Nestled far away from the chaos of urban life, there exists a quaint hamlet in the heart of Kottayam district. All it offers those who stumble upon it are a soothing experience of village life amidst endless paddy fields. Its massive stretches of backwaters and intrinsic natural beauty are slowly attracting tourists who seek a rendezvous wholly detached from their routine. Malarickal or Malarikkal is a jewel that people in Kerala are only slowly awakening to themselves.

It is not just the emerald of its backwaters that awaits you here, as Malarickal lures you in with breathtaking shades of pink as well. The water lilies (Nymphaea Stellata or ambal in local parlance) greet the terrain during the end of the monsoon rains, which usually occurs annually between September and October. A carpet of pleasant pink envelops the entire region in a breathtaking formation that is hard to explain with mere words. They spread out over 600 acres of land, and locals advise that the best time to witness this phenomenon is morning and evening. These visuals alone draw in bigger crowds each year, as words spread of this natural wonder.

To begin the day with the water lilies, and end it with a glorious sun setting over the countryside is nothing short of a divine endowment. The District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), Kottayam, will soon add village tourism options like boating and responsible tourism activities. These will undoubtedly further enhance the visitor experience at Malarickal.

- Cochin Interanational Airport, around 85 km

– Kottayam, around 9km