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If there is anything to behold of Kerala, it is its world-famous backwaters.
Lagoons, lakes, canals, estuaries and the deltas of forty-four rivers conspire to create this eye-popping labyrinth of water, as seen from a map of Kerala. Over 900 kilometers of it stretches on this world, draining into the Arabian Sea. Any traveler on the lookout for a ‘raw’ world knows how lovely that can be.
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And so we know – and eager to conquer -- that the largest backwater stretch is the Vembanad Lake, from which tributaries drain through three districts into the sea at Kochi. The second largest is the Ashtamudi Lake, which literally means eight arms. It is considered the portal to the backwaters.
Instead of drowning here in awe, one may choose to set adrift on a craft called the Ketturvallom along the backwater network. Kettuvalloms are essentially houseboats, which measuring up to 80 feet in length.
Ingenuity and unbridled creativity has now innovated the ordinary Kettuvallom into an all-out floating hotel. Out of a kettuvalom, a comfort zone has now muscled in.
Among other creature comforts, a Kettuvalom is now equipped with furnished bedrooms, modern toilets, cozy living rooms, a kitchen and even a balcony for angling. |
Otherwise, we can zero in on Kerala’s great number of roads, which is far above the national average. A dependable road map of Kerala should be a must, hence.
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