best time to visit kerala
India’s water-drenched southwestern state of Kerala is a feast of natural beauty and culture.
Fog and clouds intersperse with jungle, the sun melting over the distant horizon, to a tune of insects and swishing water. When speaking of their home state, Keralans’ eyes often light up and one word springs to mind: beautiful. Stretching 580 kilometres (360 miles) along India’s southwestern coast towards the Arabian Sea, its highlands slope down from the Western Ghats into the valleys and hills of the midlands all connected by a network of 44 rivers and their offshoot canals and backwaters.
Kerala’s demographic diversity is on full show at Kochi, a historic trading port, welcoming Arab and Chinese merchant alike later joined by the British, Dutch and Portuguese. Modern Kochi is a fascinating mishmash of colonial churches, synagogues and mosques, the oldest European fort in India, Chinese fishing nets drooping over the coast, and palaces showcasing Indian prestige and wealth.
Further south, the coastal hamlet of Varkala prides itself on its beach where a natural spring, (believed to have healing qualities) offers relief to weary wanderers. The area is a hub of traditional Ayurvedic medicine, with retreats and resorts offering the uninitiated holistic physical, mental and spiritual relief. Sat atop the cliffs is the 13th-century Janardana Swamy Temple, joined by the nearby Sivagiri Mutt an annual pilgrimage site for followers of the social and religious reformer Sree Narayana Guru.
The Keralan backwaters run parallel to the coastline, bleeding a laid-back lifeline into the state. One renowned beneficiary, Alappuzha, is often called the ‘Venice of the East’ and serves as a port for backwater adventures, boat races and local maritime and coconut industries. While the city centre is hectic, its outlying waters offer a serene meditation on the state's natural splendour. Here, visitors embark on cruises, aboard modernised kettuvallam houseboats, with thatched roofs and wooden hulls - traditionally used to carry rice and spices.
Just down the backwater is Kumarakom, a village spread over numerous small islands within Vembanad Lake's mangroves and paddy fields, watched over by tall coconut trees. Home to a 5.7-hectare (14-acre) bird sanctuary. from Siberian storks to herons and cuckoos to waterfowls, its colourful array of avian ambassadors have birdwatchers clutching at their binoculars.
Deep in the state’s wild forests, animals are the main attraction. Thekkady’s Periyar Tiger Reserve covers 777 square kilometres (300 square miles), and is a tribute to nature at its wildest, with rich forests boasting almost 2,000 flowering plants. Though famous for its tiger population, the park is also home to more than 60 species of mammal, 265 types of bird and numerous reptiles and fish. Rivers and streams weave throughout, feeding its man-made lake. Boat trips take you amidst the overgrowth, past elephants, bison, leopards, snakes and frogs.
The area also hosts a variety of cardamom pepper and coffee plantations. At Connemara Tea Factory, visitors can learn more about tea production and taste some of the region's finest brews. Meanwhile, the organic Highrange Spice Garden also doubles as a quaint homestay, tucked amidst the verdant magnificence of south India's favourite national park.