Top 10 Places to Visit in the vicinity of Kanichukulangara

Every year, thousands of pilgrims and tourists travel to one of Alappuzha’s more valued treasures, the Kanichukulangara Devi Temple. They aren’t aware of the other amazing places in its vicinity of the temple, that they could visit for a day’s outing with their family, stepping away from the festivities, and into a relaxed and entertaining environment.

Here is a list of places that you can plan to visit while travelling to Kanichukulangara Devi Temple. Our hotel, Devi Royal Residency, ideally is the best place to stay, if you need to have easiest access to the Temple, as well as easy access to all of the below-mentioned tourist spots!

1) Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

Popular for being amongst the most well known bird-watching spots in the country, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary has stunned visitors with its inhabitants of numerous rare avian species. The sanctuary is spread out over an area of over 14 hectares. Because of its ideal location on the banks of the Vembanad Lake, in Kottayam, visitors get to see a wide variety of migratory birds that flock in thousands, travelling from places like the Himalayas to Siberia.

Tourists travelling here in June and August, are treated to many rare sights. This is known to be the breeding season of the resident wetland birds like Little Cormorant, different species of egrets and herons, Indian Darter, White Ibis and several species of Kingfishers. People have also reported spotting other birds like Waterfowls, Water Ducks, Larks, Siberian Cranes, Wood Beetles, Flycatchers and Parrots. Another reason to visit the sanctuary is to enjoy the extremely relaxing boating trips.

2) Pathiramanal Island

About 13 km from Alappuzha, Pathiramanal is a small island popularly referred to as a bird watcher’s paradise. Situated on the backwaters, Pathiramanal is a safe haven for hundreds of rare migrating birds. A 30-minute speedboat trip or a 1.5-hour motorboat ride from Alappuzha gets you here. Surrounded by the Vembanad Lake, stretching from Alappuzha to Kochi and the Kayamkulam Lake, Pathiramanal is accessible only by boat. Making it the ideal pit stop in the middle of a houseboat ride.

The word ‘Pathiramanal’ means ‘Sands of Night’. According to the people’s estimates, the area has 50 migratory birds, and 91 local species of birds. Avid bird watchers can spot birds like Stork-Billed Kingfishers, Bronze-Winged Jacanas, Little Cormorant, Cotton Pygmy-Goose and many more.

3) Mararikulam Beach

Located in the heart of Kerala, Mararikulam or Marari Beach entices beach lovers from all over the globe with its untouched beauty. If you plan to just relax and do nothing else, Marari Beach is among the best tourist places to visit in Kerala. With coconut trees, clean water and white sand fringing its vast coastline, this uncrowded beach is the ideal place to soak in the sun, and get yourself the perfect tan.

Whether you choose to read a book leaning onto a coconut tree, laze around sipping tender coconut water, walk the long beach stretch barefooted, or swim to your heart’s content, the beach is a good choice as it is not popular among local tourists as a result, it’s got the name “Secret Beach,” and is pretty well maintained, and devoid of hawkers.

4) Elephant Training Camp

Elephants are among the most gentle and adorable creatures in the world. Sadly, not everyone shares the same sentiment. Because of this, these gigantic beings end up as victims of many evils like entrapment in circuses, poaching, zoos, or get hunted for their tusks. Many times when the elders are taken away for work that involves use of strength, or in instances when they end up killed, the young ones are left orphaned and abandoned.

The Elephant Training Camp in Alleppey is a wonderful place where rescued, injured, or abandoned elephants from various places are taken in, nurtured and loved. Tourists also get a chance to watch them bathe and eat, and also interact with these creatures under strict supervision. Spending time with these cute giants is for sure one of the best things to do in Alleppey for wildlife lovers.

5) Alappuzha beach

Alleppey Beach, popularly known as Alappuzha beach, is famous for its intrinsic beauty, local getaways, and a 150-year-old pier that stretches into the sea. Picnicking beside the beach and relaxing under the palm groves are fantastic options available to those visiting the beach. Alleppey Beach also plays host to many festivals like Alappuzha Beach Festival, and the Sand Art festival.

In addition to the immaculate beauty of the beach, it has a few exciting attractions and activities present in and around this destination. The Nehru Trophy Boat Race in August every year is conducted in the backwaters in the vicinity of the beach. Likewise, the Vijaya Beach Park with its amusement amenities is one more of the reasons for Alappuzha beach being a popular place of attraction for tourists visiting Kerala, and especially Alappuzha. 

