India's Green Coast
Where the Western Ghats Meet the Arabian Sea
Kerala occupies a 580 km strip of India's southwestern coast, compressed between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. Within that narrow band, the terrain shifts from sea-level beaches to 2,695 m peaks in under 120 km. The state's 900 km backwater network of lagoons, canals and rivers forms a working waterway system that has served as Kerala's primary transport for centuries. Alleppey (Alappuzha), 65 km south of Kochi, is the hub of this network. A single overnight houseboat journey on Vembanad Lake covers 30 to 40 km through coconut groves, rice paddies and villages where daily life plays out on the water's edge.
Inland, the landscape climbs fast. Munnar sits at 1,600 m, 130 km east of Kochi (4.5 hours by road), surrounded by 30,000 hectares of tea plantations originally established by Scottish planters in the 1880s. Further south, the Periyar Wildlife Reserve at Thekkady (925 m, 115 km from Munnar) protects 925 sq km of evergreen and semi-evergreen forest, home to around 35 tigers and more than 1,000 elephants. Kerala is also the birthplace of Ayurvedic medicine. The state's Ayurveda tradition predates recorded history and operates through a network of government-licensed treatment centres that offer medically supervised programs lasting 7 to 28 days.
Kochi (Cochin), Kerala's commercial capital, has functioned as a trading port for over 1,000 years. The Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi, the 16th-century Jewish Synagogue at Mattancherry, the Dutch Palace (1555), and the Portuguese-built Santa Cruz Basilica reflect the layers of Arab, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British influence that have shaped this city. Malayalam is the state language, but English is widely spoken. Kerala has India's highest literacy rate (96.2%) and a public health system ranked among the best in the developing world.
Extend Your Journey
Six Experiences in One State
What to See in Kerala
Kerala divides into six distinct experiences: a historic port city, hill-station tea country, a wildlife reserve, 900 km of backwaters, tropical beaches, and a highland coffee district. Most visitors combine four or five.
A 1,000-Year Trading Port
Kochi (Cochin) & Fort Kochi
Kochi has been a trading port since at least the 1st century CE, when Arab merchants, Chinese emissaries and Roman traders all maintained permanent outposts on its shores. Fort Kochi, the peninsular old town, preserves the physical evidence of this layered history. The Chinese fishing nets (cheena vala), cantilevered shore-operated nets introduced by traders from the court of Kublai Khan in the 14th century, still line the waterfront. The Mattancherry Jewish Synagogue (1568) stands at one end of Jew Town, its floor paved with 1,100 hand-painted Chinese willow-pattern tiles. The Dutch Palace (Mattancherry Palace, built by the Portuguese in 1555 and renovated by the Dutch in 1663) contains Kerala murals depicting scenes from the Ramayana. Kathakali dance performances, featuring elaborate face paint and costumes that take 3 to 4 hours to apply, are staged nightly at several Fort Kochi venues.
- ✓ Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi waterfront, operating since the 14th century
- ✓ Mattancherry Jewish Synagogue (1568) with 1,100 hand-painted Chinese tiles
- ✓ Dutch Palace (1555) with Kerala Ramayana murals
- ✓ Santa Cruz Basilica (originally 1505, rebuilt 1902) and St Francis Church (1503)
- ✓ Kathakali dance performance with traditional face painting
- ✓ Kochi-Muziris Biennale venues (India's largest contemporary art event, biennial)
- ✓ Spice markets and antique shops along Jew Town and Princess Street
- ✓ Harbour cruise from Fort Kochi to Ernakulam at sunset
Tea Plantations at 1,600 Metres
Munnar
Munnar sits at 1,600 m in the Western Ghats, 130 km east of Kochi (4.5 hours by road through a climbing sequence of rubber plantations, cardamom groves and finally tea). The town is surrounded by 30,000 hectares of tea gardens, originally planted by Scottish companies in the 1880s. The Kannan Devan Hills Plantation Company, which manages most of Munnar's tea estates, operates a tea museum where visitors can walk through the full process from leaf plucking to drying. Eravikulam National Park (15 km from Munnar, 2,695 m at its highest point) is home to the Nilgiri tahr, a mountain goat found only in the Western Ghats, with a population of around 800 in the park. The Mattupetty Dam (13 km from town, 1,700 m) offers boating on a reservoir surrounded by forest and tea. Temperatures range from 10 to 25 degrees Celsius year-round.
