Kerala occupies a long (550km), narrow strip of land in the far south of India. Its coastline is on the Arabian Sea ( part of the Indian Ocean) and its eastern border with the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu is the top of the majestic Western Ghat mountains. The landscape varies from long golden beaches to cool hill stations and dense green jungle to bustling cities. Its unique feature is the 1,900km of palm fringed backwaters.
The people of Kerala are warm and friendly and interaction with them is often a highlight of a holiday to Kerala. Keralites have a strong culture and are fiercely proud of their state. Some of their art forms (eg Kathakali and Theyyam) and martial arts (kalaripayattu) are unique.
Interesting places in Kerala
MUNNAR
Munnar was once the summer capital of the British in southern India. Munnar was developed to cultivate tea plants by British although it was first discovered by Scottish planters. In the early developmental stages only Tamilians worked ther as few Malayalis inhabited in that area Munnar.
Munnar has an ancient history and prehistoric relics that can be dated back to Stone Age civilization. The written history begins only from 10th century. In the early 19th century, the headman of the villages of Anchanad, Kannan Thevar, held lands to the north of the high ranges, which belonged to the local Rajah of Poojar.
THEKKADY
Thekkady is considered a heaven for natural spices.Thekkady has immense possibilities for Adventure Tourism. The Forest Department offers many programs including Periyar Tiger Trail, Nature walk, Bamboo Rafting etc. There are private organizations as well as government agencies , who promote adventure tourism in Thekkady. Plantation tourism also is promoted by these agencies, so that the tourists can see and learn the cultivation of various spices of Kerala. Thekkady, is one of India's most fascinating natural wildlife sanctuaries, where you can watch wildlife at close range.
ALLEPPEY
Alleppey is one of the most important tourist centers in the state, with a large network of inland canals earning it the sobriquet "Venice of the east". These large network of canals provide Alleppey its lifeline. Alleppey was one of the busiest centers of trade in the past with one of the best known ports along the malabar coast. Even today it retains its charm as the centre for Coir carpet industries and prawn farming. Alleppey the ideal headquarters for backwater tourism as well as for visits to the lovely church filled town of Kottayam, and the town of Aranmula, famous for its historic Aranmula Snake Boat Race which is an annual event.
In Alleppey or Alappuzha, the life revolves around water. Cildren learn to swim before they walk. They learn to row boats before they bicycle. They learn their first lesson from the school of fish.
Situated in Kuttanad popularly known as the rice bowl of Kerala, QST & R Block Kayals (backwaters) remind the visitor of the famous dikes of Holland.
KOCHI
Kochi (colonial name Cochin) is a vibrant city situated on the south-west coast of the Indian peninsula in the breathtakingly scenic and prosperous state of Kerala, hailed as 'God's Own Country'. Its strategic importance over the centuries is underlined by the sobriquet Queen of the Arabian Sea. Informally, Cochin is also referred to as the Gateway to Kerala.
From time immemorial, the Arabs, British, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese have left indelible marks on the history and development of Cochin. Over the years, Cochin has emerged as the commercial and industrial capital of Kerala and is perhaps the second most important city on the west coast of India (after Mumbai/Bombay). Cochin is proud of its world class port and international airport that link it to many major cities worldwide.
Kochi is the arguably the ideal starting point for exploring the unfathomable diversity and beauty of Kerala, rated in the top three tourist destinations by the World Travel & Tourism Council and featured in National Geographic Traveler's '50 greatest places of a lifetime'.
KUMARAKOM
Kumarakom, an unbelievably beautiful paradise of mangrove forests, emerald green paddyfields and coconut groves interspersed with enchanting waterways and canals adorned with white lilies. Situated on the Vembanad lake, in this small water world you'll come across plenty of traditional country Crafts, boats and canoes which will take you into the heart of the scenic lake. The resorts nearby offer comfortable accommodation and exclusive leisure options like an Ayurvedic massage, yoga, meditation, boating, fishing, angling and swimming. Kumarakom offers nature's best with its virgin forest backwaters. Slumbers on the banks of Vembanad Lake, which weaves an enchanting web with its canals, streams and distributaries, Kumarakom is a place fit for those quiet and intimate moments when you just want to be with yourself in tranquility and peace.
