Carefree Kerala

Taking to a houseboat, Pamela Wright explores the tranquil waterways of southern India, traversing a land of spice markets, hill towns and beach resorts

The lure of a luxury houseboat, drifting on the intricate maze of tranquil backwaters that link southern India's lakes, rivers and canals, is one of the reasons the south-western state of Kerala is among Asia's fastest-growing tourist destinations. Add to that the region's hilltop stations, excellent food, glorious beaches and still bays, dense tropical forest, fertile plains, glimmering rivers and happy people, and you have the recipe for a diverse and rewarding holiday.

Hundreds of traditional water vessels (kettuvallom) have either been converted into luxury houseboats or are being newly built as "old" ones. As they ply the waterways, they mingle easily with local canoes and watercraft steered by folk who use Kerala's backwaters as lifelines. Along palm-fringed river banks, women launder, kids swim and bathe, men fish for dinner and canoes transport necessary items from village to village.

Reaching up to 20 metres long, the larger houseboats are two-storeyed with four bedrooms, but

most of those afloat are two-bedroomed, cosily comfortable craft with separate dining areas, open but covered lounges and comfortable, air-conditioned sleeping quarters with decent-sized windows.

Our houseboat is too big for some of the narrow canals, so a morning canoe trip to explore them is arranged, the oarsman standing at the back of the craft like a gondolier. They do, after all, call this region the Venice of the East.

Designed for fun, relaxation, and absorbing the Indian way of life, Kerala's tourist houseboats come with a flotilla of staff for cooking meals and serving drinks, and a bunch of extra facilities. One or two nights afloat is probably ideal.

Another reason Kerala is thriving – especially now that many of the state's popular sand-strips are patrolled for patrons' safety – is the quality and relative tranquility of the region's beaches. Most of India's finest lie along this 600-kilometre length of coastline and, as this is the west coast, you get gorgeous sunsets thrown in.

In Kochi, a rapidly expanding south-western coastal city, you'll find the genteel Bolgatty Palace Hotel, its enormous rooms graced with elegant furniture dating, I suspect, from the days of the Raj. The hotel reclines on the shore of one of the trio of islands that make up the city.

Not only is Kochi the business centre of Kerala, it's referred to as the "spice capital". Here, peppercorns were once called black gold and spice shops are everywhere, and always bustling, with queues often forming for allegedly life-lengthening cardamon tea.

A short boat-ride delivers you to Fort Cochin, where fishermen catch their day's bounty using old-fashioned nets with large rocks as ballast. Any reasonable-sized catch is followed by an instant auction: every few minutes, a bundle of fish or prawns is

poured onto a cloth and, hey presto, in seconds, it has been sold.

Spread over a number of islands and connecting bridges, the fine natural harbour of Kochi is also perfect for sunset cruising. Our boat glides across the water, following the low-rise city skyline as far as the fishing nets, which take on a bluish hue in the setting sun. It's a tranquil scene, in complete contrast to the frantic activity that takes place during daylight fishing hours.

Often, hill resorts aren't easy to get to, but with a local driver and guide, the four-hour trip to Munnar from Kochi along steep, winding, narrow roads, with constant oncoming trucks and buses is bearable – as long as we don't look.

At 1600 metres above sea level, the tea plantations and wildlife sanctuaries of the hill station here enjoy lower temperatures and humidity. It's a welcome cool change after the hot, muggy weather on the coast.

Munmar's sprawling tea plantations, cultivated on a whopping 24,000 hectares of land, produce an annual yield of nearly 50,000 metric tons – and in anyone's language, that's a lot of tea.

Here, the tea-pluckers are all women: discerning girls who pick only the best leaves, high on the hillside and who, for a donation of a few rupees, will cheerfully let tourists photograph them at work, meeting their daily quota.

At elevated Eravikulam National Park, nearby, rare native Nilgiri Tahrs resembling hairy mountain goats are out in numbers in the early morning. Having beaten busloads of European tourists (the area is popular with Germans, in particular), we walk in peace among the animals and birds, looking back towards the rocky cliffs and the higgledy-piggledy pattern of tea bushes.

Sometimes chaotic and always non-stop, the traffic here is unbelievable. Horns honk incessantly, with the number and volume of honks varying depending on what the driver wants to convey to fellow motorists. I figure one quick beep means "get out of the way", two long ones seems to indicate "I'm coming past" and three quick beeps probably means "move or you're a goner". Some roads are only just navigable, with potholes at regular intervals. Once again, though, it's part of the adventure of travelling in India.

