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Ashram: Rail
Only a few services. You have to change in Villupuram for Madras and Madurai.
Ashram:Bus
Government buses leave from the bus terminal to:
Madras, around the clock; Trivandrum, at 4.45pm, Coimbatore, 7am; Bangalore, one service morning and evening; Ernakulam, at 5.30pm; Ootacamund (Ooty), one service in the evening; Madurai, afternoon and evenings - total of 5 services; Mahabalipuram, 5 services during the day.
There are also private buses to Bangalore, amongst other places.
Kerala, With An Area Of 38,863 Sq Km (15,001 Sq Miles), Is The Second Smallest State In India After Goa. It Has A Population Of 30 Million, And Is Densely Populated. The 575km (357 Miles) Long Coastal State Was The First State In India To Elect The Communist Party To Power, In 1956. Since Then The Congress Party Has Been Re-Elected.
This Can Be Explained By The Fact That Only Approximately 50% Of Its Population Can Read And Write. On The Street, Practically Only Malayalam Is Spoken And Understood. Kerala Produces About 70% Of India’s Spices, About 70% Of Its Coconuts, And 35% Of Its Fish. Apart From That, Tourism Is A Money-Spinner. The Endless Coconut Palm Plantations, The Romantic Inland Backwaters, Kovalam Beach And The Periyar National Park, Draw More And More Visitors.
Cochin, With Its 700,000 Inhabitants (1 Million In The District), Is The Largest City In Kerala And An Important Port. It Consists Of Four Parts:
Fort Cochin/Mattancherry: The Charming Old Section Of Cochin, Built On A Peninsula Where The Gpo Is Located. It Has A Charm Of Its Own And Is Worth Seeing.
Ernakulam: The Modern Centre On The Mainland With The Bus Station, Ernakulam Railway Station And The Ktdc Tourist Reception Centre.
Willingdon Island: An Artificial Island Built With The Soil Dredged Up When The Harbour Was Deepened, It Lies Between The Fort And Ernakulam. Found Here Are The Cochin Station, Harbour Terminus, The Airport, The Govt Of India Tourist Office, And The Hotel Malabar.
There Are A Few Other Islands Like Bolghatty, Gundu And Wallarpatt Islands
Arrival
There Are Numerous Hotels Right Near The Bus Station;
Budget Hotels Opposite Are:
Ninans Tourist Lodge (Singles 3ors, Doubles 5ors),
Hotel Blue Nile (Singles 45Rs, Doubles 6ors), .
Hotel Luciya (Singles 5ors, Doubles Loors). The Rooms In All Three
Hotels Have Baths, And Are Really Clean.
In Amman Kovil Road, The Street Beside The Hotel Blue Nile, Are Budget Lodges Like The Casino Lodge Or The Priya Lodge, Singles From 25Rs, Doubles From 4ors.
On Top Of That, There Is A Lot Of Accommodation Available Around The Ernakulam Railway Station E.G. Central Hotel, And Near Broadway E.G. Basoto Lodge In Press Club Road.
Numerous cheap lodges.
Mini lodge doubles
The lake queen lodge is slightly better, singles 45rs and doubles 9o rs. Hotel woodlands is at the end of the village, doubles 4ors with bath dors. The hotel ambadi is right near the checkpost at the entry to the reserve,
And offers 2-bed cottages for 85 and loors (all have bath) and a 10 bed Dormitory. Other accommodation is available in private homes for about 2ors.
In thekkady (just inside the park) is periyar house, ph 25, singles 6ors and doubles loors. All double rooms have bath and hot water. The hotel aranya nivas, ph 23 has doubles from 165rs. The two hotels in the park at thekkady are very popular, especially at weekends, and are often booked out. It is a good idea to telephone first, or arrive early. The tourist reception centre in cochin will handle reservations, but they charge a 5ors fee. If you can afford it you should stay at periyar house. Kumily is not as nice, and they operate on the 24 hour system whereas check out time in thekkady is 12 noon. Collective jeep taxis operate between kumily and thekkady and the fare is 8rs per person. There are also buses.
All the above mentioned hotels have their own restaurant.
Between Periyar House And The Jetty, Some Of The Trees Have Their Botanical Names Displayed On Plaques. You Can See, For Example, A Teak Tree And The Mighty Ficus Religiosa.
Entry To The Park Is Prohibited Between 6pm And 6am Under The Threat Of Prosecution. Of Course, The Area Around The Park Hotels And The Road To Kumily Are Excepted.
This Island Group Belongs To India, And Lies Between 190km (118 Miles) And 300km (186 Miles) West Of Kerala. Of The 36 Coral Islands, With A Total Area Of 32.4 Sq Km (13 Sq Miles), Only Ten Are Inhabited. The Population Of 50,000 Are Mostly Muslim.
The Main Industry Is Fishing (Tuna And Sharks). That Could Change If They Were Opened Up For Unrestricted Tourist Development. On The Other Hand The Laccadives Are A Restricted Area, And Travellers Who Want To Visit The Islands Have To Get A Permit In Delhi. The Only Exception Is The Island Of Bangaram.
This Is An Important Indian Rubber Centre, And It Is The Jumping Off Place For The Periyar National Park, And For The Backwaters. Its Not Really Worth Stopping Over In Kottayam. It Is Better To Go Straight On With The Boat To Alleppey. The Trip By Scooter From The Bus Terminal To The Boat
This Town Of 200,000 Is Built Along Many Canals, And Is Really Pretty. The High Point Of The Season Is The Snake Boat Race Held In The Second Half Of August. A Visit To The Beach Is Also Worthwhile. Take A Scooter To The Beach Rest House - Cost Lors. The Temple In Mullakal Is Not Open To Non-Hindus.
Quilon Has A Population Of 150,000. Accommodation Can Be Found Right
Near The Jetty, And The Bus Terminal Is Also There.
The Mahalakshmi Lodge Is Right Near The Jetty. It Is Very Clean, Doubles
Cost Around 30rs, And It Also Has A Good Restaurant. (W.K.)
Double Rooms In The Sudarsan Hotel Cost Around 6ors And It Has A Good
Restaurant. (Petra Z.)
Connections
There Are Day And Night Buses To Trivandrum 72km (45 Miles) - Lors And A 2 Hour Trip. There Are Two Boats To Alleppey Daily At 10am And 10.30pm. There Is Also A Bus.
You Can Also Go On The Backwaters To Kapapuzha Or Guhanan-Dapuram.
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