Tag Archives: Kerala

My Trip To Kerala: Chinese Fishing Nets From the 15th Century, Still in Use

The one thing that I wanted to see when I was in Kerala was the Chinese Fishing Nets (called Cheena Vala in the language Malayalam) that all the guide books and online sites talked about. The Fishing Nets that dot … Continue reading

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Kerala: Gaggle of Geese at Taj Kumarukom

As I was waiting to board the houseboat, I spotted a gaggle of geese at the Taj Kumarukom and headed towards them. Somehow when I see geese I immediately think Mother Goose. That’s my association with geese during childhood. Anyway … Continue reading

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Kerala: Art & Sculptures at the Taj Hotels

Attractive painting depicting the traditional Kathakali dance form, at the Taj Malabar which is located at the man-made tourist island of Fort Cochin. I saw beautiful sculptures of traditional revered symbols in Hindu culture, the cow and the elephant at … Continue reading

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Kerala: Jiva Spa at Taj Malabar

Another highlight of my trip to Kerala was the coconut scrub and gentle oil massage at the Jiva Spa. I thought the therapist wasn’t Indian and I first thought she was Filippino. She spoke in a wonderfully thick accent that … Continue reading

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Kerala: Viewing The Sunset from The Houseboat

The most beautiful thing I saw from the houseboat was the sunset at dusk when the sky turned a beautiful pink and blue.

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Kerala: Journey Inside A Houseboat

I think the reason why I write so many posts is that I treat the blog like a diary and my first draft is what you see which is probably full of typos.  I try to correct them if I … Continue reading

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Floating Flowers in An Uruli

The trip to Kerala introduced me to this wonderful brass ornamental vessel called an Uruli or Varpu.  It is actually a Keralan cooking vessel which is now used more for decorative purposes.  It will lend an ethnic charm to your … Continue reading

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Villagers in Kerala Weaving Coconut Fibre Into Ropes

We met some lovely villagers on the way to Kumarakom. Suresh our driver, just stopped the car seeing that we were interested as we had remarked about spotting a well. He then drove into a narrow path where we could … Continue reading

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Crazy Cochin Traffic

“If you can drive a ver-her-kle in Cochin you can drive anywhere!” “They always say, Suresh, make it fast.”  (in reference to lawyers who need to get to the airport in half the time to catch their flight) Quotes of … Continue reading

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Photos From A HouseBoat: People Who Live in the Backwaters of Kerala

We were in the houseboat in an area about an hour away from the city of Cochin, called Kumarukom and I had some of the most enlightening views of people just living their lives. Here I spotted two schoolgirl waiting … Continue reading

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SilkAir: Great Food, Rude Service

The meals on SilkAir were surprisingly good, especially the Chicken Briyani on the flight back from Cochin. It looks bad, but tasted good. The white vermicelli payasam dessert (made with milk and ghee) was great and not too sweet either. … Continue reading

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I Knew I Was In India

I knew I was in India when I saw this cute sign of a lady in a sari, on the door of the Ladies’ powder room.  It would have been even cuter with a bun atop her head.  I spotted … Continue reading

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Fort Cochin

Cochin is the main city in Kerala and it has a tourist portion called Fort Cochin which was my favourite district because I do love all the old colonial buildings there.  It even has an old Synagogue, but unfortunately it … Continue reading

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What I Learnt About Cochin

I knew that Kerala was in the southern part of India, but I didn’t know that it was that far south.  Previously I was also not aware that Cochin is now known as Kochi.  The government is trying to do … Continue reading

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King Mahabali on a Motorbike in Kochi

When we were at Kochi (Cochin) in Kerala, the main religious and harvest festival, called Onam was being prepared for. As part of the celebrations they have someone dress up a the legendary King of Kerala called Mahabali. Our driver … Continue reading

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Plagued By Sandfly Bites: A Thousand Times Worse Than Mosquito Bites

There’s a souvenir I didn’t expect, but got from Kerala – Sandfly bites! I never get bitten, even by mosquitos and that’s why it was so unexpected. The family likes to joke that our blood is not sweet enough, unlike … Continue reading

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Malabar Chips: A Little Store in Cochin with the Best Banana Chips in the World

The most famous store in Cochin (city in Kerala, South India) is a little red stall called Malabar Chips. It’s proudly stated in pretty manuscript painted fonts, that they have no other branches. Our driver Suresh told us that people … Continue reading

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The Best Thing About Kerala: The People

The people of Kerala are so nice and I am not just saying that. Their hospitality was as lovely as flowers. The best way I can think of to describe their warmth and serenity is to compare it with the … Continue reading

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Have You Been to Kochi in Kerala?

The best part about being in Singapore is that it’s at the crossroads of the coolest places in Asia. I might be going to Kerala which is in the southern part of India, next week.  I will probably have internet … Continue reading

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