God`s own country, they call it. And why not – bustling cities to fertile farms, pristine

beaches to fern-covered hills, lush paddy fields to thick green forests, it has everything

a discerning sightseer or an adventurous tourist would ever want. What are we talking

about? The Land of Coconut trees and Lagoons – Kerala.

Touted as one of the thirteen paradises on earth, Kerala lives up to its reputation for

serenity and beauty, offering the wealth of nature along with an incredible mix of

grandeur, religion, colourful festivals, exotic food, unique culture and much more. Small

wonder then, that Kerala has been named in one of the 50 destinations of a lifetime by

National Geographic.

The unique feature about visiting Kerala is that you can reach your next tourist location

from the present one in a maximum of 2 hours. Locations are so varied and numerous

that little time is actually spent on traveling.

Bounded by the Western Ghats range in the east, and the Arabian sea in the west, Kerala

has always enjoyed a temperate climate thanks to abundant rainfall around the year. This

geographical location has provided Kerala with numerous sandy beaches and serene

backwaters, as well as forests, thick with a wide variety of flora and fauna. For the

tourist, Kerala is a land where the season never ends.

Tourism has received a shot in the arm from the government, which has long seen

tremendous scope for this sector. In fact, many of the initiatives implemented to draw

tourists and travelloers has been spearheaded by the Government of Kerala. These

factors, and the response evinced, have been rewarded by many laurels such as the Das

Golden Stadttor Award for Best Commercial, 2006,] Pacific Asia Travel Association-

Gold Award for Marketing, 2003 and the Government of India's Best Promotion

Literature, 2004, Best Publishing, 2004 and Best Tourism Film, 2001.

One of the first questions asked would be, “ Why is Kerala so sought-after ?”.

In this article, the writer attempts to present a picture of what Kerala offers to both the

casual traveler and the adventurous tourist.

Hill Stations

The high and rugged Western Ghats endow the state with a number of hill stations, which

unlike the rest of the state have a high rate of tourist influx during the summer months.

If you seek to beat the heat or enjoy the cozy comfort of Nature or wish to trek on the

woody mountain trails or I you are simply answering the "call of the mountains", get

away to one of these beautiful chilly places in Kerala. The undulating paths, the rich

variety of flora and fauna available, the beautiful gorges and valleys and the sparkling

silver streams that skip and dance through the rocks, the settling clouds that one can walk

through and the fresh plucked green tea - this is the irresistible lure of the land.

Devikulam Hill Station

Devikulam hill station is located at a height of 1800 meters above sea level and is around

16 kilometers from Munnar in Kerala. The Devikulam hill station in Munnar is famous

for its mineral water springs and the beautiful landscape it has offer.

Ponmudi Hill Station

Ponmudi hill station, Trivandrum is a beautiful hill station located at a distance of 61

kilometers from the city. An unexplored destination, Ponmudi, Kerala is a tranquil spot

located atop hills and is a must visit if you to experience true bliss and feel rejuvenated

once again.

Vagamon Hill Station

One of the most beautiful places in Kottayam, Vagamon hill station is a beautiful place

and a much sought after tourist destination. The hill station is located at a height of

around 1100 meters above sea level.

Idukki

Idukki is a beautiful hill station located in Kerala. Idukki is the place you want to be to

unwind and relax and forget all tensions of the world. The name Idukki has been derived

from the Malayalam word "idukku", which means narrow gorge.

Munnar

Munnar is one of the most beautiful hill stations of Kerala. Nature blossoms and thrives

in full form in Munnar. Munnar is located at the converging point of three mountain

tributaries namely, Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala.

Thekkady

Thekkady is a beautiful place located in central Kerala. While you travel to Thekkady,

you will see nature in its purest form. Uninterrupted rows of lush green trees, chirping

birds, velvety hills and stunningly beautiful landscape are what make Thekkady a hot

tourism center.

Wayanad

Situated at a height of 2100 meters above sea level in Kerala, Wayanad hill station is

one of the most charming and calm hill stations of Kerala. The lush green vegetation,

along with mist-clad hills and pure air will make your travel to Wayanad an unforgettable

experience.

Beaches

Blessed with a long coastline that measures almost 580 kilometers, Kerala has some of

the most exotic and mesmerizing beaches in India. The beaches of Kerala, India provide

the best getaway and give ample opportunities to relax and unwind. The coconut lined

golden sands and turquoise blue sea, makes the beaches a picture perfect destination to

spend to your vacation. So read on further about the renowned beaches in Kerala and

come here to feel rejuvenated again.

Alleppey Beach

Alleppey beach is a popular tourist place and a picnic spot for tourists and locals alike.

This beach is also known as Alappuzha beach and one gets to see beautiful, vast expanse

of sands and turquoise blue water of the Arabian Sea.

Bekal Fort Beach

One of the best-maintained beaches in Kasargod, Bekal Fort Beach is a vast expanse of

white sands spread over an area of 35 acres. The beach is dotted with palm trees thus

giving it an exotic feel.

