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Kerala is to the southwest end of Indian peninsula, eight degrees north of the equator. It is a coastal
 state, with the Arabian Sea to the west. The Western Ghats make its eastern limits. The language of Kerala is Malayalam. Kerala is a verdant land. Its landscape is dominated by extensive rice fields, banana and coconut plantations. In the highlands, rubber tea ,coffee, pepper, and spices are cultivated. Traders from distant lands came to Kerala in search of spices from the earliest days of history. It was on the western coast of Kerala that the European sailor Vasco-Da-Gama dropped anchor. The influence of the Jews, Arabs, Syrians, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and the English has enriched the indigenous culture. Economically Kerala compares well with some of the developed countries. Beggars and lepers do not crowd the lanes. People are wealthier, healthier, better educated. Kerala is hundred percent literate. It is a heaven of religious harmony. Christmas, Ramzan, or Onam, they celebrate together, with zest. Onam is Kerala’s springtime harvest festival, coming in August – September.
Backwaters
Backwaters are unique to Kerala. It is a network of lakes, canals, and estuaries opening into the sea. The backwaters are a self supporting eco-system teeming with aquatic life. The canals connect the villages together and are still used for local transport. There are almost a dozen of such backwaters in Kerala of which Ashtamudi is the second largest. Ashtamudi means, ‘eight-armed’, after the eight arms of the lake. At one of the shores the Ashtamudi Resorts welcomes the guests. Ashtamudi resort is built on the Thekkumbhagom island next to the bank of the Ashtamude lake. It is so placed that tourists can feel and enjoy the enchanting natural beauty as well the rustic life in the village. It is no accident that this it was in this village the first epic poetry in the Malayalam language-Ramachandravilasam-was composed, by the poet Azhakath Padmanabha Kurup. The village also boasts of a 1000 year old temple and a 200 year old church. History and nature link hands here to welcome the tourist. Ashtamudi resorts is the realization of a dream. It has been built in romantic and idyllic surroundings to provide rest, recovery, and peace.
Situation
You can reach the Ashtamudi Resort from Kollam (Quilon) by car in 30 minutes, or by speedboat in 10 minutes. It is two
hours by car from the Thiruvananthapuram international airport, from Cochin, 3 hours. Another alternative is to travel at leisure from
Alleppey by ordinary cruising boat or by houseboat.
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