Alappuzha Backwaters
We managed to drag ourselves away from the coast and after a night in Alappuzha, or Alleppey as it was formerly known (and is still commonly referred to just to confuse us!) we boarded our very own private houseboat, or ketta vallum as they are called in India. Complete with captain, chef and 2nd mate we felt just a little special as we set off across the calm lake for a day and night of boating. The backwaters in southern Kerala are full of canals and waterways that support hundreds of families. It was great watching the women as they walked along the narrow walls that lined the canals in their bright saris, the people washing in the river or fishing for dinner as the sun set. We were unfortunately a little disappointed with the short amount of time we spent moving on the water but we enjoyed the peaceful life while it lasted.

Festivities at Kottayam
Our visit to Kottayam was perfectly timed with the beginning of 10 days of festivities at the Sri Mahadeva Temple. We enjoyed some classical South Indian music, a ceremony involving a decorated elephant and temple music, and some highly stylised dance performances. As the only non-Indians there we also drew plenty of attention as we sat and watched both the performances and the people. During the day we ventured 19km out of Kottayam to the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary where we saw a large number of water birds and some turtles to Kate's delight (who is missing her little Sam very much!).

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
We travelled by bus up to the Western Ghats, the mountain range that splits South India in two, home to many spices plantations and one of India's largest National Parks, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Periyar is particularly famous for its tigers, of which sightings are very rare, but is also home to leopards, various deer, elephants, bison, a multitude of birds and many more. On our arrival we did a boat trip round the lake and the next day we did an excellent full day trek through terrain that included dense valleys, open grasslands, swamps, mountains, forest and woodlands. (Unfortuntely, you are not allowed to walk around the park unnacompanied, but our guides were very good).

On our last day, Kate tried an ancient Indian Auruvedic massage, while Michael visited the tribal village, which is inside the park. The villagers are heavily involved in the management of the park and ecotourism which was interesting to see. Finally, we went on patrol at night, complete with armed guard, spotting animals and keeping an eye out for the 'sandalwood mafia'. The park was perhaps the best we have been to thus far and the cool mountain air was certainly a relief.

This travelogue was originally published here