enjoy another sunset in Varkala

Our final dinner and we return for the Tandoor feast!

The food is outstanding!

Checking out and leaving Varkala

Heading to Varkala train station - this is very traditional dress in this part of India, no trousers or shorts!

Scary signs in the middle of nowhere

Lara and V head to the platform

We arrive at Trivandrum for our flight to Mumbai and our departure from India

Kochi and Kumily - India

KOCHI

After a full days travelling beginning with a 6.00 am train to New Delhi and then a four hour flight to Kochi via Mumbai we were thoroughly exhausted so it was a welcome treat when our driver which was arranged by our hotel picked us up and whisked us off to our hotel, no haggling, no hassle! Kochi is a small city situated in the southern province of Kerala. It is one of the main seaports of India, and was the centre of the Indian spice trade for centuries.

After a hectic 1 hour driver we arrived at Green Woods Bethlehem which was to be our hotel for the next two nights and were greeted by the owners Sheeba and Ashley with great big smiles and copious amounts of the traditional head wobble. After a quick cup of tea, we dropped our bags and went to dinner at Dal Roti just down the road – the food was amazing! Already we were beginning to feel like the North and South of India are two completely different places. The streets in Kochi are clean, quiet and there is no overcrowding.

After our lovely meal at a Dal Roti which was packed with travellers and locals alike (always a good sign) we headed back to the hotel to bed. We had to be separated due to the popularity of the hotel, but Lara, Leise, Al and I were whisked off to a nearby neighbour who would host us for the next 2 nights in his beautiful house. He was so delighted to welcome us he dragged Al up to the roof terrace straight away to share the view.

We woke up on Monday 1st February and headed back to the main hostel for breakfast. The owners of our homestay put on a lovely spread in a pretty little rooftop terrace. Once Ashley had given us the full run down of what was to see in the town and a lengthy catch up with Sheeba (this wonderful lady LOVES to chat) we headed out. We walked as far as the first corner where we could see the sea and two auto rickshaw drivers convinced us doing the sights by motor was a much better idea. So from there we went to the Chinese fishing nets, St Francis Church and Mattancherry Palace. Then we were taken to the lovely spice markets, the colours and smells were to die for. We finished off our tour with lunch at Solar Cafe.

After lunch we made our way back to our homestay to chill for a little bit before it was time to head out for dinner. That evening we took a walk into town and had dinner at Oy’s restaurant which was great. After a few rounds of cards we then headed off to do some flight and train bookings before home to bed ahead of our long drive to Kumily.

Kochi is a lovely little sleepy town and our hosts Sheeba and Ashlee were possibly the loveliest locals we have met on this trip. Here are our highlights and lowlights:
- Beautiful quiet town
- People are lovely, and Sheeba and Ashley are the most caring hosts you could possibly meet

KUMILY

After breakfast and another lengthy catch up with Sheeba (including some cooking tips for me) we said our sad goodbyes (we’d found a truly beautiful friend in Sheeba) and set off for our five hour journey to Kumily. It was an incredibly hairy ride! We thought we had taken the safer option by booking a private driver but it seems all drivers in India are nothing short of crazy. They drive at a ridiculous speed and over take on blind corners with nothing more than a toot toot on the hooter as warning for oncoming traffic. As we saw the sign for our homestay up ahead we all breathed a sigh of relief to have made it in one piece.

Once we had all checked in and dropped our bags we took a leisurely stroll through the town which is rather tiny. It’s incredibly peaceful though so we loved the place straight away. We then found a little spot called The Jungle Cafe for a late afternoon lunch and were offered Kingfisher beers served in tea pots and mugs as a disguise as the restaurant apparently didn’t have a license to sell the stuff.

After a lovely lunch for some (Greg and Leise made the mistake of ordering non local and were horribly disappointed) we made our way to the internet cafe to make a few onward bookings and enquiries. Once we had finished with the admin the others headed back to the hotel while Lara and I found a little spot for a traditional Ayurvedic massage.....hmmmm! This massage is not for the faint hearted or for anyone that’s a little shy of their nakedness! I was told to strip down to my birthday suit without even a hand towel for cover.

Once we had had a good shower to rid ourselves of the litres of oil still sticking to our skin we all headed off for dinner. We were so excited as the spot we had chosen was listed in the Lonely Planet as a great place for pizzas and pastas, something we hadn’t had in some time. But to the boys dismay they opened the menu and it was all vegetarian....AGAIN! Luckily we all found something we thought we would enjoy and the food and drinks did turn out to be fabulous! Then after a few rounds of cards it was off to bed to prepare for our early morning start the next day.

We were rudely awoken by our alarms at 5.00 am as we had to be ready for our driver at 5.30 am and as we stepped out the door it was cold and dark. We took a lengthy drive in our jeep to the gate and beyond at the Piriyara Tiger Reserve where we were convinced this was the day to spot a Tiger and Elephant. We were then dropped at the starting point for our trek just as the sun was beginning to warm up. After a simple breakfast and a quick cup of tea we were greeted by our guide, and with snacks and water stocks packed we were ready to go. It was a reasonably disappointing walk of about three hours as we spotted nothing more than a few birds and some squirrels but the jungle itself is very pretty. Once we reached the end of the trek we were popped into little rowing boats and taken to the other side of the dam for lunch. After lunch it was back in the rowing boats for a trip to a little waterfall before we made our way back to dry land for the drive back to our hotel.

That evening before heading out to dinner we got to witness a sky full of bats silently swarming from one end to the other, it was really amazing to see. After enjoying that sight wwe made our way out for dinner and found a great restaurant which was packed with people (always a good sign) and tucked into some fabulous curries and cards. After a few beers it was time to head home so that we could pack our bags for the next Indian adventure.

Kumily was lovely and the Periyar Wildlife sanctuary was like being back in the South African countryside. Here are some highlights and lowlights:
- We realised how lucky we are to come from Africa, when the guide at Piriyara got all excited over squirrels and a few deer in the distance
- The massages are a little scary and not for the feint hearted
- The people, and especially the kids are super friendly, such nice people!