- ✓ Tea plantation walks and factory visits at Kannan Devan Hills
- ✓ Eravikulam National Park (15 km from Munnar), home to the Nilgiri tahr
- ✓ Mattupetty Dam and reservoir boating (13 km, 1,700 m)
- ✓ Top Station viewpoint (32 km from Munnar, 1,880 m) with Tamil Nadu valley views
- ✓ Neelakurinji flower bloom (once every 12 years, next 2030)
- ✓ Echo Point (15 km from Munnar) with mountain lake and forest backdrop
- ✓ Lakkam Waterfalls (25 km from Munnar), 30 m drop through tea estate
- ✓ Spice garden walks: cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, vanilla
Elephants and Spice Plantations at 925 Metres
Thekkady & Periyar Wildlife Reserve
Thekkady (925 m) is the gateway to the Periyar Tiger Reserve, a 925 sq km protected area centred on an artificial lake created by the Mullaperiyar Dam in 1895. The reserve holds around 35 tigers and over 1,000 Asian elephants, though tigers are elusive and sightings are rare. Elephants, gaur (Indian bison), sambar deer and wild boar are regularly seen on the morning boat safari across Periyar Lake, where animals come to the water's edge to drink. A guided "border hiking" trek (4 to 5 hours, operated by the Kerala Forest Department) enters the buffer zone on foot and provides closer wildlife encounters than the boat. Thekkady town is also the centre of Kerala's spice trade. Guided spice plantation walks cover working estates where pepper, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla grow together in a single acre. Thekkady is 115 km from Munnar (4 hours by winding hill road).
- ✓ Periyar Lake boat safari at dawn for elephants, gaur and birdlife
- ✓ Kerala Forest Department border hiking trek (4 to 5 hours)
- ✓ Spice plantation walk: pepper, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla
- ✓ Bamboo rafting on Periyar Lake (full-day, Forest Department permit required)
- ✓ Kadathanadan Kalari Centre for Kalaripayattu (Kerala martial arts) demonstrations
- ✓ Mangala Devi Temple trek (15 km, open only on Chithra Pournami festival day)
- ✓ Night patrol with forest rangers (eco-tourism program, 3 hours)
- ✓ Kumily town bazaar for freshly dried spices at wholesale prices
900 Kilometres of Lagoons, Canals and Rivers
Alleppey & the Backwaters
Kerala's backwater network stretches 900 km along the coast, connecting five major lakes and dozens of rivers through a lattice of man-made canals. Vembanad Lake, the largest of these, covers 2,033 sq km and is the focal point for houseboat tourism. Alleppey (Alappuzha), 65 km south of Kochi (1.5 hours by road), is the main embarkation point. The traditional kettuvallam (rice barge) has been converted into a floating hotel, typically 60 to 80 feet long with one to three bedrooms, a kitchen and a crew of three. An overnight cruise covers 30 to 40 km through narrow canals lined with coconut palms, past villages where coir rope is still made by hand, toddy tappers climb palms at dawn, and children wave from the banks. For a less commercial experience, the Kumarakom backwaters (16 km north of Alleppey) or the quieter canals around Kuttanad offer similar scenery with fewer boats.
- ✓ Overnight kettuvallam houseboat cruise on Vembanad Lake
- ✓ Dawn canoe ride through narrow village canals with a local guide
- ✓ Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary (14 hectares, egrets, herons, kingfishers)
- ✓ Alleppey beach and 150-year-old sea pier at sunset
- ✓ Coir-making demonstrations in backwater villages
- ✓ Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race (second Saturday of August, Alleppey)
- ✓ Kuttanad: the only region in India farming below sea level (-2.2 m)
- ✓ Toddy tapping: watch the extraction of coconut palm sap at first light
Beach Towns South of Trivandrum
Kovalam & Varkala
Kovalam (16 km from Trivandrum) and Varkala (50 km from Trivandrum) are Kerala's two principal beach destinations. Kovalam is a crescent of three beaches, the most popular being Lighthouse Beach, a 400-metre stretch backed by coconut palms and a functioning 1972 lighthouse that you can climb for coastal views. The town has been a beach destination since the 1930s and has well-developed infrastructure including Ayurvedic resorts offering week-long treatment programs. Varkala is more dramatic: a 2 km stretch of red laterite cliff drops 15 to 25 metres to the beach below, with cafes, shops and guesthouses lining the cliff edge. The 2,000-year-old Janardanaswamy Temple sits at the northern end of the cliff. Varkala's Papanasam Beach is considered sacred in Hindu tradition. Both towns are accessible year-round, though the sea is rough during monsoon (June to August). Water temperature averages 27 to 29 degrees Celsius.
