Konni elephant training centre and Adavi ecotourism centre are two of the major tourist attractions of Kerala's Pathanamthitta district, which has been blessed with abundant forests. Adavi is part of the Konni reserve forests.
The five-km stretch from Peruvali to Adavi along the Kallar River offers you some of the best scenic sights, unlike any that you would find at other ecotourism sites.
Watching the crystal-clear waters of the Kallar River, which is lined with green trees, is a serene experience in itself. And Adavi also offers to take you on a ride along this pristine patch of forest. Hope on to the coracle raft or bowl-boats for a tranquil ride on the Kallar.
Just with Rs 500, four of you would get to enjoy the pleasures of the boat ride through the jungle.
An oarsman would steer the boat, leaving you to stretch out your legs and splash water with your hands. There would be umpteen selfie opportunities and you are unlikely to get tired of seeing nature at its best.
On the return journey, hold on to the sides of the bowl raft for the oarsman would want to show off his mastery over coracle rafting. He can make the bowl boat spin on the waters like a top.
If you are adventurous, go for the long ride. Shell out Rs 900 and you can travel on the river for two kilometres. The boat would rise and fall in tandem with the river currents.
The oarsmen know the length and breadth of the river like the back of their hand.
As the heavy rains have subsided, the atmosphere is just perfect for the rafting.
If you are also lucky, you would also get to see the wild creatures at close quarters. Apart from lions, the forest is home to most of the other common wild animals. They turn up by the river for drinking water.
Holidays are here
Expats, who are back home on vacation, are making a beeline to the Adavi ecotourism. As the Onam holidays have started, the number of tourists is expected to double in the coming days. You can play in the waters from 8:30am to 5:30pm.
New 27 rafts
Considering the increasing footfalls, more number of rafts are being brought to Adavi.
Twenty-seven rafts have been brought from Hogenakkal in Karnataka. Normally, a bowl boat raft can be used for more than six months. The wooden rafts are given a rain-guard coating before hitting the water. The current rafts have been in use for a year. As the long rides were not frequent, these could be used for this long. However, it would not be feasible to continue using these boats as the rush would be high during Onam.
Slight hitch
However, there is some bad news for those taking the long ride trip as the return vehicle service has been cancelled. The 2-km long ride is from Mundonmuzhi Kadavu to Peruvali. Earlier, autorickshaw used to take back the riders to Mundonmuzhi. As this has been now stopped, travellers have to find their own means to return. They would have to take a bus to Mundonmuzhi and then walk towards the river bank. Travellers hope that the service would be resumed soon.