The exotic state of Kerala is located on the Malabar Coast of southwest India. Kerala enjoys various geographical features that make it a great tourist destination. It has a long shoreline with tranquil beaches, lush hill stations, emerald backwater, serene waterfalls and alluring wildlife, everything that you might need for a perfect stress releasing getaway. The laidback lifestyle of the state gives you a chance to kick back and leave your worries behind while you enjoy the beauty and serenity of the place.
Kerala has many attractive beaches. The most popular beaches of Kerala include the Bekal Fort beach, Meenkunnu beach, Cherai beach, Varkala beach and the Nadai beach.
The Bekal beach is one of the most popular beaches of Kerala, attracting tourists and locals alike. This beach encompasses a grassy park and a long, beautiful stretch of sand with clear blue waters that call out to those who visit to take a dip and sooth themselves. Its popularity among the locals can easily be seen on the weekends when it is a host to more than a hundred families. Most of these are the local families coming down to the beach to enjoy a day of relaxation and fun.
Kerala also has many Synagogues that give a chance to those interested to learn more about the Jewish culture and their history associated with Kerala. The main Synagogue is located in the Jew Town, a bustling port area.
This nature’s paradise has many wildlife sanctuaries and gardens where the exotic wild treasures of the region are kept protected. Of the many sanctuaries, the Thattekkad bird sanctuary is one. It is a serene 25 square kilometer park that is home to over 270 species of birds and is a bird-watchers delight. One can easily hire a guide there if need be.
Another such place is the Trivunathapuram zoo. It is one the most impressive zoos in India. It has massive enclosures that mimic the natural habitat of the animals making sure that they thrive well.
A visit to Kerala is incomplete without a trip through its magnificent backwaters. The backwater trips move through shallow, palm fringed lakes and long shady canals where the locals can be seen going about their daily business. Along the way many villages can also be seen, giving us a peek into the daily life of Kerala. Travelling through the 900km network of waterways that fringe the coast and trickle far inland is the undisputed main attraction of a trip to Kerala.
Kerala has a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies. As coconuts grow in abundance in Kerala, coconut cream and coconut milk are widely used in their dishes for flavoring. Its long coastline and numerous rivers have contributed to sea food based dishes. Rice and cassava are the staple food of Kerala. Spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, red pepper, cloves and cumin play a very important role in the preparation of food in Kerala. Kerala has many scrumptious vegetarian dishes to offer such as puttu, steamed rice and grated coconut; kadala, a curry made of black garbanzo beans, idli, sambar, dosa, pidiyan, iddyappam and paal-appam. Toddy is a local wine made from the sap of palm trees. It is directly consumed and used as a flavoring agent in many dishes.
Kerala has a wet maritime tropical climate and receives heavy seasonal rains. Winter is the best time to visit Kerala as the weather is pleasant and even gives us the opportunity to witness many colorful festivals of Kerala.
Kerala is a beautiful, heavenly state with a variety of activities and places to keep your trip packed with splendid things to do. A visit to Kerala is definitely a must do.