- ✓ Lighthouse Beach, Kovalam: 400 m crescent with 1972 lighthouse viewpoint
- ✓ Varkala cliff walk (2 km) above Papanasam Beach
- ✓ Ayurvedic treatment programs (7 to 28 days) at licensed Kovalam resorts
- ✓ Janardanaswamy Temple (2,000 years old) at Varkala's northern cliff
- ✓ Sunrise yoga sessions on the beach (multiple daily classes available)
- ✓ Poovar Island boat trip (15 km south of Kovalam), backwater meets sea
- ✓ Fresh seafood at cliff-edge restaurants in Varkala at sunset
- ✓ Vizhinjam fishing harbour (3 km from Kovalam), working port since the 9th century
Coffee Country at 700 to 2,100 Metres
Wayanad
Wayanad is Kerala's highland coffee district, 280 km north of Kochi on the northern edge of the Western Ghats. The district sits between 700 m and 2,100 m, with Chembra Peak (2,100 m, the highest point in Wayanad) offering a 6-hour return trek through grassland and shola forest. Unlike Munnar's manicured tea plantations, Wayanad's landscape is wilder: coffee, pepper and cardamom grow under a canopy of native trees in a mixed agroforestry system. The Edakkal Caves (1,200 m, 12 km from Kalpetta) contain petroglyphs dating to 6,000 BCE, the earliest evidence of human habitation in the region. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (344 sq km) connects to Mudumalai (Tamil Nadu) and Bandipur (Karnataka), forming a 3,300 sq km contiguous elephant corridor. Pookode Lake (770 m, 15 km south of Kalpetta) is a natural freshwater lake surrounded by evergreen forest. Wayanad receives fewer tourists than Munnar and feels less commercial.
- ✓ Chembra Peak trek (2,100 m, 6-hour return, heart-shaped lake at 1,400 m)
- ✓ Edakkal Caves with 6,000 BCE petroglyphs (12 km from Kalpetta)
- ✓ Coffee plantation homestay with harvest-season picking (November to February)
- ✓ Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary: elephants, leopards, 280+ bird species
- ✓ Pookode Lake (770 m), freshwater lake with pedal boating and forest walks
- ✓ Banasura Sagar Dam (21 km from Kalpetta), India's largest earth dam
- ✓ Soochipara Waterfalls (200 m, three-tier falls, swimming pool at base)
- ✓ Tribal village visits (Paniya, Kuruma, Adiyar communities)
Sample Journey
A Classic 10-Day Kerala Journey
This recommended itinerary covers Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, the Alleppey backwaters and Kovalam beach. It can be shortened to 7 days or extended with a Wayanad add-on.
Arrive Kochi, Fort Kochi Walking Tour
Kochi (sea level)Arrive at Cochin International Airport (COK), 30 km from Fort Kochi (45 minutes by road). Check in to your heritage hotel in the Fort Kochi quarter. Afternoon walking tour: the Chinese fishing nets along the waterfront, St Francis Church (1503, the oldest European church in India), the Santa Cruz Basilica, and the narrow lanes of Princess Street with its antique shops and cafes. Evening Kathakali dance performance at the Kerala Kathakali Centre. The performers arrive 90 minutes early for the face-painting process, which visitors can watch.