6) International Coir Museum

Counted amongst one of the most stunning tourist destinations in Alleppey, the International Coir Museum enjoys the status of being an off-beat tourist spot. This museum is the first of its kind in the world, and as a result, it attracts tourists from all over the world. The museum tour helps in educating the visitors about the advancements in the coir sector. This museum is vibrant, well-maintained, and depicts the workmanship and creativity of people involved in the coir industry. The museum continues to attract domestic as well as international tourists.

The museum also showcases the development and traditional processes of the coir industry, including the advent of mechanisation in the coir sector, fibre extraction and retting etc. To help guide the visitors through the world of coir over the ages, a short video film has been made that gives information about the origin, and growth of the industry. Visitors can also have the joy of shopping for a wide range of coir ornaments, coir handicrafts, and coir doormats in the souvenir shop attached to the Museum.

7) Revi Karunakaran Memorial Museum 

Mr Revi Karunakaran is someone who will be remembered by the people for his passion and huge role he played in improving the coir industry in Kerala. The man had immense love and a fine eye for a multitude of art forms, his art collection displayed in the museum stands testament to this.

This museum has managed to make its place among the primary attractions in Alappuzha. The crystal and ivory collections here are among the largest of its kind. Another thing that catches the eye is a collection of Tanjore paintings that shine brightly along with a 200 sq. ft. mural that is made completely from vegetable dyes. Over 3800 unique pieces have been displayed in its special ‘Kerala Room’ that chart the growth and evolution of this culture.

8) Alleppey Boathouse

Relaxing on a houseboat while exploring the tranquil backwaters of Alleppey is an experience of a lifetime. Traditional Kerala houseboats offer a luxurious and relaxing stay on board along with freshly prepared traditional delicacies. You could do all of this while relaxing in the middle of this ‘watery heaven’.

Kettuvallams, or houseboats in Kerala were traditionally cargo boats that carried spices, rice and other commodities, which have now been transformed into luxury boats complete with a living area, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen and other amenities. In present times, these allow travellers to appreciate the breathtaking beauty of Alappuzha, while slowly gliding along its backwaters.

9) St Andrew’s Basilica, Arthunkal

St. Andrew’s Church, Arthunkal is definitely amongst the most popular pilgrim centres for Christians located at Alappuzha in South India. Although the Church is named after St. Andrew, the Apostle, what brought fame to Arthunkal is the feast of St. Sebastian. The presence of Christians in Arthunkal can be dated back to a very early period, the 7th Century, or earlier. Jesuit missionaries turned their attention to Arthunkal after the arrival of the Portuguese in Kerala.

The ten-day annual festival, or Arthunkal Perunnal, of St. Sebastian’s Church, is a joyous event celebrated with much fervour and pomp in January every year. Devotees from various parts of the State gather at the church on the feast days in the hopes of displaying their faith and devotion.

10) Thiruvizha Mahadevar temple

In the very famous Thiruvizha Mahadevar temple, Lord Shiva is present in the form of Lord Kalakandha, meaning the one who swallowed the poison to save the world. This is a very popular temple where people seek blessings, for those who have poison in their bodies, and for curing them of their madness. They are made to vomit out the poison by a special ingenious medicine. The Shivling that is worshipped in the temple is below the ground level and is famous for curing mental illness and poison-related incidents. The other Upa Devatas that are worshipped in the temple are Vishnu, Durga, Sastha and Ganapathy.

If you’re planning a trip to Kanichukulangara, or Alleppey, you must try visiting the above-mentioned tourist destinations in the vicinity of Kanichukulangara. Also, If you’d like to stay just beside the Kanichukulangara Devi Temple, with intention  to participate in some rituals at the temple, or if you have a preference to staying in close proximity to the above-mentioned vacation spots, then you could always choose Devi Royal Residency for your stay. 

Check out Devi Royal Residency’s premium, luxurious and comfortable accommodations, which have been made keeping an entire family’s comfort in mind. Further, the place is truly devoted to serving tourists visiting Alappuzha, and also devotees travelling to the Kanichukulangara Temple. Rooms with ample space, furnishing, and also with the convenience of a mini kitchen to cook your own food while you are on an extended stay, awaits you on your next visit to Kerala – “Gods Own Country”

We look forward to your visit, feel free to reach us at (0478  2862177 ) if you have any queries or requests that we can help you with.