Vaikom

Vaikom is a town of 23,000 people (2011) in Kerala in India.

Understand
Vaikom is the second major tourist spot of Kerala State as per the People's participation for participatory planning and empowerment through responsible tourism scheme.

By car
38 min from Cochin. However during peak hours (8-10AM and 3-6PM) it may take an hour to reach Vaikom town from Cochin.

By bus
Buses and taxis are easily available at all times of the day from Kottayam and Cochin.

By train
Vaikom Road via Kottayam (15 km).

By plane
Via Cochin International Airport (60 km).

By bus
Vaikom has an excellent local bus service system and it is cheap.

By autorickshaw
This is cheap way of transportation between attractions.

By taxi
Local taxis are also available at cheap rates. There are many car rental companies offering cars with drivers or self-drive. Rates are around ₹7 per km but there are all sorts of extras.

By boat
When you are visiting places like Kumarakom, it is better to opt for boats, as many places in Kuttanad are inaccessible by road.

There are also good ferry services between places that are widely used by the locals, a cheap and scenic way of getting around.

By walk
Many attractions are near by one another so you could walk between them.

Do
Another fun thing to do in Vaikom is to wander through Mahadeva Temple, the central area of the town. By the year end, the yearly Vaikom Temple Festival, Vaikothashtamy, there are a large crowd and the roads are flooded with people.

Buy
It is worth checking out the local gold and silver stores there. The silver anklets with bells are very pretty and cheap. There are also road side spice shops.

Eat
Karikku / ilaneer (tender coconut).

Sambhaaram (buttermilk), especially on hot summer days.

Fresh toddy from the coconut tree, especially around the Kumarakom area. Take caution as adulteration of the brew is very common. Your best bet would be to get it from a local who has given over his coconut trees for extraction

Drink
So many toddy parlours in Vaikom with excellent naadan food.

The KTDC Restaurant near Boat Jetty Offer excellent Beer and Food, and it is nicely located near the shore of Vembanad Lake

Sleep

 * Karithanam Ayur Farms, www.karithanam.com
 * Devaswom Guest House
 * Vaikothappan Tourist Home
 * Kalakkal Tourist Home
 * Kailas Lodge

Go next

 * Alappuzha &mdash; famous for House Boats, is 30 km away.
 * Munnar &mdash; a hill resort in Idukki District, is 130 km east. And on the way to Munnar are
 * Kallil Temple &mdash; an old Jain temple but now a Hindu temple is 53 km from Perumbavoor.
 * Kodanadu &mdash; elephant training centre.
 * Bhoothathankettu &mdash; dam, 8 km northeast of Kothamangalam.
 * Thattekkad &mdash; bird sanctuary near Bhoothathankettu.
 * Idukki District &mdash; a hilly region with lots of hill resorts, on the way to Idukki are Thommankutthu waterfalls in Idukki District via Muvattupuzha.
 * Athirappilly Waterfalls &mdash; near Chalakudy, Thrissur
 * Thekkady
 * Kumarakom in Kottayam
 * Guruvayoor and Thrissur
 * Ooty, Kodaikanal, Yercaud in Tamil Nadu
 * Lakshadweep &mdash; is a 5-day (seasonal) cruise from the Cochin port.
 * Cherai Beach &mdash; some 25 km away from Cochin city near North Paravur and its beautiful with a nice beach and local cuisine.