Mattancherry, Jewish Synagogue and Spice Markets
KochiMorning ferry from Fort Kochi to Ernakulam and back (30 minutes each way, INR 6 fare, views of the commercial harbour). Then to Mattancherry: the Dutch Palace (1555) with its Kerala mural room, and the Mattancherry Jewish Synagogue (1568) with its 1,100 hand-painted Chinese floor tiles. Walk through Jew Town's spice shops and antique dealers. Afternoon visit to the Kochi-Muziris Biennale venues (if in season, December to March of odd-numbered years) or the Indo-Portuguese Museum. Sunset from the Fort Kochi waterfront as the Chinese nets are silhouetted against the sky.
Kochi to Munnar (130 km, 4.5 hours)
Munnar (1,600 m)Drive east from Kochi, climbing through rubber plantations in the lowlands, then cardamom groves, and finally into the tea belt above 1,200 m. Stop at Cheeyappara Waterfalls (70 km from Kochi), a seven-tier cascade visible from the road. Arrive in Munnar by early afternoon. Visit the Kannan Devan Tea Museum to see the full leaf-to-cup process. Late afternoon walk through the tea estates near the hotel. The temperature drops noticeably after sunset, reaching 12 to 15 degrees Celsius.
Eravikulam, Top Station and Tea Plantations
MunnarEarly morning drive to Eravikulam National Park (15 km, 2,000 to 2,695 m) to see the Nilgiri tahr in its grassland habitat. The park bus takes visitors 3 km inside; a further 2 km walk on a paved path leads to the viewpoint. Return to Munnar for lunch, then drive to Top Station (32 km, 1,880 m) on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border for views over the Tamil Nadu plains. Return via Mattupetty Dam for a short boat ride on the reservoir. Evening at leisure in Munnar town.
Munnar to Thekkady (115 km, 4 hours)
Thekkady (925 m)Drive south through the Western Ghats, descending from tea to spice country. The road passes through cardamom and pepper plantations for the last 30 km. Afternoon guided spice plantation walk at a working estate near Kumily: see pepper vines climbing trees, cardamom growing in shaded rows, and vanilla orchids trained on stakes. Learn to identify clove, nutmeg and cinnamon by leaf, bark and smell. Evening Kalaripayattu martial arts demonstration at the Kadathanadan Kalari Centre.
Periyar Wildlife Reserve
ThekkadyDawn boat safari on Periyar Lake (6:30am departure, 90 minutes). Elephants, gaur and sambar deer regularly appear at the water's edge. Birdlife includes Malabar hornbills, cormorants and kingfishers. After breakfast, join the Kerala Forest Department's "border hiking" program (4 to 5 hours, moderate fitness required), a guided trek into the reserve's buffer zone with closer wildlife encounters than the boat provides. Return to Kumily by mid-afternoon. Buy spices at the Kumily bazaar for roughly half the price of tourist shops in Kochi.
Thekkady to Alleppey Backwaters (155 km, 4.5 hours)
Alleppey (sea level)Drive west from the Western Ghats back down to the coastal plain. Arrive in Alleppey by early afternoon and board your kettuvallam houseboat on Vembanad Lake. The crew (pilot, cook, helper) prepares a traditional Kerala lunch of fish curry, rice and thoran (coconut vegetable stir-fry) as the boat moves through narrow canals. Spend the afternoon on deck watching village life along the banks: coir-making, toddy tapping, fishing with hand nets. The boat anchors in a quiet canal for the night. Dinner on board under a sky with no light pollution.
Backwaters to Kovalam (170 km, 4.5 hours)
Kovalam (sea level)Early morning canoe ride through the narrowest canals (too tight for the houseboat), guided by a local villager. Disembark by 9am and drive south to Kovalam. Stop in Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) to visit the Padmanabhaswamy Temple exterior (entry restricted to Hindus) and the Napier Museum (1880, with a collection of bronzes, ivory carvings and a temple chariot). Arrive in Kovalam by mid-afternoon. Settle into your beach or Ayurvedic resort. Evening walk along Lighthouse Beach and dinner at a seafood restaurant by the water.
