Holiday travel destination: Kerala
Kerala is situated at the south west corner of India. Kerala, one of the most integral parts of Indian Tourism is known as God’s Own Country. It is the land of rivers and backwaters that is the main attraction for all the tourists. Other attraction includes dance, ayurveda, cuisine and houseboat. It has a costal belt with palm lined shores and sandy beaches that makes it a pleasant place for holidays. Kerala also have hill stations, wildlife sanctuaries, tea gardens, and spice and cashew plantation. Kerala has everything that one can think of for a perfect holiday. Holidaying in Kerala is a memorable experience that one can cherish all through his life.
Connectivity
Kerala is well connected through Air, Rail and Road from major parts of India as well as many other countries.
There are three international airports in Kerala – Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kozhikode. These are well connected with cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai. International flights from Singapore, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Muscat, Colombo, Maldives, Sharjah, Bahrain, Doha, Kuwait, and Riyadh etc. are available.
Kerala is well connected through rail to major part of the country. Several express trains run on regular interval from various metro cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai to various cities of Kerala.
Kerala state government runs various buses in between important cities of Kerala and from other states like Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamilnadu. It is well connected with all the major tourist destinations in Kerala.
Language
India is a country of several languages and religions so one must know about language and its people before visiting any place. Malayalam is the main language of Kerala, but English is also spoken widely. You can say that it is second language of Kerala.
Best Places to Visit
The best places to visit in Kerala are Alleppy, Cochin, Calicut, Munnar, Periyar, Kumarakom, Coir Island, Kollam, Trichur, and Trivandrum (Capital of Kerala). Some famous beaches of Kerala include Kovalam beach, Kappad Beach, and Varkala Beach.
Best Time to Visit
One can visit Kerala anytime since weather is pleasant for most of the year. It has tropical climate that makes it green all through the year. One can visit Kerala during winters from October to February and in summers from April to June. The maximum temperature in Kerala is around 33 degrees centigrade and minimum temperature during winters is around 20 degrees centigrade. If you want to visit Kerala for Ayurvedic treatment or pleasure then Aril to August is the best time. There are several Ayurveda resorts in Kerala. You can choose from five star luxury ayurveda resorts, beach Ayurveda and backwater Ayurveda resorts.
Best Cuisines
Sea food (fish), coconut and rice are the main food in Kerala. You can find several varieties and options in Kerala’s Cuisine. Cuisine is generally hot, spicy and fresh. Most common food of Kerala is fish and boiled rice. You will always find chilies, curry leaf, tamarind, mustard seed and asafetida in Kerala’s cuisine. Traditionally, meal is served on banana leaf in Kerala. Some of the traditional dishes include sambar, aviyal, kaalan, theeyal, thoran, appam, kappa, puttu, and puzhukku. Coconut and coconut oil is widely used in most of the items, it adds a flavor to the food and make it different from other cuisines of India.
Dance Forms in Kerala
Kerala is known for its folk dances and classical music. One of the most common dance form of Kerala are Kathakali, Mohiniattam and Kalaripayattu. Kathakali is classical dance form of India. It is mainly performed by male performer. Mohiniattam is another dance form of Kerala performed by women’s. This form of dance is generally performed in temples of Kerala. Kalaripayattu is a martial dance form of Kerala and one of the oldest martial art in the world. You can enjoy these dance forms while you holiday in Kerala.
Accommodation
Accommodation is easily available in Kerala all the year. You can choose from a wide range of budget hotels, resorts, rest house, guest house and tourist bungalows. There are various ayurveda resorts in Kerala that offers massage and spa treatments.
Kerala is becoming popular day by day for its tree houses. These tree houses are built on joint of large trees. These are generally located in the rain forest and by the side of the river to give you experience that you can cherish all through your life.
Another attraction of Kerala is holidaying in houseboat or a backwater cruise. These houseboats are also known as Kettuvallam and are made by pieces woods. It has one or two rooms with attached bathroom, kitchen, some open area, a crew with two oarsmen and a cook. You can have a relaxing time in houseboat while sightseeing and enjoying the beauty of backwater. You can see local people at the banks of backwater doing their traditional work like fishing and farming. The best backwaters of Kerala include Kochi, Alappuzha, Kasargod, Kottayam, Kumarkom, and Thiruvananthapuram.
There are several sites that offer tours and travel packages to various cities of Kerala.