Kerala - Alappuzha   

Kayaking their way around Alappuzha backwaters

HAVING FUN: Some of the members of the 13-strong Hungarian tourist group rowing along the Punnamada backwaters on kayaks.

ALAPPUZHA: On houseboats, cycles, motorbikes, and now on kayaks. The ways tourists are taken around Alappuzha’s backwaters and Kuttanad’s picturesque terrains are acquiring newer dimensions every day.

It was barely a month back that a group of French tourists went around Mankombu and other areas in Kuttanad on motorbikes. On Wednesday, it was the turn of a 13-strong Hungarian tourist group to savour the beauty of life on the shores of the Punnamada backwaters by rowing along the still waters on kayaks.

The group, which comprised both men and women, had arrived nearly two weeks back in Mumbai, from where they flew to Kochi and then travelled by car to Munnar. From Munnar, they cycled all the way to the Suryanelli hills, where a trekking trip awaited them.

Next on the itinerary arranged by the Kochi-based adventure tour operators Kalypso Adventures, was Madurai, from where they turned to Thekkady. After a round of boating on the dams and trekking through the high ranges, the group camped for the night at Kottayam on Tuesday.

The group, which reached Alappuzha by noon, rowed to Champakulam from the Alappuzha Jetty. Here, M.J. Varghese, in whose compound the historic Champakulam ‘chundan vallom’ is anchored, showed them the 130-ft boat before treating them to a sumptuous Kerala lunch. Mr. Varghese also arranged a 10-minute video on the Nehru Trophy Boat Race for the visitors.

The Alappuzha leg of the tour is yet to be over. On Thursday, the group will head to the Coir Village in Thrikkunnapuzha before heading to Varkala.

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