KOCHI: You might have gone on a ride enjoying the symphony of rains on the dreamy backwaters in Kerala during the monsoon, or have been a part of an expedition through the jungles, encountering the wild in close quarters. But how about a drive taking in the wonders of kole lands in central Kerala, which forms one of the rice granaries of the state and is famous for its rich biodiversity with its greenery and abundance of birds and fishes? The Athirappilly-Thumboormuzhi-Vazhachal Destination Management Council (DMC) under the Tourism Department has decided to tap the tourism potential of Thrissur’s kole lands, by offering a dawn-to-dusk trip for tourists for experiencing the wonders of kole land, a low-lying area with alluvium deposits brought down by rivers, and giving them an opportunity to know about the slow life in villages.
Tourism Promotion Council executive officer Manesh Sebastian said the trip through kole fields has been arranged to popularise the fields’ wonders among city dwellers and provide a refreshing experience for tourists.The journey comprises a drive through the meandering crude soil roads in the villages, watching rare species of winged visitors, breakfast from village eateries situated near the paddy clusters, boating through the rivers touching the bushy mangroves in Chettuva, a ‘beach walk’ along the coast of Chavakkad in the evening with flying kites against the backdrop of the sinking sun in the evening sea, and returning to Chalakudy from where the journey began.
“Titled ‘Thrissur Kole Land Tour’, the trip will also be informative for tourists as the DMC has arranged the service of a guide to dish out the details and peculiarity of each wonder on the terrain and their role in the lives of people in the region,” Sebastian said.“This is first time the sprawling kole fields have been thrown open to tourists in an organised way. At present, there are no major players in the sector offering an exclusive trip to the fields in central Kerala,” he said. The DMC has been organising jungle safari to forests in Athirappilly-Vazhachal-Malakkappara region and monsoon rides there since 2014.
All aboard!
DMC charges Rs 850 per tourist. This includes transportation and food charges
Tourists can book the trip by calling 0480-2769888/ 9497069888
The major attraction of the kole lands is they remain submerged under floodwater for about six months a year between Juneand November
The kole wetland covers around 13,000 hectares spread over Thrissur and Malappuram
The lands were formerly shallow lagoons, which gradually silted up with rivers bringing floodwater into the area before emptying into the Arabian Sea
The name kole refers to the peculiar type of cultivation followed by the farmers from December to May
More than 250 different bird species are found in the kole area. Migratory birds come here from different regions for nesting and feeding