Kerala- Gods Own Paradise in India Articles | Family Holiday

By: Alpana Gupta

Kerala

Kerala is rightly referred to as God’s own country. It is a state which has all the geographical features like hills, rivers, sea, backwaters, and forests. You name it and its there. Kerala is located in Southern India. People here are very inviting and loving in nature just like the place. Kochi is the capital of Kerala. A trip to the place should cover Kochi, Alleppey, Thekkady and Munnar.

Climate:

The climate of Kerala is warm and humid at the coast. The hills, especially Munnar are cool. The average temperature at the plains is 28 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees Celsius. The hills are cool at 20 degrees in summers and in winters; the temperature can drop to 0 degrees Celsius also. The best time to travel to Kerala is September to May.

How to reach:

Kochi city has an international airport. It has flights to the Middle East and Singapore. Kochi is well connected to all major cities in India by air. From Kochi you can hire a taxi to move around Kerala and get back to Kochi. Such packages are easily available. State transport buses also connect Kochi to Alleppey and Munnar.  The ride is quite comfortable and cheap. You can also have a glimpse of the local people and their lifestyle in the journey by bus.

What to see:

First you will land in Kochi. You can spend a day or two for local sightseeing by going to places like Fort Kochi, Marine Drive, Willingdon Island, Matancherry etc.

From Kochi you can take a bus or taxi to Alleppey. Alleppey or Alaphuza is a small town famous for backwaters. Here you can stay on a house boat and spend the day cruising in the beautiful backwaters of Kerala.

House Boat in Alleppey

 From here, move to Thekkady, which is on a hill. There is a wild life sanctuary here. Elephants are easily spotted here. If you are lucky you could see a tiger!

 From Thekkady you can drive to Munnar. Munnar is the most beautiful hill station in India. It gets its name from Mun and Aar. Mun is three in Malyalam language and Aar is rivers. Munnar is a confluence of 3 rivers.  It is famous for its tea gardens. The beautiful landscape these tea plantations create is breath taking. The panoramic views and the cool climate of Munnar makes you feel you could stay here forever. Plan such that you get at least 3 days or more in Munnar.

Munnar Tea Gardens

 If you have more time, you can add Kovalam and Kanyakumari to your itinerary.

Where to stay:

There are a lot of Home stays throughout Kerala. You get to stay with the family who owns the house and you can have meals cooked in traditional Kerala style. You must try a home stay at least once in your trip. The people here will love you like their own relatives and you will cherish the experience. Many hotels are available here. Abad group of hotels have a hotel in every tourist place in Kerala. For mid range hotels you can stay at Hotel Volga is Kochi. In Alleppey, stay at Hotel Pagoda, which is built in traditional Kerala style architecture. In Thekkady stay at Hotel Treetop and in Munnar, stay at hotel Elysium Garden or Abad Copper Castle.

What to eat:

The staple diet of the Keralites is rice and fish. So when in Kerala, gorge on various rice and fish delicacies. Try Idli, Dosa, Appam, Idiappam and Puttu for breakfast. All these are made of rice. Try Karimein fish and Braised chicken at the Volga restaurant in Kochi and you will ask for more. Have a coconut water break in the midst of your backwater trip in Alleppey. There are small huts selling coconut water in small strips of land in the sea.

What to shop for:

Shop for rosewood and sandalwood artifacts at the Khadi Gramodyog shop on M G Road in Kochi. Kairali is another shop on the same road which has a large variety of brass sculptures, wooden elephants, jute bags etc. You can buy silk saris and dress materials at Jayalakshmi store in Kochi.

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