Banks: 10:00 to 15:00, Monday to Friday; 10:00 to 13:00, Saturday
Post offices: 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday.
Department stores and shops: 09:00 to 19:00, Monday to Saturday.
Museums: times vary according to the facility.
Business offices: 09:00 to 17:30, Monday to Friday.

Kumarakom is an exceedingly safe destination for visitors with very little in the way of crime or violence, and visitors are highly unlikely to witness anything of that nature during their stay. It’s always sensible of course to keep one’s cash and valuables in a safe place and to keep an eye out for opportunist thieves.

Dangers of another nature worth paying attention to are those that are water-related. Since a great deal of Kumarakom’s attractions and activities revolve around the waterways, visitors need to observe sensible behaviour while in vessels. Drinking alcohol ahead of boat ride is not advised since you would need to have your wits about you in the event of any accidents that might occur while you are sailing.

Electricity: 230 volts AC, 50Hz.

Visitors to Kumarakom should consider the same health issues as are applicable while holidaying anywhere in India with hygiene concerns perhaps being the top of the list. Avoid drinking tap water at all costs and opt for the safe and palatable bottled water that is readily available. Swimming is advisable only in the sea and the chlorinated pools of hotels. The lake and the backwaters may harbour dangerous bacteria and are hence best avoided.

When it comes to eating, be selective in your choice of establishment, opting for the classier venues where possible and avoiding anywhere that presents itself as an obvious hygiene issue. The restaurants of the reputable hotels can usually be relied upon to keep a high standard of hygiene in their kitchens. Avoid food from street vendors unless you are fairly certain of their cleanliness.

Vaccinations against hepatitis A and B and typhoid are essential for all visitors; while rabies shots are advisable for anyone planning to experience close contact with animals. Dengue and malaria- carrying mosquitoes are present in the area so it’s wise to wear insect repellent at all times and to perhaps consider a course of anti-malarial drugs. These are available from your general practitioner or from pharmacies in Kerala

Malayalam is the main language of Kerala although Hindi and Tamil are also commonly spoken and understood. English is spoken by a large number of locals, especially those in hotels and tourist restaurants.

Kumarakom’s official currency is the rupee. Rupees are made up of 100 paise and have note denominations of Rs1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5. Coins come in denominations of Rs5, 2 and 1, and 50, 25, and 10 paise.

Most large hotels have both onsite ATMs and currency exchange facilities. Exchange rates offered by the hotels may not be especially good so should you pass a bank at some point on your way across Kerala, it would be wise to stop there and exchange whatever you might need for the length of your stay, bearing in mind that large sums can be kept in room safes and need not be carried around with you.

Be sure to ask for a receipt when you change money as you will need it in order to change money back at the end of your holiday, should you still be in possession of a significant amount of local currency. It is in fact illegal to take rupees out of the country.

According to Indian customs and excise rules, international visitors are allowed to import up to a maximum of 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250 grams of raw tobacco. For alcoholic beverages, no more than 1 litre may be imported. Amounts over these figures will be confiscated unless accompanied by the appropriate import licences.

Customs take a dim view of visitors attempting to bring organic produce into the country so avoid carrying items such as meat, fruits, vegetables, plants, flowers, seeds and coffee beans. Additionally, the importing of lewd or pornographic books and magazines or publications with religiously offensive content is not permitted and those attempting to do so risk fines or imprisonment.

Kumarakom’s etiquette is the same as that observed by the rest of the country with the only variations based being those based on religious beliefs. Kumarakom has a large Syrian Christian population and their beliefs can dictate subtle differences from the etiquette of Hindus, Muslims or Buddhists.

For greetings a handshake is often considered acceptable however the traditional namaste greeting is perhaps a safer approach with unfamiliar persons. This involves holding the hands at chest height, palms together and tilting the head forward slightly. Handshakes are acceptable only between men.

Shoes are always removed prior to entering an abode or place of worship and in the latter places; knees and shoulders should be covered. Dress in the town should be casual and modest, while on the beach women are wise to remain covered up.

The left hand is never used for receiving or offering objects or performing tasks for others as it’s considered unsanitary due to the local toilet customs. Feet meanwhile are considered lowly and dirty and it’s offensive to use them to point or to touch others.

Public displays of anger are frowned upon and considered a weakness so it’s essential to remain calm at all times, even in the most challenging of situations. Public displays of affection are also not well tolerated and best avoided at all costs.

Dining Etiquette
Be sure to remove shoes prior to entering the host’s residence; going barefoot is the norm inside although sometimes house shoes may be offered. You may wish to bring your host a gift although this is not necessarily expected. It is greatly appreciated, however, especially if you are able to bring something from your home country. Alcohol of any description is unwise as many locals don’t drink for religious reasons.

At dinner time, wait to be shown to your seat and sit patiently waiting for others to be shown to theirs before beginning to eat. Food is eaten with the hands mostly, the right hand only in fact, as the left is reserved for personal hygiene; some dishes necessitate the use of utensils and in those situations, it’s fine to do as other guests do.

For those entering India from the US, Canada, UK, EU and Australia, a tourist visa is necessary as well as at least six months of validity on passports. Visas are reasonably easy to obtain from Indian consulates located in major cities of the aforementioned countries. Note that visas take effect the moment they are issued rather than when you first enter the country.

You can find assistance at the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala – located at Park View, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. For more information, phone them at: +91 471 232 1132.