Unique India

Houseboat

Kerala is a labyrinth of lazily meandering backwaters. Enjoy a backwater cruise, lazing in a small country boat (kettuvallam) as it meanders through the tranquil network of water canals, dotted with busy hamlets, lush green paddy fields. Formed by the 40 odd rivers that flow down to the Arabian Sea from the Cardamom Hills, this network of canals, lakes and estuaries comprises one of India’s most enchanting areas - a rural, riverine expanse of verdant coconut groves and rice paddies. Each houseboat in sleek design has two Bedrooms and is equipped with every luxury and safety measure, promising customized comfort with a touch of Kerala heritage flair. Incredibly designed the air-conditioned bedrooms have comfortable beds and attached bath, a table and a chair and

storage space. The boats have a lounge to relax and a deck to sun yourself. While your eyes feast on the endless expanse of water, your taste buds won't be ignored either. Welcome to a cuisine enriched with exotic tropical fruits, vegetables, cereals, seafood and herbs. Garnished with the distinctive aroma of pepper, cardamom, chilies, and cloves-spices. In short, a cuisine that's simply divine!

Kathakali

Kathakali is the classical dance-drama of Kerala, South India, which dates from the 17th century. Kathakali has a harmonious combination of literature (Sahithyam), music (Sangeetham), painting (Chithram), acting (Natyam) and dance (Nritham). All the five forms of art have a very important place in this combination. Its literature is narrative, poetic and dramatic. Costumes are of vivid colors, facial makeup is done by the artist himself and a distinct headgear made of wood is worn during the play. The Aharya (Make-up) has many faces like Pacha, Kathi, Thadi, Minukku etc.These colors and names denote nature of the characters. The make-up is complicated, requiring several hours to apply. During the drama the dancers do not speak, but the hand movements known as 'Mudras' and unique facial

expressions all imbibe to a sign language. All the drama and dance are accompanied by powerful vocal music. Drummers provide a rhythmic background to the drama. Kathakali performances usually begin with a musical note called Thiranottam. The dance extravaganza last all through night to dawn There are 24 Basic Mudras (hand gestures) in the "Hasthalakshana Deepika", the book of hand gestures, which Kathakali follows. There are 'Asamyutha Mudras' (that is shown using single hand) and 'Samyutha Mudras' (mudras shown in double hands) in each Basic Mudras, to show different symbols. Considering all these Mudras and their separations there are totally 470 symbols used in Kathakali

Desert Camel Safari

A thrilling experience traveling through a region known as Thar Desert by Camel, which till date remains virtually isolated from the rest of the world. A completely different world altogether waits for you. All over the Desert tour, one encounters typical lifestyles, culture, forts, castles, cuisine, desert safaris, customs, mysteries, stories and experiences. The Great Indian Desert Thar Desert, the huge unending expanse of burning hot sand is spread over four states in India, namely Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, and two states in Pakistan covering an area of about 446,000 square kilometers. Deriving its name from 'thul' denoting the sand ridges of the region, Thar stands divided between Sindh region in Pakistan and Rajasthan in India. A tract of rolling sand hills, the Thar Desert is bordered by the irrigated Indus plains to the west, the Aravalli Range to the southeast, the Rann of Kachchh to the south, and the Punjab plain to the north and northeast. Yielding salt and gypsum, the desert is formed due to the scant rainfall received by the region as a result of the dryness of the prevailing monsoon winds. It is believed those aeons ago, Lord Rama drew an arrow in his bow, targeting Lanka, the island capital where his wife was held captive by the demon king, Ravana. However, such were its destructive powers that the gods pleaded with the Lord to desist from his intended purpose. But the arrow once drawn could not be pulled back and thus

Rama pointed the arrow to a far-flung sea. The heat generated by the arrow dried the sea and in its place arose a dry, arid and hot desert. Archaeological Evidence - Thar Desert The many excavations of the fossils in the desert have led to the belief that the area was teeming with marine life once upon a time. It is believed those centuries ago, the earliest inhabitants who were a part of an urban civilization that arose 4500 years ago, belonged to this region. Recent excavations of the Indus Valley Civilization reveal that the settlements penetrated deep into the heart of the desert. Archaeologists have found a remarkable resemblance between the citadels and the manner of building along narrow lanes that dissect each other at right angles and more recent settlements.

