Kerala Tourism

Many tourists travel across the world to India only for the green and soothing destination called Kerala. With undisturbed beauty of green and moist foliage and the lure of ayurveda, Kerala is an international holiday destination. Kerala in India still remains calm and serene though it is supposed to have the highest density of population. One wonders where they are tucked away as you roam the green belt of Kerala.

You can spot a tourist place in each and every district in Kerala. In other ways we can say the entire state is a tourist destination. The main tourism attractions in Kerala are the Kerala Backwaters, the Waterfalls, the Spice gardens, Kerala Wildlife, Kerala Ayurveda and the Kerala beaches.

Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) is the capital of Kerala. The main attractions of the city are Shri Padmanabha Temple, Sri Chitra Art Gallery which has a large section devoted to the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, works of Rabindranath Tagore, Jamimi Roy, K. K. Hebar. The gallery's collection also includes paintings from Indonesia, China, and Japan. Nearby tourist places to Trivandrum are Veli, Shankhumuggam and Kovalam, which is considered as the finest beach in the world and provides ingredients for an ideal holiday. Besides swimming, there are opportunities for surfing and water skiing.

Within hailing distance of the capital city Thiruvananthapuram, is the Veli - Akkulam lagoon with a delightful waterfront park that is increasingly becoming popular among the natives and tourists alike.

Only a narrow sandbar separates the lagoon from the sea. You can opt for rides in motor-driven safari launches, power boats, pedal boats or row boats. Kayaks and hovercraft attract the brave-hearted. A floating bridge and a floating restaurant add to the overall excitement. The eastern end of the lake is flanked by two scenic hillocks coming through as a perfect hiking ground.

At Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary you can see the natural habitat of elephants, the tiger, deer, wild pigs, and tigers.
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Munnar is located in the eastern part of the state of Kerala, in Idukki district that borders Tamilnadu State. It is famous for tea gardens and spices. The weather in Munnar is pleasant. Summers (April-June) are mild, while winters (November-February) are cool. It experiences heavy southwestern monsoon rains in June-August.
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The sweeping network of canals, honey-combing the town of Alleppey (Alappuzha) has earned for the place its sobriquet - "The Venice of the East." Small, low-slung country boats are the taxis of this water land.

It is a heart-warming sight to see them carry a motley assemblage of cycles, goats, fisherwomen with cane baskets, school children, toddy-tappers with their knives and pots, duennas in white with gold earrings, Syrian Christian priests and a bare-chested boatman apiece.

The Silent Valley National Park is situated in the Palghat (Palakkad) district. The park is surrounded by the Attappadi Reserve Forests in the east, and the forests of the Palghat and Nilambur divisions in the west and south. In the North, the park is an extension of the Nilgiri Forests.

The park has a strong wild life population with a variety of animals such as elephant, tiger, lion-tailed macaque, gaur, wild pig, panther and sambar. Some other species of wildlife have also been recorded here including 15 species of invertebrates, two fishes, and two amphibians. Parambikulam, Choolanur Peacock Sanctuary, Attappadi or Mountain Valley, and JP Smriti Vanam are the other tourist places in the vicinity of the park.

Bolgatty Palace is one of the oldest existing Dutch Palaces outside Holland. A Dutch trader built this mansion in 1744. The palace was leased to the British in 1909 and it served as their residency till 1947 when the British Rule came to an end in India. The Bolgatty Island is a short but inspiring boat ride away from Kochi.

Tourist places in and near Kottayam are:-
Peermed, an inviting hill resort at an altitude of 1066 meters. Vaikom Temple, associated with the legendry Parasurama. This temple also depicts the typical Kerala temple culture.

Kumarakom, where you could sail the backwaters in rented houseboats that are simply furnished with a living room, a bedroom and a bath, together with a raised central platform creating a private sit-out for the passengers. Sections of the curved roof of wood or plaited palm open out to provide shade and allow uninterrupted views. Boat trains - formed by joining two or more houseboats together - make for a convenient mode of sightseeing when the company is large. You could even take a canoe out into the quiet lagoons and spend time angling. Make sure you sample Karimeen and fresh Toddy - the favorite fresh-water food and the local wine.
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