A Visit to God’s Own Country in December

Almost the perfect time for you to visit God’s own country is during December when the weather is ranging between 22 and 23 degrees. This land has the power to mesmerise you with its coastlines, shimmering backwaters, and cultural traditions. One of the reasons for you to consider this month is also because it is less humid with high levels of freshness in the air. While you might be able to witness a little bit of rain and sunshine during this month, it is best to also be prepared for it. To all the nature lovers out there, Kerala is the best place to visit if you want a getaway from the hectic lives and just sit back and enjoy mother nature at its best. If you are confused about the things you can engage in during your visit, here are a couple of suggestions for you.

• Revel in the fervor of the Carnival which is a year-end festival that takes place in Kochi. What better way to celebrate god’s own country? This carnival will have numerous events like bike races, fire displays, beach football, floor drawings stretched over the course of 10 days. This show comes to an end with a grand finale on the 31st of December with floats, elephants, music bands, and Panchavadyam.
• Little tip: once the show is done you can enjoy the sunset at the Rainbow Bridge on Marine drive. It will definitely be worth it!

• The “Venice Of The East” more commonly known as Alleppey Backwaters is a beautiful place where you can stay in a boathouse to celebrate the nature around you. Keep your tummy happy with the traditional Kerala meal, do some fishing or just sit back and enjoy the serenity of it all on the boathouse. Among other things to do in Alleppey, do try and visit Alappuzha Beach and take part in the fun Mullackal Chiraq which is a 10-day festival. The prices of these boats will vary depending on the type of luxury you choose but the starting range is from 7500INR.

• Celebrate the festival of lights in Wayanad, a very famous festival in entire south India and commonly known as Karthigai. You can witness villagers carrying back home a torch made up of palm leaves from the village bonfire. You can expect each one of the houses to be beautifully decorated and lit up. What makes it all better is the beautiful lush greenery here as the backdrop. Now that you know it’s lush and mountainous, make sure you also try to visit Chembra peak, Meenmutty Falls and the Edakkal caves to get in touch with mother nature.

• Enjoy the vibrant beauty of nature at Varkala during the winter season, it comes alive only then. Take a stroll through the Papanasam beach which is also known to cleanse the soul from the sins. Witness breathtaking cliffs, sandy beaches, and a dramatic shoreline here. Somehow Varkala leaves you wanting more especially during December.

• Cruise around dead trees in a Lake in Thekkady where nature blooms in the month of December. The best thing to do here among the lot is to take a wildlife boat rides along Thekkady lake which will take you to a parallel universe altogether. Apart from this, you could do some shopping in Kumily village’s spice market, and also visit the iconic Periyar National Park. If you would like to see something traditional then you could even take part in the Garudan thookkam festival inside the Kali temples.

• Go back in time at Bekal where you can enjoy the magic of fireworks & theyyam Rituals. This town is yet again one of the most picturesque amongst the lot in Kerala. This town comes alive in the month of December with its Kambala buffalo races and Theyyam rituals. Pattulsavam festival makes it more of a cultural fiesta with the grand performances, religious rituals and the bright fireworks that are up in the sky. If you can squeeze some time, then you could also take a peek into the Bekal beach, Kodi Cliffs, Bekal and Chandragiri Fort.

• Enjoy a fun-filled Beach fiesta during new years eve in Kovalam, the beaches here are the most happening and fun spots to be in especially during the new years week.  With a lot of fun activities and of course the charming yet serene beaches you can catch Kovalam in full festive glory. Apart from the beaches here you can also pay Kurumkal hillock and the Vizhinjam mosque a visit.

• Getting the perfect feel of the charming colonial hill station at five degrees Celsius surrounded by the Anamalai mountain range is an experience in itself. Go on the beautiful trekking trails in Munnar, enjoy the cascading waterfalls with a hot cup of tea inside your own little bungalow that will give you a typical colonial feeling. With close to 80,000 miles of green tea farms here in these mountain slopes, this is your perfect getaway to a chilly heaven.

• Live out your shopping fantasies in Thiruvananthapuram which also happens to be the perfect place to just sit back and forget the  hustle and bustle of daily life. Not only is this the capital city but also one of the cleanest cities in India famous for its oozing culture. The weather being nice and cold, it is best explored during December. Something that stands out here is the shopping during the festive season in December. How? The Theyyam art form comes back to life with its characters called ‘Pottan’ and ‘Chamundi’. You can even witness the best of cinema if you want, as the International film festival of Kerala also takes place in December. Among the highlights you can escape into the backwaters and lagoons here as well.

To end it off, there are a lot of things you can do here in Kerala especially during the month of December. It has various destinations offering exciting things to do and explore at the same time. No one can get back from God’s own country without wanting to go back again! From the iconic backwater cruising, to the chilly hill stations and misty mountains, Kerala proves to be the best place to visit even when it’s rainy and cold. Visit pickyourtrail.com for some great deals and for more information on some of the best tourist attractions in India, checkout Pickyourtrail blogs page.