Kerala: A Journey Through Nature's Bounty

God’s Own Country, Kerala is an extremely beautiful tourist destination and holds great admiration among global tourists as well as Indian tourists. Hill Stations, Backwaters, Commercial Cities, hamlets, and much more to explore in this city of god. So we thought of creating a ‘Travel Guide to Kerala’ to make your life a bit easier.

Kerala will be on the bucket list of almost every person who plans a trip down south. We know you will find it hard to research and plan from various sources so we thought of giving you all the information in one place.

Alleppey

Often called “Venice Of The East” Alleppey is world-famous for its natural backwaters. Attracting thousands of tourists every year, the backwaters of Alappuzha is one of the top things to do in Alleppy and the canals here expands across paddy fields, small chapels, and pristine villages which cannot be erased from your memory for a lifetime. The buzz around Alleppey starts during the boating season and is very famous for its boat races, coir industry, and houseboats

Best months to Visit: Jan – Mar; Sept-Dec

Best Places to Visit: Alappuzha Houseboats, Revi Karunakaran Museum, Marari Beach

Munnar

Can you imagine tea farms spanning for 80,000 miles, low flying clouds and mist valleys, Munnar is one of the top Hill Station in southern India and is flocked by tourists all around the year. Located at a height of 1,600 feet above sea level, it is fondly called as the “Kashmir Of South”. One of the many attractions of Munnar is the Pleasant village lifestyle. Covered with full greenery the scenic views will make you cry!

Best months to Visit: All round the year

Best Places to Visit: Eravikulam National Park, Mattupetty Indo-Swiss Project, Pothamedu, Poopara

Cochin Or Kochi

The hub of Kerala in commercial terms and also a major tourist-friendly place in Kerala. It has one of the important seaports in India. The Portuguese settled in Kochi in the 15th century and Kochi became the first Europea township of India. The Jewish synagogue is an important attraction you must visit where you will be able to see the beautiful chandeliers, magnificent Chinese tiles, and very impressive furnishings. Also, this place is very famous for its one and only elephant centre and it is specialized for rescuing and training stranded adult and baby elephants from regions across Kerala.

Best months to Visit: Sept – April

Best Places to Visit: Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, Kodanad Elephant Sanctuary, Athirapally Falls

Thekkady

A very well known tourist place in Kerala, Thekkady is India’s largest wildlife destination. When people utter this name the first thought that occurs to everyone is elephants and unending chains of hills and aromatic spice plantations. If you are a nature and wildlife lover this is a heaven for you and the experiences cannot be explained over words. Periyar Tiger Reserve in Thekkady is home to many of the endangered species and also a rich tribal culture. Experiences like Trekking, Jeep Safari, Night patrolling in the Jungles are very famous here!

Wayanad

Called as the “Green Paradise” Wayanad serves each kind of traveller with an incredible countryside experience. The mist capped mountains and vast landscapes covered in the foliage blankets can attract any person from an urban background. Chembra Peak which is ideal for rock climbing and trekking with a beautiful lake on the top this peak is very much enjoyed by the locals as well as the tourists. Edakkal caves are also famous in Wayanad and tell the story of prehistoric civilizations through stone age writing on the walls.

Best months to Visit: Sept – June

Best Places to Visit: Chembra Peak, Pakshipathalam Bird Sanctuary, Soochipara Falls and Edakkal caves

Vagamon

Next to Munnar in terms of beauty is one of the famous tourist places to visit in Kerala for its soothing environment. Lush green landscapes, vast meadows, pine forests, and scented plantations will be a very pleasant getaway from any metropolitan city. Sunsets from “Elaveezha Poonchira” is very romantic and the winds make it more special.

Best time to Visit: Jan to June & Sept to Dec

Best Places to Visit: Elaveezha Poonchira, Kurisumala Ashram, and Parunthumpara View Point

Kozhikode

If there is one place which has the best of nature, beaches and a feel of exotic holiday Kozhikode is the place to go. Previously called ‘Calicut’, where the trading of spices began. Kozhikode is filled with historical, cultural, educational, and exceptional culinary excellence this place is worth a visit. A very popular beach in Kerala is Kappad Beach which is within Kozhikode, this was where Vasco-da-Gama arrived in 1498 with 170 men in three ships. The beach becomes quite fierce at times.

Best months to Visit: Sept-March

Best Places to Visit: Kappad Beach, Dolphin’s Point, Pazhassiraja Museum

Trivandrum

The “City of Lord Anantha” is home to the southern tip of India and is amongst the incredible tourist attractions in Kerala. With its rich cultural history and diverse social & religious traditions. This place must be on every tourist’s Itinerary. Some very famous places around this place are Kovalam which is famous for its beaches and ancient ayurvedic treatments. Rated as one of the best beaches in India, it is indeed a perfect spot for a relaxing vacation. Varkala is one more place that is popularly termed as ‘mini goa’ and is also not too popular yet among all tourists. The unique seaside places and accommodations are grand and attract a lot of people around the world who are pretty well-travelled.

Best months to Visit: Sept-April

Best Places to Visit: Kovalam, Varkala, and Kanyakumari

Thrissur

Pradakshina Path Temple — Image Credits: Unsplash

Kerala’s Cultural capital, Thrissur will induce you to its culture. It holds some of the most influential artists and teachers and preserves the cultural legacy and integrity of the city and traditions to date. Nearby famous places to visit Include ‘Vazhachal Falls’ and this offers spectacular views of deep valleys of the western ghats and also serves as an amazing spot to take beautiful photographs.

Best months to Visit: Jan – Mar, Sept-Dec

Best Places to Visit: Vazhachal Falls, Sri Vadakkunnathan Temple

Visiting Kerala for the first time and not sure where to go? These are the best places to visit in Kerala!

Kerala has always been a dream destination for everyone and things you can do and experience here are immense. We thought of throwing some light to it and that’s why this blog. I hope it made you want to visit Kerala, visit Pickyourtrail and choose your kind of an Itinerary and just leave. Until then, Happy Planning!!