A Journey through Vembanad Lake - Kumarakom to MarariKulam

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June 13th 2012

Published: August 9th 2012

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Mantri1234

Vembanad Lake

Waterbus

I spent the entire morning at Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary however didn’t want to go back to Kottayam immediately. I was thinking or rather digging my brain for a ‘must have’ route to cross Vembanad Lake and to proceed towards Alleppey. It was June 11^thand my watch clocked exactly 11:30 am which meant I had the rest of the day to explore around Vembanad Lake. I read somewhere that there was a ferry service which let you get the other side of Vembanad Lake but somehow things were not clicking. As per my knowledge Vembanad Lake is the longest lake in India, largest in Kerala, so eventually there had to be a ferry services to travel across the lake. I was waiting outside the Kumarakom BS and was eagerly looking for a person who could guide me through. I decided to travel back to the Kumarakom Boat Jetty and perhaps check with them. Accordingly, I asked ‘an auto’ to drop me at the boat jetty. It was merely 5 kms from the Sanctuary and they guy asked for Rs. 40 which I felt was reasonable. However, the moment I reached Kumarakom Boat Jetty, I was surrounded by at least 10 travel

Kumarakom Boat Jetty

Boat timings at Kumarakom Boat Jetty

agents. I knew that I came here in mid June and this was considered as one of the ‘dry months’ for tourists so these folks may be running out of business. Did I look like a guy with a ‘fat pocket’? I don’t think so. At a first glance people either miscount me as a media professional as most of the time I carry a small ‘back pack’ with a camera. However, I had to say big ‘no’ to them. I wished, I could hire a ‘Kettuvallam’ (House Boat) and spend the day through the backwaters but my dear friends to do that the ‘big hole’ I had to dig out from my pocket, would cost my entire tour. I was there to make a trip to the Vembanad Lake with the cheapest option available. I walked further and found a time schedule for the boats ply in and out from this place. At a glance, it seemed the boats from this Kumarakom Boat Jetty cross the Vembanad Lake and travel up to Muhamma which meant I would be traveling from Kottayam district to Alleppey district. Forget about tourists, I barely could see any other passenger waiting for this boat.

Kumarakom Boat Jetty

Waterbus to Muhamma

It came as a bit of surprise to me. I decided to have a small chat and walked in to a nearby shop, give him a little business and in turn let me get the information I was looking for.

‘Hello, May I have a cup of tea, Sir ?’ – I started the conversation.

‘Welcome Sir, which Tea would you like to have? Full or half? – He offered his options.

‘A half would do, please give me a cigarette as well’ – I was trying to get him a good business.

‘Sure Sir, here they are, where are you coming from? – He asked me after serving a mighty glass filled with Tea. I was wondering, if this was ‘half’ what did they refer a ‘full’. A tumbler may be?

‘Chennai, and I want to go to Muhamma, need to take this boat, any clue when they would be available? – I dragged him to the point for which I came here in this shop.

‘Yes Sir, they pretty much run per the timings mentioned in that schedule’- he gave

Vembanad Lake

Houseboats waiting at the bank of Vembanad Lake

me what I was looking for.

My purpose of visiting his shop was over. I emptied the glass and walked back in to the jetty once again. As per the schedule, the next ferry service to Muhamma was at 1:30pm which meant I had about an hour to wait. There was nothing much to explore, still I tried to click around as much as possible. In next 10 minutes, I saw one very old but small ferry propelling in. It was interesting as I hardly could see some ten people got down here. Most of them were local folks. I didn’t see any other tourist like me. However, I climbed in and managed a seat just behind the wheel. The ‘boat guy’ told me that they would start in next 30 minutes so I had to wait but nothing. As promised, they started wheeling exactly at 1:30pm. After riding through the ‘backwaters’ for next 5 minutes, the boat hit the water ofthe mighty Vembanad Lake. It was huge perhaps like an ocean where you could see the other side like a strip of a land. Some 10 people joined me in this journey and all of them

Vembanad Lake

God is everywhere

were curious and were staring at me with utmost curiosity. I started clicking left and right where I could get the best shot from. I saw a bunch of luxurious house boats floating around the lake. May be they were the ‘lucky picks’ during this off season. I took the ticket and it just Rs. 5/- . I was surprised. I was thinking about the ‘rich and fat tourists’ who spend thousands to tour in this Vembanad lake while I just spent Rs. 5/- for an hour’s boat ride. Good that I don’t have money and never will. The journey across the lake was amazing. Cormorants, Egrets and Seagulls flying around, mighty house boats floating, all these scenes were perfect pictorially. After riding for another 20 minutes, I could notice Pathiramanal Island on my right. I heard that Pathiramanal Island was a place considered as the paradise for bird watchers, but I was sure that may not be this time but someday I would be there. I was leaning from each and every window possible to get my snaps and the local folks were enjoying that too and after sometime they joined me as well. I could bet that this

