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Spice Gardens of Heaven

There is a simple solution for the heat and humidity of the plains of Kerala: a trip to the mountains where at the edge of the Periyar, many spice gardens are located. Dwelling at a height of 800-1000 metres, these dense forests surely preserve some of the world's most exotic flavours. Life is simple up here, yet there also seems to be an excess of everything. Stay in one of those straw covered cottages standing amidst bright green palm groves and patches where mangoes, nutmeg and cardamom flourish. Wake up for the first time to the call of fragrances - coffee, cardamom and black pepper - providing a sense of privacy and personal satisfaction. One can find people letting out all kind of yell just to reciprocate the echo getting reflected from surrounding hills. One can see clusters of black pepper plants grown at home by the villagers residing by the road. Then, as you drive by, you might see stretches of cardamom plantations for several kilometers along the road. Get down from your car to pick up some fresh cardamom and black pepper from trees. Run a few steps and you can see cinnamon and clove vegetations dotting the landscape. Bent and leaves of curry and ginger will touch your fingers. What else do you want for a memorable holiday?

Agri-tourism project to be launched in Alappuzha

The Alappuzha district Agri-Horticultural Society will launch an agri-tourism project to attract tourists to the rural areas of the district and make them familiar with the agricultural practices in the State. The office-bearers of the society at a press conference today said that in the initial phase, the project would aim at familiarising tourists with the paddy cultivation in Kuttanad, the vegetable cultivation in Kanjikkuzy and the agriculture extension programmes being implemented at the Vayalar panchayat.

They said that domestic and foreign tourists had already evinced interest in the agricultural practices in these areas. The aim of the society was to coordinate various independent ventures in agro-tourism and attract more tourists to it, said Ravi Palathumkal, general convener of the society