{"id":12,"date":"2017-02-26T13:02:00","date_gmt":"2017-02-26T13:02:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2019-03-28T17:51:20","modified_gmt":"2019-03-28T17:51:20","slug":"kerala-trip-with-the-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gauravw.com\/blog\/2017\/02\/kerala-trip-with-the-family\/","title":{"rendered":"Kerala Trip with the Family!"},"content":{"rendered":"
The one trip every nature lover needs to make to Gods own country; which is the 7th smallest state in India and yet there is just so much to explore. Let me quickly brief you up on our itinerary first before moving onto the actual trip. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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Day 1 \u2013 Reaching Trivandrum via air route.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Day 2 \u2013 Kanyakumari,TN (Vivekananda Memorial  + Bhagavathy Amman temple ) + Suchindram Temple <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Day 3 – Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple + Kovalam Beach<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Day 4 \u2013 Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary + Trivandrum Zoo<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Day 5 – Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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Day 1<\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
There are hundreds of flights to Kerala but if you have to convince 4 families to travel together; even a million flights will seem less of an option. Everyone has an opinion which needs to be taken into consideration because otherwise \u201clogo ko feel ho jata hai\u201d.  <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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So, 11 of us were to travel from Mumbai to TRV. Now, if it were my college batchmates whom I had to travel with, I wouldn’t be half as worried \u2013 they travel light and listen to the instructions from their fellow men. But unfortunately, none of these rules are applicable to family members. And so I am glad to have joined gym because the workout comes handy when one has to pick bags as big as mountain rocks. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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\u201cMy family, My rules\u201d should not be the motto at the airport because you wouldn\u2019t want to put a bad impression in front of the beautiful girl at the baggage counter. And that would happen because:<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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a. The luggage had to be pooled. One of the things you do if you are a frequent flyer is travel light \u2013 with no check in luggage allowed. I had to keep the luggage from all 3 trolleys on the belt \u2013 with no appreciation from the members and no smile from the girl at the counter. Quite like at my office.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
b. Most of us had done our web check-in except for the senior citizens since they didn’t have the option.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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Anyway, I handed over the boarding passes; ID\u2019s and ticket printouts to each so they could proceed for security check in. But surprise surprise!! There is another member from our family who has been waiting for us; thus making Mumbai airport – my personal centre of surprises, for last time it was my brother, while this time, it is my brother-in-law! (Imagine the K3G sad version playing in the background.)<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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View From Flight just before landing<\/span><\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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So now we were 12 and obviously the last to board the bus.<\/o:p><\/span>
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We booked Uber cabs from the airport and were dropped near the Akkulam Lake, which was our stay for the trip. Also, 5 more of my family members had already reached the previous day. This meant 17 people in all! So much fun (read fun as mismanagement with the K3G music playing again except that it has to be louder this time)!<\/span><\/div>\n

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Day 2<\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
Mornings in Kerala cannot be missed. The beautiful morning walk is a delight to sore and always-staring-at-the-computer-screen eyes. So never miss that!<\/span><\/div>\n
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Akkulam Lake and the morning walk track<\/span><\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
When we came back \u2013 some of the folks were still sleeping while the others were enjoying their tea, discussing about plans for the day.<\/o:p><\/span>

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My brother managed to strike a good deal with local transport firms and got us a Tempo Traveller which could accommodate 16 people. It’s always fun if the entire family travels together. However, as per the treaty with our mom and maasi\u2019s, we were not supposed to bother them to come with us unless Ratna Masi (most loved and the strictest member of the family) is along, this meant 12 of us were going to Kanyakumari. <\/o:p><\/span>

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Our Tempo Traveler<\/span><\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Initially, I was apprehensive about opting for a Tempo Traveller as it could be as uncomfortable as the bangalore office buses but when I felt the AC, saw the charging point, LCD screen – I was cool. You see, one can never remove gadgets and AC from a computer engineer.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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Trivandrum to Kanyakumari is a 100Km ride and <\/b>takes around 3-4 hrs minimum. Mid-way there is a toll for interstate tax collection as we had moved from Kerala to TN. Also, the authorities out there request for the names and ages of all the members in the vehicle and once the formalities are done, you are allowed to proceed ahead.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
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Girl gang enjoying the breezy view<\/span><\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

A few more hears into the trip and we were finally at the southernmost tip of our great nation! We got down from the bus ; streched ourselves after the long journey and walked through the local market.  We bought the tickets for the boat ride and waited for our turn. The boat ferried us to the next island. <\/o:p><\/span>
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This was the first time we were on an island (none of us had been to one before), woh bhi, in the middle of the ocean. The breeze was strong and the water kept gushing in a vociferous rage \u2013 a true photographer’s delight.<\/span>
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Sripada Mandapam & Vivekanand Memorial<\/span><\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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In the image above, is <\/span>Sripada Mandapam<\/b> where one can see the footprint of the Goddess on the rock. It is said that she performed austerity on this rock.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
The main attraction is the Vivekananda memorial<\/b>. The structure has a statue of Swami Vivekananda erected on the rock where he had meditated.<\/span>