City Walk and Food Crawl - Just for Foodies and Local Life Enthusiasts

Package Summary

Highlights: City Tour, Food Crawl, Cultural Immersion

Importance of a city and food trip in discovering the essence of Kerala: 

• Cultural Fusion: A city and food trip in Kerala allows you to experience the rich cultural fusion of the region. Kerala's cities are melting pots of various traditions, languages, and lifestyles, offering insights into the diverse heritage of the state.

• Culinary Diversity: Exploring the local food scene is an integral part of understanding Kerala's essence. From aromatic spices to coconut-infused dishes, each city boasts a unique culinary tradition. A food trip lets you savor everything from traditional Sadhyas to seafood delicacies.

• Historical Narratives: Kerala's cities are steeped in history, with each one having its own story to tell. Through city tours, you can witness historical sites, ancient temples, colonial architecture, and learn about the state's evolution from the spice trade era to modern times.

• People and Traditions: Engaging with the locals during your city exploration offers a window into the daily lives and traditions of Kerala's people. Interactions with artisans, performers, and residents provide a deeper understanding of their customs, festivals, and way of life.

•  Breathtaking Landscapes: While cities provide cultural insights, they're also gateways to Kerala's stunning landscapes. Many cities are situated amidst lush greenery, backwaters, and coastal beauty. A city trip can be combined with visits to nearby natural wonders, completing your holistic experience of Kerala's essence.

Detailed Itinerary

Welcoming at the Wonderwerk Kitchen, Cheepunkal, Kumarakom:

We will congregate at our Wonderwerk Kitchen in the morning at 7 A.M and you will be given a brief heads up about the city tour which we will start soon after. 

Boarding a Tuktuk Or Car: 

We can board a tuktuk, a type of three wheeler Auto Rickshaw for our city and food tour. Tuktuks can negotiate narrow roads and bylanes which can make your journey more thrilling. You can reach the lesser known stops easily by a tuktuk. 

Or, We can board a car and then navigate along the alleys towards our destination - Cherthala. 

Here follows the stops we will be taking during our city and food tour in Cherthala. 

Visit to Thanneermukkom Bund: Its a salt water barrier and the largest mud regulator of India that was constructed in 1974 to prevent the intrusion of the salty tidal waters into the lowlands of Kuttanad. It's the only coastal reservoir of India. The starting point of the Bund is a beautifully stunning scenic village which should not be missed visiting.

Heritage tea shops for Coffee/Tea and snacks: 

We will stop at the heritage Indian Coffee House which is replete with the history of political and social movements of Kerala as well as India. The shop has an intense aura of the culture of debate, discussions, conversations and arguments which have helped shape the ideologies of the participants of those discussion sessions. We will have a piping hot cup of delicious Indian coffee or tea and some snacks over some warm conversations with the local people. 

Visit to Local Temple: 

There are many local temples located in Cherthala. There are many popular myths and stories associated with the temples that will be slowly unfurled by our guide accompanying you during the tour. 

Market Visit: 

From the temple if you are willing, we can visit the bustling local marketplace.While you explore the local marketplace, you can witness a colorful array of exotic fruits, assorted vegetables, fragrant herbs, and freshly caught seafood. You can strike up a friendly conversation with the vendors and learn about their lives and livelihoods. 

Breakfast at a heritage eatery: 

After the market visit, we will be putting our tired feet to rest and address our hungry tummies in a heritage eatery. Each of the traditional Kerala dishes is replete with a rich history. While eating together, we can familiarize ourselves with the different local food items of Kerala that would be served and try to know the history behind their preparations. 

Experiencing Local Life on the way: 

After filling our hearts with a hearty and delectable breakfast, we can walk around or take a tuktuk wandering around the city neighborhood. We can meet the locals and understand their ways of life. You might observe people going about their daily chores and they might be eager to share their stories with you. 

Experiencing the functioning of a Local School in Cherthala: 

As you meet the local people on your way, the functioning of a local school might also interest you. You can meet the blooming buds of our future, the young children of the locality and interact with them to know more about their lifestyles and their families. The children can also get a vista of the world outside the school and locality by meeting people from the world around them. 

Ayurvedic Hubs: 

The traditional treatment by the Ayurveda has been effectively practiced in Kerala since the time immemorial. Ayurvedic healing has got appreciation from people all around the world and it has become one of the most sought after visiting stops for the people visiting here. During the city tour you can also become a part of the Ayurvedic treatments from the centers located here.

Tasting Tender Coconut Juice over stories from the place in a Local Home: 

In a local home, you can observe the spectacle of plucking of tender coconut directly from the coconut palm tree. Just wait for the thrill when they pluck the tender coconut using a pole, chop off the top covering and hand you over the tender coconut with a straw. You can sip on the sweet juice and engage in more conversations with them. Most of the local homes are tiny centers of local handicrafts like coir making, fence making with coconut leaves and other crafts using the local natural resources. You can delightfully learn a craft or two from our master artisans while your visit. 

Lunch in one of the famous heritage restaurants of Kerala: 

To re-energize ourselves we will stop by a heritage restaurant for our lunch.  There are plenty of vegetarian and non vegetarian options as well that serve deliciously cooked local platter. The Kuttanadan lunch is served on banana leaves and tastes the best if eaten with hands. We can share the technique of how to eat the different food items by hand with you if you are willing to experience it. We will be familiarizing ourselves with the full course traditional Kuttanadan lunch of Kerala while the lunch gets served.

Visit to Kerala Chips Shops: 

On our way back we can visit to the local snacks shops where Kerala Chips are available. You can observe how a vast array of fritters and chips are made by frying in coconut oil. No wonder it's absolutely amazing to sample some hot chips munching them away delightfully while we come towards the end of our trip. 

Back to the Starting Point while savoring Ice Creams:  A wholesome Kerala lunch calls for frozen ice creams to finish off our exciting tour. While we go back to the Wonderwerk Kitchen, from where we started, we can have ice creams on our way. While the ice creams melt in our mouths, we hope that the thrilling and transformative experience of the city and food tour has melted into a lasting impression in your hearts.