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Information on Kerala
This narrow strip of land can be found between the Western Ghat mountains and the Arabian Sea in the South West corner of India. The name means 'land of coconuts,' and palms still shade almost the entire state from the scorching sun. The tropical landscape is criss-crossed by dozens of rivers and countless waterways and visitors can spend idle days riding small ferries through the backwater lagoons and see village life close-up in this, India's most populous state.
Kerala is home to, arguably, the best beach in the country. Kovalam has been photographed for many fashion and film shoots but is by no means the only stunning beach in this resort. Here visitors can take in Kerala's rich cultural and artistic life and enjoy the best vegetarian cuisine on the planet.
Kerala retains a much cooler, calmer atmosphere than the rest of India. From the plantations bursting with tea, coffee, spices and rubber, through t o the lowlands dotted with churches and temples, there is scenery to soothe and rejuvenate the soul. For a truly peaceful experience head over to the natural forests and wildlife reserves where a pleasant day can be spent watching elephants grazing in their natural habitat.
Although Kerala does not boast a high number of big tourist attractions,it is the natural beauty of the place that draws visitors to it. The countryside undulates Westward from the mountains offering vistas of rich green valleys. Rivers glide across the plains towards the sea, creating attractions like the Athirampally Falls, ending in a linked chain of lagoons where the silence of the still waters is broken only by boats and canoes, and seagulls and cranes.
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Thiruvananthapuram, locally known as Trivandum, is the capital of Kerala. Perched on a mountain-top at the most Southerly point of the state, the city is well worth a day trip. This easy-going city offers narrow backstreets, old gabled houses and parks which break up the modern centre. The most fascinating part of Trivandrum is the Fort area, around the Shri Padmanabhaswamy temple (closed to non-Hindus) and Puttan Malika palace, seat of the Travancore rajas. Some of the palace has been turned into a museum and displays a collection of heirlooms and artefacts, however the highlight is the typically understated, elegant Keralan architecture.
Beneath sloping red-tiled roofs, hundreds of wooden pillars carved into the forms of rampant horses prop up the eaves, with airy verandas projecting onto the surrounding lawns. When it gets too hot at sea level, Ponmudi makes a welcome excursion. This enchanting hill station, tucked away in the Western Ghats, forty miles to the north of the capital, offers a lot to travellers with a passion for trekking or those who'd prefer a gentle wander along narrow, winding pathways, through cool green, wooded environs and among a variety of beautiful mountain flowers full of exotic butterflies. The hill resort is surrounded by tea-estates and mist-covered valleys, peppered with little stone cottages painted violet, pink and white. Another easy excursion from Trivandrum is Padmanabhapuram, the site of a magnificent palace.
Kochi (Cochin)
Cochin (officially called Kochi) is a port city found on a narrow peninsula in the middle of the Goan coast. The majority of tourists stay in the Ernakulam district but the old section of Mattancherry and Fort Cochin is the main focus of interest. All linked by a series of ferries and bridges, these districts are an unlikely blend of medieval Portuguese, Dutch and English architecture. Near the waterfront are St Francis Church (India's oldest), a 16th century Portuguese palace and a synagogue dating back 450 years. Set among all this are spice markets and a village green that could have been transported from rural England. The architecture follows the history of European influence. Kolchi came to prominence in 1405 when the royal family moved here and the city became an important harbour attracting Christian, Jewish and Arab settlers from the Middle East. The Portuguese arrived in the early 16th century, followed by the Dutch and later the English. One of Kochi's main attractions is the Kathakali dance which can be seen at one of many special tourist theatres, or, more authentically one performed by a temple-based company. The best way to explore the town is on bicycle, which can be hired from a number of companies.
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
One of the most popular wildlife reserves in the whole of the country, the Periyar Sanctuary is found high in the Cardamom Hills. It is home to a great variety of game including elephant, sambar, wild pig, mongoose, the Malabar flying squirrel and almost 300 species of bird. Leopards and dwindling numbers of tigers are also here but are rarely glimpsed by visitors. The park lies 75 miles southeast of Kochi at cool altitudes, between 900 - 1800m. Ironically the park was created by the royal family of Travancor to preserve their favourite hunting grounds from the encroachment of tea plantations, and centres on a vast artificial lake that was created by the British in 1895 to supply water to the drier parts of the state. Most people view Periyar from the lake, however many visitors prefer to explore by foot. Local guides take small groups on treks of various lengths, however visitors should avoid the weeks immediately following the monsoon, when leeches make hiking virtually unbearable. The best time to visit is from December to April, when the dry weather draws animals from the forest to drink at the lakeside. Periyar is also a good base for day-trips to visit the local tea and spice plantations, and see the waterfalls and views within the Cardamom hills.
The Backwaters of Kerala
The backwaters of Kerala offer visitors a memorable insight into this region's hidden life. The best known is the area known as Kuttanad, situated between the hills in the west and the Arabian Sea, stretching for 50 miles south of Kochi. This extraordinary maze of rivers, lakes, canals and estuaries is lined with dense tropical greenery, and reveals a Keralan lifestyle that is totally hidden from the road. Boats are the only way to explore this area, billed as Kaleidoscope Kerala, where views change around every bend; narrow tree covered canals open into dazzling vistas of paddy fields, and through the trees can be seen churches, mosques and temples, and small farms and villages which remain almost untouched by the modern world. Buffalos are used for ploughing the fields and women bathe and wash their clothes in the rivers. Roads do cross this area but are almost entirely linked by manually operated ferries rather than bridges. Kingfishers, cormorants and fish eagles compete with fisherman in rowing boats for the dwindling fish population; a massive increase in the population has resulted in much illegal land reclamation and use of harmful fertilisers which has damaged the ecosystem.
