The place where one can forget oneself. The place to go to when life becomes a bit too much. Into the languid lap of nature with all the modern infrastructure that a place can offer having been in existence since early antiquity. Kerala is called by the Keralites God’s own country and quite rightly. Kerala is the land of hills in the east, the sea in the west and lush rivers and backwaters in between, perennially fed by the  monsoon. This may be a lot of water for the Delhite who is more used to the desert conditions of the northwest of India but when repose of the soul is essential and paramount, there is no place like being by a lake. Kerala is criss- rossed by rivers, backwa-ters and their  tributaries with many lakes and finally the sea to cap of the scene.

From the tourist’s point of view this is beauty at its most alluring, but for the keralite it is bounty untold. Food is in plenty and the waterways have been the backbone of a vibrant economy since time unknown.

When I wish to get away from it all, I always try to get to the nearest piece of water and this time, having secured time out from work, I decide to lie low around Kollam.It is one of the oldest town of the region. A very well known and frequented town by Phoenicians, Persians, Romans, Arabs and even the Chinese. Even Marco polo has made mention of Kollam in his writings. It is easy to forget that this idyllic place for a holiday is also one of India’s most modern commercial towns and port. But then I have not come here to talk shop. The idea is to run away from it all. So my first goal is to find myself a place to stay. There are many choices. There are the resorts such as the Ashtamudi Resorts, the Palm Lagoon Resorts and the Yatri Nivas Ashramam. Of course there are good commercial hotels like Sudarshan, Shah International, Karthika,Prasanthi, See Bee, Amabadi, De Orient etc to name a few. The nearest airport is at Thiruvananthpuram, south of Kollam, I choose to reach by air to avoid fatigue.

This season will last right upto march end but by this time there is evidently a warm pinch in the air.

A taxi organised through the offices of Kerala Tourism takes me swiftly to Ashtamudi Resorts. Where I break journey and forget everything else. I begin my holiday with a chilled glass of coconut milk, which is in my opinion the drink of the gods. Later with a cool down and some Cold Coffee I plan to leave any thinking for tomorrow. The next day of course sees me planning out my holiday.

The choices offered to me are many. The DTPC organises cruises down the Asthamudi and Vemanand backwaters. Here again I have a choice of cruises and I choose the longest of 5 days that will permit me to get away from noise, telephones etc with paddy fields, estuaries and such for company. It is a long languid journey covering all the gateway cities of backwaters including Kochi, Allapuzha, Kumarakom and Kottayam.

5 kms from Kollam, is one of the best beaches in the world. One of the longest expanses of the Arabian Sea opens out in front of you and the place is perfect for swimming and bathing. I love history and forts fascinate me. So I decide that now I am here,

– LawZ Bureau