Beypore Beach

The Beypore Beach in Calicut is a beautiful expanse of vast land and turquoise blue sea.

Nature will embrace you in its arms on the calm shore shores of this beach. The endless

Arabian Sea laps at your feet as you stand on the soft sands watching the sunset.

Chithari Beach

The Chithari Beach is a beautiful beach with vast sandy shores, dotted by green trees. It

looks absolutely untouched by time and you will feel like you have reached a magical

land.

Kovalam Beach

One of the most popular beaches in Trivandrum, Kovalam beach is situated at a distance

of 16 kilometers to the south of Trivandrum city. The natural beauty of this beautiful

beach is what attracts people from far and wide to come here.

Thirumullavaram Beach

The Thirumullavaram Beach in Kerala is situated at a distance of around 6 kilometers

to north of Kollam. Unexplored and untouched by time, the beach offers unadulterated

tranquility and peace of mind.

Varkala Beach

The Varkala Beach of Trivandrum is considered to be one of the most secluded beaches

of Kerala. It is located at the north of Trivandrum city at a distance of around 54

kilometers. To enjoy the serene and tranquil surroundings, away from the bustling city,

Varkala beach of Thiruvananthapuram is the ideal choice in Kerala.

Backwaters

Kerala has over 900 Km of interconnected waterways, rivers, lakes and inlets that make

up the Kerala backwaters. In the midst of this beautiful landscape there are a number of

towns and cities, which are the starting and end points of Kerala backwater cruises. These

Kerala backwater destinations are a mixture of historic and modern towns and scenic

holiday getaways in the backwaters of Kerala. Tourists from all over the world come to

these Kerala backwater destinations to see their scenic attractions.

Perhapa the most popular and best way to experience the beauty of the backwaters is to

enjoy a ride on the famed Houseboats plying through the length and breadth of Kerala`s

interconnected lagoons, inlets and backwaters. Cruising along the backwaters of Kerala is

an unforgettable experience.You could get in any house boat of your liking, saunter down

the cool placidness of the waters, have a merry time and get back home either the same

day or after spending a night out floating around.

You can enjoy the lovely homely food served on board, appreciate the fine level of

hospitality and go back home, a new rejuvenated person altogether. That's what a cruise

along the backwaters in a house boat can do to you and your family or to you and your

close friends or corporate colleagues.Your trip could be for business or pleasure,or you

could mix both.

Cuisine

A melange of aromas resulting from the free use of pepper, cardamom, cloves, turmeric,

ginger, chillies, and mustard, used in most curries, fill the kitchens of the well-to-do, but

generally the poorer folks content themselves with kanji (rice with water) and take fish

with tapioca. Most dishes in Kerala are cooked in coconut oil and are incomplete without

a mandatory use of coconut in some form or the other.

Kerala is equally famous for traditionally homemade snacks a variety of banana chips,

and rice flour cookies, are served with evening coffee.

Forestry and Trekking

Kerala has abundant reserves of lush jungles and forests filled with wildlife. Be it the

Periyar Tiger reserve or the famed Silent Valley, outdoor enthusiasts have always loved

the thrill of the outdoors that Kerala offers.

Some of the forest resorts in Kerala India offers accommodation in tree houses. Staying

at tree house will give you a chance to imitate the life of Tarzan. Surrounded by lush

green foliage, Kerala forest resorts are perfect fore discovering the rich flora of God's

Own Country. Kerala forest resorts are located close to wildlife sanctuaries.

Periyar Tiger Reserve

Periyar tiger Reserve, Thekkady, is an example of nature’s bounty, with great scenic

charm, rich bio diversity and providing veritable visitor satisfaction. Sprawled over an

area of 777 Sq .km., Periyar is one of the 27 tiger reserves in India.

Zealously guarded and efficiently managed reserve is a repository of rare, endemic and

endangered flora and fauna and forms the major watershed of two important rivers of

Kerala, the Periyar and Pamba.

Silent Valley Reserve

Silent Valley is a virgin, fragile forest, nestled in the mountain folds of the Nilgiris in

Southern India. In God’s own country, Kerala, Silent Valley is surely God’s own abode.

It has etymological connotations to the absence of noisy insect cicadas that are generally

abundant in tropical rain forests, although now, cicadas form an integral part of the forest.

The local names of the valley and the river that flows through it, resurrect the grand

tale of the Mahabharata. Cut-off from civilization and commercialisation, Silent Valley

is an ideal destination for nature lovers, researchers and gutsy trekkers. Undulating

mountains and lush greenery greet the eye at Silent Valley. View from the watch tower

at Sairandhiri is panoramic and the entire valley below appears to be a wavy green

enormous carpet.

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary

A lush area of over 300 sq. kms, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is covered with moist

deciduous teak forests and semi evergreen tree pastures. What with exhilarating

waterfalls and steep peaks, it truly is a joy for adventure-seekers.