The Palathra Heritage at Mararikulam. Getting there, and Around

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Location:

At Mararikulam, off NH-47, take the Beach Road towards the Arabian Sea. Just after the Mahadeva (Shiva) Temple there, there’s a right turn onto the Mararikulam – Kanichukulangara Road. A few hundred metres into this, you will see the gate and signboard for “Palathra Heritage” on your left.

How To Get There (from Bangalore) :

Trains : Take an overnight train to Alleppey. From the station you’ll get plenty of cabs to cover the 16 odd km to Mararikulam. The cabs should charge your 450-500/-. If the train stops at Cherthala, about 10km from Palathra, you could disembark there as well.

You could also take a train to Ernakulam (Cochin) – many more trains go upto there. The distance from here to Palathra is about 50kms, and cabs should be available easily. If you find a connecting train to Cherthala, that’s a good option as well.

Buses : Overnight Volvos headed to Alleppey or beyond should drop you at Cherthala or even Mararikulam (check with them as you board) from where you should get autos or cabs to Palathra Heritage.

By Air (from Cochin) :

Take a flight into Kochi (Cochin). You should get plenty of cabs there to get you to Mararikulam, about 90km away.

Around There

  • The Beach : Marari’s famous beach is just about a kilometer away – you could walk/ride or take an auto.
  • St. Andrew’s Forane Basilica, Arthunkal : a beautiful 16th century Church about 7km away on the picturesque beach highway.
  • The Mahadeva Temple : A centuries old Shiva temple a short walk away is the only temple where Sree Mahadeva and Parvathi Devi sit facing each other.
  • Vembanad Lakea and the backwaters : The Muhamma Boat Jetty on the Vembanad lake is a few kms on the other side of the NH. Backwater cruises, and boats and ferries to the other side to get to the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary and to get to the Pathiramanal Island – another pretty paradise for birdwatchers – are available here.
  • Alleppey itself is a quick cab/auto/bus ride away. Old churches, ancient temples, trading hubs, the canals criss crossing town and the beach give the town a very timeless feel.
  • Fort Kochi is a great one day trip – a lot of old buildings, Chinese fishing nets, world and trading history and shopping in a very walkable few square kilometers along the harbour.

Locally, autos, cabs and even public transport (buses, trains and ferries!) are plentiful and if you’d like, we’ll call one for you. Plan a trip to the Palathra Heritage, Mararikulam for a week long vacation, true Kerala style. The property has 5 old wooden huts transplanted in a green garden, authentic Kerala food and is perfectly situated for all of the above!

For reservations : stay@linger.in or +91-959-005-0001

Birdwatching Weekend at Coorg

2015 Update : A guest did some excellent birding around our place at Chettimani. Click on that for a report, list of species spotted and some lovely pictures.

Its a lovely season in Coorg for birdwatching, and if you’ve always been curious about that, and want to step into their fascinating world, take a vacation the coming weekend – the 26th and 27th of Feb.

We’ve asked Adarsh Raju, a birdwatching enthusiast and a darned good amateur wildlife photographer to help introduce folks to birding. He’ll share the whats/hows of this hobby, to start with, and then follow it up with 3 sessions “out there” spotting, identifying and understanding various species found in the area (its over 200, we’ve been told!)

If you’re keen, turn up on Fri eve/Sat morning, and start back on Sun evening. The overnight bus on Fri will get you there by 6:30am or so. The return Volvo is at 11, and there’s even a Rajahamsa straight from/to Bhagamandala which gets you directly to the bus stop near Linger. For bus reservations, use this link.

The entire trip will be priced at 1750/- per person starting from coffee as you arrive on Sat morning to snacks or even an early dinner as you take the bus into Madikeri from Linger around 7pm on Sunday. All meals, use of the library, the birding activity, bonfires, unlimited tea/coffee all day, use of hammocks, use of the bikes there are included.

We can accommodate 12 people quite comfortably, and acco will be on a shared basis in the 3 cottages. We should be able to accommodate 10 people.

Do get a light jacket, a good camera and decent walking shoes/sandals along for the trip. Also be prepared to wake up early and head out to catch the early birds 🙂

Let us know right away, and shoot questions if any, at:

stay@linger.in

or call :  +91-95900-50001