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Holidaymakers head to rural Kerala

Rural Kerala is opening its doors to farm tourism

STRESS FREE HOLIDAYING Rural environs for the tired

A rushed lifestyle is forcing holidaymakers to relax and rejuvenate on farms and in rural escapades. This new trend of farm and village tourism has just begun in Kerala.

Tourism going rural

`Rural life styles at their best' and similar slogans are the new passwords as attempts are increasingly being made to showcase rural Kerala. Properties such as Philipkutty's farm are already recognised brand names.

Many options and varieties are, however, available in this segment and very often tour operators offer combination packages, which allow you to sail along the backwaters and canals in a kettuvallam as you soak in the exquisite scenery or stop at rural hamlets to experience life in these laid-back laces and sample traditional cuisines. "At these select villages you can watch activities like toddy tapping, manufacturing coir mat and mussel collection," say Suresh and Sunil of Indo-World Tours and Travels. You can choose from a variety of offerings, which include three-hour sojourns and longer trips. The trips start from Ernakulam.

Overnight stay options are generally in traditional village home stays or even private farms. These moderately priced home stays offer basic amenities and a few have plus points like lake-facing rooms and some are attached to aquatic farms. A popular circuit is the Vaikom-Alappuzha route.

Taste of Kerala

For the tourists who may like to stay for longer periods in the villages, the home stays provide them with an authentic taste of rural Kerala life.

Both the guests and the hosts treasure the shared experience. According to Suresh and Sunil, several tourists often feel that this is the best opportunity to understand the real India.

"Many go in for home stay or paying guest accommodation as they are fed up with commercialised tourism and overpriced hotels."

Home stays can be found in many rural and scenic locations of Wayanad and Palakkad.

Josekutty Joseph at the Tourist Information Centre in Fort Kochi believes that while combination packages are generally popular exclusive farm tourism, which has its takers, is not yet widely offered.

About the options available, he says that you can live on a typical farm with vanilla cultivation, coconut, pepper, or multi-crop farming. He mentions, as an example, the Haritha farms that have been pioneers in the field of eco-agro tourism in South India.

`The Pimenta', a Haritha property, situated at Kaddikal, near Muvattupuzha, provides individual cottages. Set on farms these `tropical spice gardens' as some like to call them use local organic farm techniques for cultivation.

Besides the serene atmosphere, interested visitors are provided with agricultural know-how and the methods used for cultivation. Vegetables and fruits are also grown on the farm and trips to rubber plantations, pineapple groves and paddy fields are offered.

The food is mainly local fare with fresh home produce used in cooking.

"Options for stay in properties in plantation towns are offered as well," says Joseph. "However, farm tourism is yet to be marketed effectively," he adds.

PRATIMA ASHER

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