Kottayam apart from being a very distinctive place in terms of beauty is also blessed with historical significance as this panoramic land boasts of having the first Malayalam printing press, constituted by Benjamin Bailey, a Christian missionary in 1820 A.D. Kottayam is blessed in terms of population which is very important for a land to prosper because a land with no man s just like a beehive with no bee to grow it. The area of this district is 2203 Sq. Km.
The place is easily accessible by rail and road, although the same cannot be said for the airways because the nearest international airports are Nedumbassery at a distance of 80 kilometres and Thiruvananthapuram at a distance of 160 kilometres. Kottayam also has two ferry stations. The places to visit in Kottayam, few as they are, have the capacity to mesmerise the tourists and the travellers, this could be best justified by Kumarakom. Kumarakom is located on the Vembanad Lake and one might see several traditional country crafts in this place which is peppered with lakes.
The coconut groves, the paddy fields and the mangrove forests are beautifully woven rendering a soothing beauty to this place. The bird sanctuary of Kumarakom is also very popular and is the ‘go-to’ place for the ornithologists both tyro and virtuoso. To feel the beauty of Kumarakom, cruise service is available which takes the travellers along the Vembanad Lake. The popular birds found in this place are Skylarks, Crane, and Water Hen along with the birds that migrate in from other places like the Siberian Stork, Egret and Darter. An excursionist might want to see the fascinating Arunikkuzhi waterfall which is at a distance of 18 kilometres from Kottayam.
Thus this goes without saying that Kottayam is the place to be at, if one wants to have a thrilling and at the same time a peaceful journey.