"The God's Own Country" or "The Land of Coco Trees" Kerala is the beautiful girl on earth, South west part of India, between Western Ghats of Hills and the Arabian Sea with an area of
approximate 39,000 sq.km. It is blessed with endless beaches, lush green forests, mountains, waterfalls, fertile land, banana, pineapple, papaya, mango, jackfruit grows in abundance in Kerala and palm fringed lakes and backwaters. The name of the state of Kerala has been taken from the word Keralaputra (land of the sons of Cheras), as mentioned in one of the Ashokan edicts dating back to
273-236 BC. Chera was the first large empire that took roots in this
state, and continued to use Tamil till 7th century as their
administrative language. The Chera power declined in the 10th
century AD, after Cholas, the rulers of Tamil Nadu, were successful
in overthrowing the dynasty.
HistoryTourism
in Kerala developed through government-led private enterprise. The
early 1980s saw large numbers of Keralites going abroad to work.
This exodus resulted in many travel agencies mushrooming all over
the state. The emerging travel trade spotted the opportunity in
in-bound tourism and thus started rolling the wheels of fortune.
Successive governments, irrespective of ideology differences sensed
the tremendous potential of tourism and went all out to promote the
destination, attract investments and create the right environment
for this industry to grow and flourish. Tourism secured industry
status in 1986. Today, tourism has emerged as the most stable and
best performing industry in the state, which generates over 1
million skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled job opportunities. The
sector attracted an average of Rs. 5,000 million every year for the
last five years.
Now, Kerala attracts 5.8 million
tourists, a large number of them foreigners. It generates an income
of Rs. 49,310 million and attracts more than 50,000 visitors from
the United Kingdom. French and Germans find it alluring. In the
first half of 2003 (January - July) Kerala recorded a 27% increase
in arrivals – arrivals from France shot up by 22.8%, from
Germany by 18.61% and from the UK by 8.64%. The enchantment of
Kerala ensured increasing tourist flow despite September 11 and the
SARS threat.
While India suffered a fall in tourist
arrivals by 11.14% across 2000/02, Kerala achieved an impressive
growth of 10.78% during the same period.Kerala’s beauty has
proved enticing to Western Europe. The message is spreading across
Russia and CIS countries. Tourists from Singapore, Malaysia and UAE
find the state an attractive destination. The state, thanks to the
vigorous efforts of Kerala Tourism, has now emerged as one of the
top travel destinations in the world.
Kerala
Snake Boat RaceThe Origin of Nehru Trohy Festival was in
Alappuzha, Kerala. The annual Boat races festival held in Alappuzha,
Kerala, India, is a thrilling event where giant Snake Boats compete
for the prestigious Nehru Trophy. The Prime Minister of India,
Jawaharlal Nehru, gave the trophy to the people of Alappuzha after
his visit to Kerala in 1952. As Nehru arrived in Alappuzha, he was
given a grand welcome, along the backwaters with hundreds of boats
including swift-moving Snake Boats.
As Nehru saw a
demonstration of the rowers' prowess, he suggested an annual race be
held and donated the Nehru Trophy to be given to the winning team.
The Nehru Trophy has a silver replica of a Snake Boat set on a base.
The annual Snake Boat races festival is an exciting event held in a
celebratory atmosphere. Join in the exhilarating Snake Boat races
festival on Kerala tours with Kerala Backwater.
Beaches
in Kerala
- Kovalam Beach
The Kovalam Beach is 16 Km from
Thiruvananthapuram City. This internationally renowned beach
resort has been a favorite haunt of tourists since the 1930s.
- Varkala Beach
The Varkala Beach is 41 Km from the
Thiruvananthapuram City. Varkala is a seaside resort and spa, as
well as an important Hindu centre of pilgrimage.
- Shankhumugham Beach
The Shanmugham Beach 8 km
from the Thiruvananthapuram city. This is a favorite haunt of
sunset watchers.
- Thankassery Beach
The Thankassery Beach is 5 Km
from Kollam town. This seaside village of historic importance
has ruins of an old Portuguese fort and churches built in the
18th century.
- Thirumullavaram Beach
The Thirumullavaram Beach
is 6 Km from Kollam town. This secluded beach is a beautiful
picnic centre and has frequent bus connections to the town.
- Alappuzha Beach
This is the most popular picnic
spots in Alappuzha. The pier, which extends into the sea here,
is about a 140 years old.
Ayurveda Massages & Body RejuvenationThe
health and fitness Ayurveda programmes with Tours Amasco are based
on Ayurveda Kerala oil massages. These massages help in various ways
such as improving blood circulation ,streamlining the body, building
up immunity,ridding the body of toxins and decreasing excess fat in
the body etc. Regular massages help protect against ailments and
rejuvenate the body to increase vigor and vitality. Ayurveda from
centuries had been the essence of Kerala's life.
How
to Reach
- Air
The nearest airport is Cochin, 64 km to the
north; Trivandrum International Airport is 159 km to the south.
- Rail
Alleppey has recently been linked to Cochin
by rail. The Alleppey Railway Station is 5 km from the central
bus stand and the boat jetty.
- Road
Alleppey is on the NH 47 highway and is
connected to all-important towns in south India by public state
transport buses.