Vembanad Lake

A view of Patharimanal Island from the boat

was one of the best journeys I’ve ever had. I noticed another ‘counterpart’ of our boat was traveling from the other end. They were travelling from Muhamma to Kumarakom. Slowly, Pathiramanal Island became more in sight and indeed the place was exciting and lovely. I took a few shots of Pathiramanal from the boat itself. After 15 minutes the boat reached Muhamma jetty which was nothing but a tiny village. It was 2:30pm and I knew that I had to travel to Mararikulam from here. Oh my god ! was my reaction as I didn’t see any mode of transport which would get me to Mararikulam or to the nearest spot possible. I started walking and after walking a mile, I noticed one bus zoomed past me. It was so fast that even though I called for it to ‘stop, it couldn’t. I was happy thinking I had a chance to get a bus from here. In five minutes, I saw another ‘auto’ , I asked him to stop.

‘Mararikulam?’ – I asked

‘Mararikulam? That would be too expensive for you, almost Rs.200 from here. Why don’t you go up to Kanyikuzhi bus stop

Muhamma Boat Jetty

Houseboat at Muhamma Boat Jetty

at National Highway 66, then you will get buses to Mararikulam from there’ – he gave me the least economic way to reach Mararikulam.

This is what I like about Kerala. People here shows the best possible ways and I’m sure that is missing majorly in other states in India where this ‘public transport guys’ are always ready to rip you apart. He took Rs.40 from me and dropped me a Kanyikuzhi bus stop. I thanked him immensely and wished him best.

This bus stop was rather a stop on National Highway No.66. However, I was waiting to get a bus to Mararikulam. Almost 30 minutes passed but I didn’t see any bus to Mararikulam. I was getting impatient so I decided to walk in to a nearby shop and asked. The guy told me that there was only one bus which plies between Mararikulam to Kanyikuzhi junction and the bus was supposed to arrive at 3:00 pm. I glanced through my cell phone and it 3:45 pm almost. Nevertheless, as he suggested I kept on waiting and waiting further 20 minutes finally the bus arrived. I paid Rs 7/- for the ticket and

Muhamma

Muhamma, so green !

grabbed a seat. Apart from me there was another old lady in the bus, so I had plenty of options to seat. The bus took a diversion from the national Highway, turned right and hit a village road. The road was beautiful, covered with coconut trees, small huts on the sides, just amazing! I was getting the aroma of true Kerala. In another 20 minutes the bus stopped at a small village and the ‘ticket guy’ asked me to get down and this would be the destination. Unwillingly, I got down from the bus. There was no sign of a sea beach rather this place was nothing but a small village. I asked one of the on lookers about the beach and they asked me to walk for another 200 meters straight. I followed the track and after walking merely for 100 meters, the first word came out of my mouth was, ‘Thank you God’. At a first glance I was in love with Mararikulam. I read it somewhere that if one wishes to visit the best beach in Kerala, then Not Kovalam, Not Cherai, Not Alleppey but Mararikulam would be the best. Yes, they were absolutely correct. As far

Mararikulam

Mararikulam Beach

as could I see, it was all coconut trees which covered the entire stretch like a lagoon. All you need to do is tie a hammock and grab your best debonair, lie down and relax. Mararikulam is all that about. The place which can give you utmost tranquility you look for. The waves tune the symphonies and all you want to get lost with them. I knew photographs wouldn’t do justice to this place, so I decided to walk the entire stretch and explore. While I was walking, coconut trees were playing hide and seek with me and I just wanted to get lost for the time unfathomed. Mararikulam is a young lady you would love to fall in love with. You would love to touch her and feel her breath. I didn’t find much of a tourist in this place. May be a couple or two, that’s all you get here round the year. The clouds were not trustworthy and the sea was getting rough too, so I decided to finish up my clicking and return. Still, if you are with a girl whose madness beauty to cherish, you bet you have a hard time to call it a

Mararikulam

Abandoned

day. I went on walking as far as I could. Truly, I was not in a mood to return from this place. But the weather was turning out to be a ‘no mans business’. I spent as much time as I could, I walked as deep I wanted. Ah ! The toughest thing was to say ‘bye’ to Marari beauty and follow your own course.

From there I managed to get an ‘auto’ till Alleppey. I settled the deal for Rs 150 and he dropped me at the Allepepy bus stand from where I took a bus and returned to Kottayam or the rest of the day.

How to go :

Distance between Alleppey to Mararikulam is just 16kms.

Best would be to stay a Alleppey and get a taxi to visit Mararikulam for half a day. Cost would be 800/-

Otherwise if you are a freak like me, then you can take the boat ride from Kumarakom to Muhamma and then take public transport to Mararikulam.

Stay :

Mararikulam has a few Home Stays