About 80 kilometres south of Kochi lies the exquisite Kumarakom Lake Resort. Perched right on Vembanad Lake, it consists of authentic heritage dwellings, up to three centuries old but all equipped with ultra-modern amenities. Some of the resort's 60 villas and rooms have their own swimming pools; others face a meandering, 250-metre-long lagoon pool, reputedly the longest in Asia. The resort even has its own mini- fleet of houseboats, on which, for around AU$350 a night, visitors can luxuriate in untold splendour.

Food, for the most part, is good in Kerala, with vegetarian and local seafood dishes the regional specialties. At the Pattrani Macchi at Kumarakom Resort, a fillet of fish marinated in coriander paste, mint and green chilli with freshly grated coconut, cooked until tender in a covered pan and served with mint chutney and coriander paratha, is delicious and, at AU$14, inexpensive.

For general nosh, our driver takes us to a local restaurant where it costs 70 rupees (about AU$2) for thali – as much fresh, aromatic vegetarian curry and Kerala rice as we can eat.

It's not advisable to drink local water or eat salad washed in it, or to add ice to drinks, but it's easy to get the bottled variety just about everywhere, including hotels and restaurants.

With nearly 100 per cent literacy, world-class health-care systems, comparatively high life expectancy rates and a booming regional economy, it's not surprising to see mobile phones everywhere you go in the state of Kerala, even in the hands of fishermen on the beach and porters on houseboats.

For the most part, the people are welcoming and here, in contrast to the streets of some parts of India, there isn't a beggar in sight.

Street festivals, however, are a regular occurrence and, though they disrupt traffic, no-one appears to care – they're part of a rich religious and cultural tradition. No matter what the celebration, people of all religions (in Kerala, that means about 60 per cent Hindu, 20 per cent Christian and 20 per cent Islamic) harmoniously join in, a fact of which our driver is particularly proud. And rightly so. •

Photography by Pamela Wright and Tourism India

Travel facts

gettingthere

Singapore Airlines has regular flights to Singapore from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth with a daily evening flight to Kochi (Cochin). Phone 13 1011 or visit www.singaporeair.com Qantas has 3 flights per week from Sydney direct to Mumbai (Bombay) with connections on Jet Airways to Kochi. Phone 13 1313 or visit www.qantas.com

Air India (phone 02 9283 3370 or visit www.airindia.com) and Thai Airways (phone 1300 651 960 or visit www.thaiairways.com.au) also fly to India.

gettingaround

Adventure Associates, phone 1800 222 141 or visit www.adventureassociates.com Asiaquest Tours, phone 1800 144 738 or visit www.asiaquesttours.com.au Ausindia Holidays, phone 1300 146 342 or visit www.auindiaholidays.com.au Banyan Tours, phone 02 9999 5270 or go to www.banyantours.com

Creative Holidays, phone 1300 747 400 or visit www.creativeholidays.com.au Intrepid Travel, phone 1300 364 512 or visit www.intrepidtravel.com Natural Focus Safaris, phone 1300 363 302 or 03 9249 3777 or visit www.naturalfocussafaris.com

Travel Indochina, phone 1300 138 755 or visit www.travelindochina.com.au Travman Tours, phone 1800 338 007 or visit www.travman.com.au Icon Holidays, phone 1300 853 953 or email info@iconholidays.com Wendy Wu Tours, phone 02 9224 8888 or 1300 727 998, or visit www.wendywutours.com.au

wheretostay

Kumarakom Lake Resort, Kottayam, phone +91 481 252 4900 or visit www.klresort.com Marari Beach Resort, Alappuzha, phone +91 484 286 301 1711 or visit www.cghearth.com Bolgatty Palace, Kochi, phone +91 484 275 0003 or visit www.ktdc.com Houseboats, NAS Tourism Group, "Apartment Afloat", phone +91 477 645 111 or visit www.nastours.com

Taj Hotels also offers some magnificent properties in various southern cities. Phone +800 4588 1825 or go to www.tajhotels.com

furtherinformation Contact India Tourism on 02 9221 9555 or visit www.incredibleindia.org and

www.keralatourism.org