Kumbalangi Tourist Village at a distance of 25 kilometers from Kochi is the first ecotourism village in India. Spread over an area of 7 square kilometers it is basically a fishing hamlet it’s a tiny village located to the western part of the city. Resorts, walkways and other such activities are not permitted this maintains the pristine and fragile environment. There is an artist’s village by the name Kalagraamam displaying handicrafts and fishing equipments.
Fish farming is the major activity. The mangroves around this place are given utmost care. It’s a paradise for anglers as bait fishing is very popular. Home stays provide lodging. Home stay operators assistance can be requested in getting accommodation. The Kumbalangi project was started in 2003. The principal occupation of the 30000 inhabitants of this village is fishing. People engaged in other profession include toddy tappers, farmers and labourers.
There are many Chinese fishing nets about 100 facing the backwaters of this village. The mangroves, which separate the land from the sea, offer a unique environment for fish and crustaceans to breed. Pokkali farming, a cropping pattern in which rice is grown for the first six months followed by fish for the next six months is being revived in full swing.
The beauty of the village is that all the work undertaken here are environment friendly. The village is the first in the state to have its own waste management system with about 600 biogas plants. The panchayath is implementing the project in tie up with the Kerala state government. The various home stays provide comfortable stay and great Kerala cuisine. Stay in Kumbalangi can enlighten one about simple village life and can be a great stress buster.
Good work !! The attraction of kerala as a tourism destination is its natural beauty and pristine atmosphere but at many places in the name of tourism activities are undertaken which do not suit the ecology of that area and may hamper the natural beauty .From the description “Kumbalangi model” seems to be something which is worth emulating in environmentally fragile areas .
I know this village and i have been there regular, besides its beauty, i ‘d like to say the sorrow of this villagers, i mean, water supply is not smooth , very difficult to get house connection also
and most of the lands get salty water by borewell, In the remote areas of this village, we can see the public taps situated in ugly and very rubbish canals, and peaple get water through handpumps from this taps. good water is essential for our life, so the responsible organisations and political parties must take interest to make this city much better by all means.