Plan your weekend: Quaint town of Kumily beckons spice and tea lovers

Known for its plantation walks, diverse wildlife, boating and trekking, Kumily is popularly known as the Spice Capital of Kerala.

The primary tourist attraction here are the plantations and a walk through them is sure to give you a memorable experience. One can also enjoy boating and trekking as well as watching the huge variety of wildlife. Another attraction of Kumily is its spice market -- you can return home with a collection of spices, spice chocolates, spice preserves, teas, and coffee.

Periyar National Park: Declared as a tiger reserve it is one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world. Apart from tigers, the reserve is home to a variety of animals like wild elephants, common langur, Nilgiri langur, bison, leopards, lion-tailed macaque, gaur, sambar and giant squirrel.

Vandiperiyar: Located at about 13 km away from Kumily, Vandiperiyar is one of the major trading centres of tea, coffee and pepper plantations. The Periyar River flows through the town and is the main source of water for the various plantations. The Government Agriculture Farm and Flower Garden are the major attractions of the region

Abraham’s Spice Garden: It is an organic garden that is located on the route to Thekkady. This garden is an ideal place to learn about organic farming, ayurveda and the cultivation of different kinds of spices.

Kadathanadan Kalari Centre: It is a renowned centre of the traditional form of martial arts, Kalaripayattu. The centre arranges daily programs to showcase the ancient form of self-defense in a gallery specially designed for the safety of the fighters.