White water rafting

The challenge of the turbulent rivers is no less than that of the rugged mountains. The icy heights of the Himalayas are the source of some of India's mighty rivers. Fed by innumerable streams they race along tortuous boulder strewn beds, cutting deep gorges and breaking into silvery white rapids. With the intricate network of Mountain Rivers flowing through a myriad of different colors of rocky gorges, forests, flowers and high mountain villages, the Garhwal and Kumaon hills provide ideal locales for the perfect water adventure. The sport of white water river rafting calls for a triumph over the swift swirling river as it gushes past spectacular mountains. It is practiced mainly in the upper reaches where the water is wild and white as it frothes and foams, crashing against narrow gorges, rocky outcrops and falls at deep The suitable period for river running depends on the adequacy of water volume. Thus September-November and March-April-May are most appropriate. The equipment required is ordinary outdoor gear, goggles, antiseptic cream and a liking for getting wet! Gradients. Down river from Devprayag, the Ganga changes into a pool drop river. This stretch of almost 70 km is perfect for amateur and the novice, for here the river offers some fine Grade III rapids and two Grade IV 'GOLF COURSE', 4 km below Shivpuri village; each followed by rapids, the 'WALL' at Byasi and the deep and placid pools.

Jeep safari

An overland journey carries the essence of a high adventure, over spectacular road journeys through remote and previously forbidden areas of the Himalaya. Some are old Caravan routes along beautiful valleys. Our Himachal safaris explore and visit out of the way places in this beautiful state. Magnificent temples, local houses, craft working, weaving and village life, hot springs, lush forests, abundant flowers and bird life - all combine to create a highly unusual and rewarding tour. Plenty of time is available for walking, fishing or just relaxing in a beautiful spot. Accommodation on tour ranges from deluxe hotels to simple forest lodges in remote places. Beside the hills, you can travel around the cities, forts, places and deserts of Rajasthan in on jeep safaris. Jeeps can take you o the interiors of a village or a town where heavy and huge buses found hard to travel. This not only ensures you greater excitement but also that you get to see much more.

Model Village Kumbalangi

This beautiful island is under the Integrated Tourism Village project and is a unique initiative to transform the tiny island as a model fishing village and tourism spot. Here at the Kumbalangi Tourism Village one can fully savour a variety of natural splendors, and paramount to a model tourist village the outstanding ecological balance of the location. The village, the first of its kind in the country is located near the port city of Kochi in Ernakulam District. The model village is a veritable treat to its visitors with the famous Chinese fishing nets and many other sights to savour. As art of the model village project at Kumbalangi, a nearby island near Palluruthy would also have plenty of interesting vistas and activities in the near future. This coastal hamlet without doubt provides a fascinating glimpse

of the simple and prosperous livelihood of the villagers, and also unravels the age-old, magnificent culture and heritage of the place. This village has its own natural beauty. Village At the same time, steps are being taken to preserve the environment and eco-system of Kumbalangi. Besides, the decision not to build any new structures also attracts interest of the environment-concerned travellers. Only the available current facilities will be improved further for the development of tourism. The project proposes to initiate work for better sanitary conditions, solid waste disposal, development of walkways and boat jetties, improving upon the bridge connecting the island to the mainland, water harvesting and boat cruising.

Kerala Home stay

Home Stay offers peace, privacy and pure relaxation Home Stays presents an atmosphere of a home away from your home. . Almost all Home Stays in Kerala are in the midst of coconut palms. Home Stays in Kerala offer a place to relax and dream in with loving care and delicious Kerala food. Feel of the life of a typical Kerala family usually it’s the ancestral house built years back they are old wooden Kerala houses that were bought and restructured. Traditional Kerala cuisine is prepared with much love and thought….a huge variety of Kerala dishes with some vegetables picked from backyard, and organically grown. Life around the house best to maintain a eco friendly atmosphere and since pesticides are not used and ecology is maintained, you might occasionally find a some living beings around the home like ants, flies or occasionally a lizard or a spider, they are a part of the ecology cycle we believe in not disturbing the natural habitats and eco-cycle with pesticides. Please don’t be scared since they are harmless and non poisonous. Electricity Since it’s a village in Kerala and Kerala has shortage of power generation, there can be surprise power

cuts. It’s all a part of our life in kerala, there is a generator /invertor available that will handle the lights and fans, but A/C won’t function on it. We contribute our best to the preservation of the ancient Kerala architecture and heritage of kerala. We try our best to use only ecofriendly materials, and age old building methods of Kerala. Most of the products fish, vegetables & poultry from local people. Vegetables when bought are bought from organically grown farms. Roof paneling of the cottages are done with hand woven plant fiber called paya only found and used in kerala. Age old natural methods of pest control with smoking leaves and other medicinal herbs are used .Ponds and water bodies to hold rain water and preserve the water table.Composte for manure and handling the natural waste.