| ~ Activities at Our Land ~ |
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| When not puttering about the island discovering its many secrets, you are as likely to be lounging on the balcony overlooking life unfolding on the lake. |
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Hammocking
(Daily; All hours) |
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| If your objective of a visit here is the pursuit of relaxation, then the options are many and varied, but top of the list would be spending the entire day hammocking away with your favourite book. |
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Guided Village & Paddy field Walks
(Daily; 0700-0900 hrs & 1630-1830 hrs) |
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Taking leisurely walks through the village and paddy fields is the best way to study the culture and lifestyle of the people of the Kuttanad region. You will find that the traditional village atmosphere is quite enchanting and relaxed. Breathe in the tang of fresh air with a gentle breeze blowing against you as you walk through the green paddy fields. Dip your feet in the slushy waters of the fields running close to your path. Feast your eyes on the greenery around you and sip on a cool tender coconut. What we have arranged for you is a walk which takes up one-and-a-half to two hours. It starts after you cross the backwater using country boats, and then you walk through the paddy fields and visit the local fishermen and farmer's houses. The walks take you from one end of the main land to the other end making it a 'U' shaped trail.
Please wear sunscreen, dark glasses and a good wide-brimmed hat. Sandals or walking shoes with good grip helps on the sometimes slippery trails. Don't forget your camera. |
Walking Route
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Canoeing Trips
(Guided Trips - Daytime from 0700-0900 hrs & 1630-1830 hrs; Night, from 2030-2130 hrs). (Self-Use - Daily; All hours) |
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You can enjoy the beauty of Kuttanad as you travel through the serene backwaters. The greatest advantage of canoeing is that you can watch the village life and its people without intruding into their privacy. By canoeing you can also go down narrow canals which are otherwise not accessible by larger boats. You can feast your eyes on the palm fringed river banks, the vast expanse of water, the lush green paddy fields, the local fishermen at work, and coir workers engaged in their daily routines. You can combine a daytime canoeing trip along with a visit to a local school and church. Our staff will guide you around the backwaters and will steer the canoe for you. If you want, you can join-in by handling a paddle yourself.
Canoeing at night is also magical and you can enjoy the placid beauty of the backwaters on a moonlit night. Stars fill the sky, small houses with twinkling lights dot the river bank, and scores of fireflies create Christmas trees all around you. And your personal Sahai can accompany you to serve you your drink and snacks onboard!
Canoes are also available for self-use at any time of day or night.
(A release form is to be read and signed for self-use trips.)
If you are not a good swimmer or cannot swim, please ask for a life-vest. Please wear sunscreen (especially for shoulders and arms), dark glasses and a hat. Don't forget your camera.
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Angling & Fishing
(Daily; All hours) |
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Sitting in the cool shade of a coconut palm with your fishing rod dangling over the water makes for a relaxed and lazy way to spend some time at our island retreat. The waters around the retreat are excellent for angling. We have traditional as well as modern fishing rods. There are fishing nets also available at the retreat and our staff will teach you how to use the nets properly. If you feel you are more adventurous you can venture out into the backwaters in a canoe armed with the fishing rods. And if you don't feel you are game for all this, just try your hand at sweeping a towel through the water, or just feel for fish with your feet in the mud below. Kids can try trapping small fish with their hands. |
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Our island retreat is one of the few densely vegetated areas surrounded by miles of paddy fields. It has become a sanctuary for birds and bird watching is one of the pastimes that you are bound to enjoy during your stay with us. You will find more than 106 species of birds including several varieties of migratory birds that frequent our island and the surrounding waters during the winter season. These include Siberian cranes, parrots, teal, larks, flycatchers, and others. Other indigenous birds like the waterfowl, cuckoo, owls, egrets, herons and ducks can also be spotted. As you walk on the island pathways or sail on the backwaters just before sunrise or sunset, you can find hundreds of birds perched on the trees on the island. Binoculars and a few bird identification guides are available at the retreat.
Please click here for the complete list of birds identified at Our Land. |
Our Birdwatching Guide
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| Recreational Games |
We have for you some very simple games which will keep you engaged. We have playing cards, a chess board, caroms (a traditional Indian board game) and a number of traditional village board games like 'Pallamkuzhy'. Our staff at the resort will help you with the traditional games. |
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| Other Activities |
Ask your Sahai to tie up a hammock and take a long snooze under the shade of a tree.
Bring your swimwear and take a cool dip in the backwaters. If you are feeling energetic, you can even swim across to the far side riverbank. |
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| Local Excursions (Optional and can be arranged with extra payment) |
There are plenty of local day trips from our island retreat. Make a half-day visit to Alleppey, famous for its houseboats, busy bazaars, and its beach. Further afield, you can take a full-day trip to Fort Cochin with its heritage quarter filled with interesting cafes and antique shops, sublime boutique hotels, and ancient churches. If you want a break from the heat, then head for the hills to a rubber or coffee plantation near Kottayam. Spend the day learning about plantation activities, rubber and coffee processing, and enjoy a delicious lunch with your hosts. |
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