A thin emerald green strip of land located on the tropical Malabar Coast, southwest of India, sandwiched between the turquoise blue Lakshadweep Sea and the Tamil Nadu state in India, lies the state of Kerala, also known as "God's Own Country". Kerala perfectly lives upto this name and it has been proved that Kerala is one the 50 top preferred destinations as ranked by National Geographic Traveler. Kerala’s coast runs for nearly 580 kms while the state itself varies between 35 and 120 kms in width. Kerala has many places to go around for sight seeing. Not only is it blessed with scenic beauty but also has developed cities while still holding tight to its culture and traditions. Kerala's bountiful flora and fauna is worth seeing.
Kerala tourism offers an extensive travel across the state and also offers many blissful experiences like ayurvedic massage, traveling on the backwaters and soaking the sun on peaceful beaches. The States Reorganisation Act of 1 November 1956 elevated Kerala to statehood. Though the state's basic human development is equivalent to those in the developed world, the state is substantially more environmentally sustainable than Europe and North America. The origin of the name has many stories behind it. One of them is, it is an imperfect Malayalam portmanteau that fuses kera ("coconut palm tree") and alam ("land" or "location")
The religions followed in the state are: Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and the languages spoken are Hindi, Malayalam, English and Tamil. Also spoken are various Adivasi languages by ethnic minorities.
Almost everyone in Kerala can converse in English, since education is given much importance there. It is the only state with hundred percent literacy rate. The people are always ready to help tourists find their way and ensure that they have a comfortable and hassle free journey.
The best time to visit Kerala is from September to March. Kerala does not have very harsh weather conditions. That is all the more reason for visitors to come here during any time of the year. Summer and winter are pleasant with very slight variations in temperature. Usually people avoid June and July due to heavy monsoon but as per the recent trend, visiting Kerala during monsoons is considered as an experience in itself. Monsoon is also an ideal time to go for nice and warm massages. The whole atmosphere is dust-free and looks like it has been cleaned spic and span. The trees and hills look lush green and mystified. Cotton is recommended clothing to carry here. Also, it is always advised to carry an umbrella to this state.
Kerala is famous for its network of interconnected canals, lakes, lagoons, estuaries, and rivers known as the Kerala Backwaters. Kerala has a total of forty four rivers flowing in it. It is also India's cleanest state.
Ayurvedic Massages/treatments: As nature recoups with the rains, it is rejuvenation time for humans too. According to Ayurveda, Monsoon is the best season for rejuvenation therapies. Kerala thus makes for refreshing Ayurvedic health holidays too. Kerala enjoys unique geographical features that have made it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Asia. Almost a fourth of India's 10,000 plant species are found in the state. Among the almost 4,000 flowering plant species (1,272 of which are endemic to Kerala and 159 threatened) are 900 species of highly sought medicinal plants.
All foreign visitors are required to carry their passport valid for the next 6 months. Special restrictions apply to Pakistani and Afghan nationals. It is always advisable to make photocopies of important documents such as passport, visa and air tickets. They will be required in case the originals are lost.
Kerala is Nature’s paradise. It is visited by a large number of tourists every year. The state is a very popular destination abroad. Thus, it is well connected to all the major cities in India via air, road and rail network. The metropolitan and other major cities are connected to Kerala through trains. It has strong road links also and there are many inter state buses that operate from here.
By Air: Kerala has three major airports at Trivandrum, Cochin and Calicut. The first two airports also cater to international flights, while the third one is a domestic airport. These three airports are located in strategic locations around the state so that they can be reached easily and also connect well with the rest of the country.
By Rail: Despite varied geographical features that include hills, backwaters and cliffs, Kerala has good railway connectivity. The railways connect important towns and cities with each other and also to major cities of India.
By Road: Being a popular tourist destination, the road service in Kerala is pretty good. Most places are connected through local buses plying from one place to another. These buses are maintained by Kerala Transport Corporation (KTDC). Apart from that, many private owners also operate buses and taxis (most-preferred) that cater to the need of tourists.
Local Transport: There is absolutely no dearth of local transport in Kerala. One has no problems in finding the most affordable and readily available means of transportation in Kerala round the clock. One can easily hire a vehicle and go sight seeing around the places. The most common mode of local transport available in Kerala and India in general are taxis and auto-rickshaws.
One can easily hire a vehicle and go around sight seeing the places. The roads in Kerala are also well constructed and traffic is not as maddening as it is in bigger cities. In Kerala, local transport can be availed to go to nearby towns and villages also. Taxis/Cabs: Taxis and cabs can be found all over Kerala. One can either hire a taxi by contacting a reliable travel agent or hotel where the tourists is staying. One can also hire a self-driven vehicle and go around the places.
Auto rickshaws are available all over Kerala without any problem. Known as "autos" locally, these vehicles are very helpful in going from one place to another. They usually charge by the meter or else one can fix a rate before boarding the auto. A bit of bargaining is allowed.
Boats and Ships too are popular means of local transport. Since Kerala is blessed with a long coastline, boats and ships have been used as means of local transport since old times. The tradition is still kept alive. Even today one sees people using boats to move from place to place on the coast as well as the backwaters.
Kerala is an enchantingly beautiful, emerald green land, flanked by the Western Ghats on one side, the Arabian Sea on the other and strewn with rivers, lagoons, backwaters and rich vegetation in between. It’s tourism is also all about enchanting backwaters, Ayurveda, exotic beaches and beautiful houseboats. All these features combine to make Kerala a hot tourism destination. Once in Kerala, Tourists find themselves surrounded by coconut trees, smiling people and the aroma of fresh coffee in the air. Kerala has many places to go around for sight seeing. Not only is Kerala blessed with scenic beauty but also has developed cities while still holding tight to its culture and traditions. Kerala's bountiful flora and fauna is worth seeing. Losing oneself in the serene environs while sipping coconut water, right from the coconut to lazing around on the beaches and soaking toes in the warm ocean water, Kerala is Paradise all over. Come to Kerala and live once again!
Cuisine in Kerala can be classified under two standard headings - vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. While the non-vegetarian dishes are all heavily spiced, the vegetarian repertoire is mildly spiced and feels especially easier on the non-native tongue. One can sinfully gorge on the lip smacking cuisine of Kerala, which is mostly fat free.
The nearby states to Kerala are: to the east and northeast, Kerala borders Tamil Nadu and Karnataka; to its west and south lie the Indian Ocean islands of Lakshadweep. It nearly envelops Mahé, a coastal exclave of Pondicherry. Kerala is one of four states that compose the linguistic-cultural region known as South India.
Located at the extreme southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, for tourists Kerala offers Nature on a platter. Sandy beaches of Kovalam, blue Lagoons at Veli, Hill stations at Ponmudi and Munnar, backwaters of Kollam and Alappuzha, greenland plantations in the highranges, wildlife, high mountain peaks, picturesque valleys, magnificent forts and intricately decorated temples - Whatever one can ask for is all there in this beautiful state.
What's more interesting is that every destinations is maximum a two-hour drive from the other. So, Kerala is an undoubtedly the next destination one should be planning for.
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