Kottayam

By ajaychaudhary2nd

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Kottayam, the ' Land Of Lakes, Latex and Letters' is one of the most industrially developed districts of the State and the first fully literate town in the country.

The lingua franca in Kottayam is Malayalam, the official language of the state of Kerala. Travelers should not face much difficulty in getting by with English, as the language is widely understood, at least at a rudimentary level. Most sign-boards above shops are in English as well. Tamil is another language that is understood reasonably widely. On the other hand, conversing with the locals in Hindi, India's national language, is a far more difficult task and is best avoided.

Places To Visit : -

*Aruvikkuzhi Waterfalls - 18 km from Kottayam town near Kumarakom.

*Elaveezha poonchira (valley where leaves don't fall) - a hill station near Melukavu Mattom, 60 km from Kottayam with gigantic hills around 3200 ft height. Beautiful hillocks Mankunnu, Kudayathoormala and Thonippara, Poonchira. Famous for the legend that says the pool here was a bathing place for Panchali the legendary heroine of the Mahabharata.

*Erumely - important pilgrim centre for the Hindus and Muslims.

*Vaikom Temple - 40 km from Kottayam, famous for the Shiva Temple.

*Vembanad Lake - 83.72 km length and 14.48 km width, Cruise boats, House boats, Traditional Cargo boats.


By Air :

Kochi International Airport [2] (Cochin) 93 km away, is the nearest airport. The airport has flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Kozhikode, Tiruvananthapuram, Agatti, Mangalore, Goa, Colombo, Singapore and every international airport in the Middle East. The airport is currently served by the following airlines: Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, JetLite, Kingfisher Red, Go Air, IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, Srilankan Airlines, Silk Air, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Oman Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Gulf Traveller, Etihad Airlines, Air Arabia and Jazeera Airways.

From the airport, it is possible to get to Kottayam either by road (buses and taxis are available, and recommended for convenience) or by rail via railway stations at either Angamali (the closest to the airport, but very few trains stop here), Ernakulam Junction or Ernakulam Town.


By train :

Kottayam has a number of long distance trains coming through. The town is linked to most major cities in India by trains, categorized as being either 'express' or 'non-express'. Short-haul trains also pass through Kottayam, connecting it to most cities and towns in Kerala.

By bus :

There are bus services operating from cities like Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Chennai, Bangalore, Mangalore, Coimbatore to Kottayam. The quality of buses that operate vary significantly. Seats on comfortable, safe and air-conditioned buses can be had on paying higher fares. So, it's best to verify that what you're getting is in line with your expectation.

By Road :

Kottayam is well connected to other cities Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha (Alleppey), Chennai, Kannur, Kozhikode, Mangalore, Bangalore, Coimbatore by road.

By Boat :

Frequent Ferries from Alappuzha (Alleppey),starts from morning.Takes two hours to reach Kottayam,through the beautiful backwaters.Most cheapest of travel options.




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