THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The pastoral charm of Aymanam village in Kerala, which was the setting of Arundhati Roy’s 1997 Booker Prize-winning ‘The God of Small Things’, has been featured in Conde Nast’s 30 best places in the world to visit in 2022.
Aymanam, located on the state’s picturesque backwaters near Kottayam, shot into prominence in November last year, when its Responsible Tourism (RT) Village project was awarded ‘Indian Responsible Tourism One to Watch’ at the World Travel Market (WTM) for its travel initiatives showcasing heritage and culture while keeping things clean and plastic-free besides creating more community jobs.
The village, bordered by Lake Vembanad and River Meenachil, is “the stuff that makes people dream of taking a writing retreat to become a published author, or plugging out in a digital detox, or living a simple life close to nature,” points out Conde Nast in its commendation of the place.
It also beckons tourists to visit Aymanam for undertaking bird watching tours, walking in paddy fields, visiting temples and churches, watching the martial art Kalaripayattu and the classical dance Kathakali, enjoying boat rides, and savouring delicious coconut-rich preparations.
“Aymanam may be a tiny village, but its pristine charm is spellbinding and its cultural diversity spectacular. Till recently, it was largely an unexplored area for tourists, but its recognition as a model RT Village has changed its profile on the global tourism map. The recognition by Conde Nast is a huge testament to it,” said Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas.
“It is an important recognition which will spur us to give an impetus to our efforts to set up Responsible Tourism projects across the state,” he added.
The Conde Nast’s list also features places like Bhimtal (Uttarakhand), Sikkim, Odisha, Goa, Kolkata (West Bengal), Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Sindhudurg (Maharashtra), Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Qatar, Japan, the UAE, Egypt, Oklahoma (USA), Singapore, Sumba (Indonesia), London (UK), Istanbul (Turkey), Sicily (Italy), Serbia, Uzbekistan, and Seoul (South Korea).
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