Kerala - Beaches

Kerala - Hill Stations
Kerala - Backwater Tourism
Kerala- Locations of interests Kumarakom,  Alleppey, Cochin, House boat

Kerala - Beaches

Beaches of Kerala are one of the most important tourist attractions. In spite of the fact that infrastructure is yet to come up in many of the beaches, the advantages in those beaches are many, the most important being, less crowded.

Kovalam Beach(Thiruvananthapuram District)

A former fishing village, Kovalam is just 16 Kms away from Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala.

Marari Beach

Marari is the place, where you can experience the local charm and traditional Kerala Hospitality at its best.

For a more upbeat day, a visit to Cochin is a must. Being one of the most important trade centres on the " Spice Coast " Cochin is the right place to do a spot of shopping and who knows you could actually find a genuine antique in one of the shops in Jew Town.

Cherai Beach

The Cherai beach, though a tourist spot retains its serene and unexploited natural beauty. A must visit beach. Paddy fields and coconut trees beautify the place even more.

Kerala - Hill Stations

The high and rugged Western Ghats endow the state with a number of Hillstations, which unlike the rest of the state have a high rate of tourist influx during the summer months.

Munnar

The Thekkady sanctuary is one of the best in thecountry for watching and photographing wild life

Ponmudi

Ponmudi offers excellent opportunities for trekking. With its tea estates and mist-covered Ponmudi is a fast developing hill resort with cottages and dormitory accommodation facilities.

Vagamon

This 1100 metres tall hill will be a very interesting place for all the trekking enthusiasts from around the world.

Nelliyampathy

The height of the Nelliyampathy hill ranges from 467 mts to 1572 mts, and these hill ranges have plenty of interesting sights to offer.

Kerala - Backwater Tourism

One of the most enchanting features of Kerala is the backwaters in Kerala.

Kuttanad

Kuttanad in Alappuzha (Alleppey) which is the most beautiful backwaters region of Kerala, is one of the few places in the world where farming is done below sea level.

House boat

A house boat is about 67 feet in length and has a width of around 13 feet in the middle. The materials that go into the making are all local and Eco friendly bamboo poles, coconut fiber ropes, bamboo mats, coir carpets etc. The main wood used is "Anjili". The houseboats have fully furnished single and double rooms with sundeck, private balcony with comfortable chairs, kitchen and toilet with WC. In addition there is also separate rest room for the crew. Traditional lanterns are used as lights. The crew includes a chef and two oarsmen. The cuisine is traditional Kerala flavour with the local specialities; delicious fish and prawns. There are single bedroom houseboats for two people and two bedroom houseboats for four people.

Kumarakom

Kumarakom is undoubtedly the most invigorating, fascinating paradise in God's own country.

Bird sanctuary

The bird sanctuary, set within the lush acres of wooded land nearby, acquaints you to the variety of migratory birds.

Pathiramanal (sands of midnight),

This attractive island on the lake, can be accessed by boat from here

Fishing

Fishing is a livelihood for the local people

Kerala Cochin

Cochin, queen of the Arabian Sea, is a group of islands on Lake Vembanad,which opens out into the Arabian Sea.

Special features of Cochin

Bolghatty Palace

Bolgatty Palace one of the oldest existing Dutch Palace outside Holland.

Chinese Fishing Nets

The Chinese fishing nets, a mechanical method of catching fish by local fishermen in Fort Kochi, are the only ones of its kind in India.

Jewish Synagogue

The synagogue, magnificently decorated by Chinese tiles and Belgian chandeliers,was constructed in 1568

Fort Kochi beach

A stroll along the beach, particularly at sunset with the Chinese fishing nets and sailing ships in the background, is a memorable experience. Many European style bungalows can be seen along the shoreline.

Hill Palace

Built in 1865 by Raja of Kochi, the palace has been converted into a museum displaying a fine collection of articles used by the Rajas of Kochi apart from many archaeological findings.

Museum of Kerala History

This 'live' Museum is not just a retelling of the ester years but is a Light and Sound show of three-dimensional visuals.

St. Francis Church

This is the oldest church built by European in India.

Jew Town

The loveliest part of Fort Cochin; in earlier centuries a thousand Jews lived here. Most are gone, and many old houses are now antique shops for foreign tourists, but the quarter remains the nerve center of Kerala's spice commerce.

Alleppey

The alluring Alappuzha with its lovely lakes, lagoons and the fresh water rivers will mesmerize you

Its exotic backwater locations entice people

Houseboat Cruise

A cruise on a Houseboat through the enchanting backwaters of Alleppey is sure to rob your heart

Travel tips to Kerala

Money

• There is no limit to the amount of foreign cash that visitors can bring, when they travel to Kerala, India.

Banks

• Banks are open for transaction from 10.00 to 14.00 hrs on all days except on Sundays, and on Saturday (10.00 to 12.00 hrs).

Best time to visit to Kerala

High season: for ayurvedic treatment you can come at any time, October to April - Monsoon. May to September are the high seasons

Travel wear

• Cotton outfits that breaths, hats, sunglasses, and remember to carry sunscreen lotion when you travel to Kerala, India.

Credit cards

• Main hotels, restaurants and shopping centres accept major credit cards

Currency

• Indian Rupee (INR)

Drugs

• Heavy punishments including imprisonment are imposed for possession of narcotic drugs.

Food

• All standard restaurants offer a variety of cuisines including Continental, Chinese, Indian and typical Kerala type.

Emergency numbers

• Police control room: 100, Fire station: 101, Ambulance: 101

Water

• Tap water is purified and quite safe to drink. It is not advisable to drink water from slow moving streams, lakes or dams. Mineral water is available in sealed bottles.

Temple codes

• Footwear inside the temple and entry into the sanctum sanctorum is not permitted in all the temples. Some temples do not permit entry to non-Hindus, while some do. Shirts for men and trousers are not permitted in some temples and allowed in some others. Where they are banned, men have to be in mundus and women in saris, salwar kameezes or long skirts.

Weather

• Weather in Summer - Kerala experiences hot summer months. Since the south of India lies near the equator, the temperature in summers usually goes up. Since Kerala is located on the coast, the on-shore winds cool off the temperature as evening settles in. Also, the greenery in Kerala keeps the temperature moderate. The maximum temperature in Kerala goes upto 35o Celsius. The evening and nights are relatively cooler.

• Weather in Monsoons - It pours almost throughout the year in Kerala. Almost all months experience one good rainfall. This helps in keeping the heat from turning into dry spells. Kerala experiences monsoons twice a year. The southwest monsoons winds bring heavy rainfall in the months of May to July. In the months of October-November, Kerala receives another good dose of rainfall from northeast monsoons. Going to Kerala during monsoons is an experience in itself.

• Weather in Winters Kerala hardly has cold winters. Mornings are pleasantly warm and evenings are mildly chilly. The minimum temperature does not go below 20o Celsius. People do not wear woolen clothes. Just full sleeved shirts are enough for sustaining the chill.