Kumarakom in Kottayam District in the State of Kerala, South India. The beauty of any tourist location in Kerala is that it is always just a few miles from the nearest city linking you to all major cities in India and to the world. And Kumarakom too is delightfully tucked away. At the same time it is, equally and easily accessible.
From the Cochin International Airport it is a 70 Km delightful ride by road to the Muhamma boat Jetty. The resort is a few minutes away across the river. The enchanting boat ride to the resort from here will take less than 20 minutes. A bridge is coming up here which will facilitate even faster access.
KOVALAM
Kovalam is a beach town on the Arabian Sea in Kerala, a state in south India. It is located around 16 km outside Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) City in the Thiruvananthapuram district. There are a large number of beach resorts in and around Kovalam. The sea port of Vizhinjam is about 3 km away and famous for its special varieties of fish, old Hindu temples, big churches and a mosque. The Proposed International Trans shipment Terminal at Vizhinjam is also close to Kovalam.
Kovalam was among the most prominent tourist spots in India during the hippy era. It still has a high status among tourists, who arrive mostly from Europe and Israel. Kovalam is finding a new significance in the light of several Ayurvedic salons, and recuperation and regeneration resorts which provide a wide variety of Ayurvedic treatments for tourists.
There are three beaches at Kovalam, separated by outcrops jutting out to the sea. The larger one is called Light House Beach for its 30 odd metre high light house. The second largest one is Hawah Beach named thus for the topless European women who used to throng there. It was the first topless beach in India. Topfree bathing and parading is banned now except in private coves owned by resorts. Visitors frequent these two beaches. The northern part of the beach is known as Samudra Beach in tourism parlance.
ATHIRAPPALLY
The Athirappally Waterfalls in Trichur District, Kerala, India. Athirappally is an 80ft high waterfall which literally takes your breath away. Starting calmly from the high ranges, and crashing through gorges overhung with trees., this waterfall is one of the best places in India to re-capture a real sense of the classical idea is not just calm and sweet, but something wild and natural.
Perched high above in the the Sholayar forest ranges on the fringes of Kerala's famed rain forests, the waterfalls provides a restful escape for those wanting to leave the hurried pace of city life behind. The water plunges and joins to the Chalakudi River. The scenic
attraction of Vazhachal, the other picnic spot is just a drive from Athirampally. These scintillating waterfalls in thick green forest are a part of the Chalakudy river stream.
THATTEKKADU
About 58 km from Kochi city and 13 km northeast of Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district in Kerala.Thattekkad is made up of dense tropical evergreen and deciduous forest and grassland patches, housing a population of over 500 species of exotic birds. This globally acclaimed bird sanctuary owes much of its fame to Dr. Salim Ali, the internationally renowned ornithologist. It is the exotic microcosm of India's bird population that brought Dr. Salim Ali to this place. His efforts were instrumental in the formation of this sanctuary to a large extent.
Thattekkad also has extensive plantations of teak, rosewood, mahagony, etc. The dense forest is also the home of nearly 28 varieties of animals and nine varieties of reptiles.
VARKALA
Varkala is the only place in southern Kerala where one can find cliffs adjacent to the Arabian sea.[citation needed] These tertiary sedimentary formation cliffs are a unique geological feature in the otherwise flat Kerala coast, and is known among geologists as Varkala Formation and a geological monument as declared by the Geological survey of India. There are numerous water spouts and spas on the sides of these cliffs. A famous beach resort, Varkala is also famous for its 3,500 year old Janardanaswamy temple, which is an important Vaishnavaite shrine in India and is referred to as Dakshin Kashi (Benares of the south).The temple is located close to the Papanasam beach, which is considered to have holy waters which wash away sins, and is also an important Ayurveda treatment centre. The temple has an ancient bell removed from a shipwreck, donated by the captain of the Dutch vessel which sank near Varkala without causing any casualties.
The town has excellent telecommunication facilities, round-the-clock power, an average-rated water supply system, fire station, several post offices and police station. The town boasts a government-run hospital in addition to nearly 10 private hospitals and some dental clinics.
Varkala is the second most important railway hub in the district of Thiruvanthapuram, after the Thiruvananthapuram Central Station. Varkala is an important hub for neighbouring places like Attingal, Kadakkavur, Edava, Kallambalam , Kappil, Parippally, and Kilimanoor.
HOW TO REACH
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is 55 km from Varkala, reachable by car in a period of 2 hrs. Chartered flights operate from France and Britain during the season. Or you can board a train heading towards north, ideally going to Kollam or Kochi and get down at Varkala. However, one needs to check if the particular train has a stop at Varkala.
The beach is 2 km from the beach; journey by autorickshaw will cost around Rs 25. If you are coming from Ernakulam or Kollam, you can take a bus from any of the KSRTC bus stands or board a train headed for Thiruvananthapuram. It would take 1 hour from Kollam and 4 hours from Kochi by road or train.
WAYANAD
There is a land not far from Calicut, the city of Zamorins, yet a world apart from Kerala's agricultural and industrial epicentres. It is a quiet place where scenic beauty wild life and traditional matter, simplicity is a virtue and beauty still blossoms from the mountainous horizon and from the green glaze of alluring vegetation. This is Wayanad - the green paradise - the border world of greener part of Kerala. Clean and pristine, enchanting and hypnotising this land has a history and mystery, culture and social epistemology yet to be discovered. Located at a distance about 76 km. from the sea shores of Calicut in the Western Ghats, this station is full of plantations, forests and wildlife.
Wayanad hills are contiguous to Mudumala in Tamil Nadu and Bandhipur in Karnataka, thus forming a vast land mass for the wild life to move about in its most natural abode.
This mountain district is in many ways the most picturesque in the state, with its rolling hills covered with tropical rainforest. Wayanad also contributes richly to its fortunes, thanks to the flourishing cultivation of many spices, as well as Tea, Coffee and Cocoa. Wayanad is situated at a height of 700 to 2100m above sea level and is home to many species of animal and plant life. Temperatures range from 12 to 25 degrees centigrade. This district also has the added advantage of linking Kerala with the golden triangle of South India : Bangalore, Mysore and Ooty. s
This high altitude district is characterised by the cultivation of perennial plantation crops and spices. The major plantation crops include coffee, tea, pepper, cardamom and rubber. Coffee based farming system is a notable feature of Wayanad. Coffee is grown both as pure crop and as mixed crop along with pepper. Pepper is grown largely along with coffee in the north eastern parts of the district, especially in Pulpally and Mullankolly areas. Coffee in Wayanad (66,999 ha.) shares 33.65 per cent of the total cropped area in the district and 78 per cent of the coffee area in the state. Other major crops are rubber(63,015 ha.), coconut(59,452 ha.), cardamom (38,348 ha.), tea (31,792 ha.) cassava and ginger. A recent increase in the area under coconut cultivation is noticed in the lower elevations. Paddy is cultivated in 22,772 hectares of land. The rice fields of Wayanad are in the valleys formed by hillocks and in majority of paddy lands, only a single crop is harvested. Ginger cultivation in Wayanad has also substantially increased in recent times and the ginger produced is mainly marketed in the form of green ginger. Homestead farming assumes importance in this district. The average size of holdings are 0.68 ha. A variety of crops including annuals and perennials are grown in these small holdings. The crops include coconut, arecanut, pepper, vegetables, tuber crops, drumstick, papaya, etc. and fruit trees like mango and jack. The crop patterns/crop combinations prevelant in this district are not based on any scientific norms. Therefore scientific cropping patterns suitable for the agro-ecological situation is to be recommended.
HOW TO REACH
>> By Air : Nearest Airport: Kozhikode (Karipur)
>> By Rail : Nearest Railway Station: Kozhikode [Rail distances from major cities to Kozhikode are- New Delhi: 2851 Km; Mumbai: 1425 Km; Kolkata: 2331 Km; Ahmedabad: 1875 Km; Hyderabad: 1425 Km]
>> By Road : Well connected by roads from Kozhikode (Ghat-72 Km from Kalpetta), Kannur (Ghat), Ooty (120 Km from Kalpetta) and Mysore (140 Km from Kalpetta).
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