Kovalam Beach and Ayurveda
KovalamA full rest day on the coast. Morning Ayurvedic consultation and treatment session (Abhyanga oil massage or Shirodhara, 60 to 90 minutes) at a licensed resort. Climb the Vizhinjam Lighthouse for panoramic coastal views. Afternoon at Lighthouse Beach or take a boat trip to Poovar Island (15 km south), where the backwaters meet the Arabian Sea at a sand bar. The water temperature is a consistent 28 degrees Celsius. Optional day trip to Varkala (50 km north, 1.5 hours) for the cliff walk and Papanasam Beach.
Kovalam to Trivandrum and Departure
Trivandrum (TRV)Final morning on the beach or at the Ayurvedic centre. Transfer to Trivandrum International Airport (TRV), 16 km from Kovalam (30 minutes by road). Direct flights operate to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, and international connections to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Singapore and Colombo. Those extending to Wayanad can fly or drive north to Kochi and continue from there (280 km, 6 hours to Kalpetta).
This itinerary is a template. We customise every Kerala journey to your pace, budget and interests.
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Practical Kerala Travel Information
Everything you need to plan your Kerala journey with confidence, from seasons and transport to Ayurveda and food.
Best Time to Visit
October to March is the main season: dry weather, calm seas, daytime temperatures of 28 to 32 degrees Celsius on the coast and 15 to 25 degrees in the hills. This is ideal for backwaters, beaches and wildlife. June to August brings the southwest monsoon with daily heavy rain, but this is traditionally the best season for Ayurvedic treatment. The air is cool and humid, the body absorbs oils more readily, and resort rates drop 30 to 50 percent. April and May are hot (33 to 36 degrees on the coast) but the hills remain comfortable.
Getting There
Cochin International Airport (COK) is the main gateway, 30 km from Fort Kochi. Direct flights from Delhi (2.5 hours), Mumbai (1.5 hours), Bangalore (1 hour), and international flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Colombo. Trivandrum International Airport (TRV) serves the southern coast, 16 km from Kovalam, with similar domestic and Gulf connections. Internal travel is by private car with driver; distances between destinations average 100 to 170 km (3 to 5 hours due to hill roads).
Visas and Permits
Foreign nationals require a standard Indian visa (e-Visa available online at indianvisaonline.gov.in for 160+ nationalities, processing in 3 to 5 days). No special permits are needed anywhere in Kerala. Indian nationals need only a valid photo ID. Trance Holidays can assist international guests with e-Visa applications. Carry your passport or a photocopy at all times.
Ayurveda
Kerala is the birthplace of Ayurvedic medicine, with a documented tradition stretching back over 3,000 years. The state government licenses Ayurvedic treatment centres and classifies them by grade. Serious programs (Panchakarma detox, stress management, arthritis treatment) run 7 to 28 days. Shorter wellness sessions (Abhyanga massage, Shirodhara oil treatment) are available as single sessions at most resorts. The monsoon season (June to August) is traditionally considered the most effective period for treatment. Always choose government-certified centres.
Food and Drink
Kerala cuisine is built on coconut, rice, seafood and spices. A traditional sadhya (vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf) includes 24 to 28 dishes in a fixed arrangement. Fish moilee (fish poached in coconut milk with turmeric), appam (fermented rice pancake) with stew, and karimeen pollichathu (pearl spot fish grilled in banana leaf) are essential eating. Fresh toddy (coconut palm sap, mildly alcoholic) is tapped daily and available at toddy shops across the state. Kerala's filter coffee, brewed strong with chicory, rivals Tamil Nadu's.
Shopping and Crafts
Kerala spices (pepper, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, vanilla) are best purchased at the Kumily bazaar near Thekkady or the Jew Town spice shops in Kochi. Coir products (rope, mats, bags) are a backwater speciality. Kasavu sarees (cream cotton with gold border) are handwoven in Balaramapuram near Trivandrum. Aranmula metal mirrors (a unique alloy polished by hand, made only in one village) are a collector's item. Buy tea directly from the Kannan Devan factory shop in Munnar.
Common Questions
Kerala Travel FAQs
Extend Your Journey
Combine Kerala With
Goa
Fly from Kochi to Goa (1.5 hours). Portuguese heritage, beach culture and a different coastal personality from Kerala.
Learn MoreGolden Triangle
Delhi, Agra, Jaipur: combine the Mughal north with Kerala's tropical south for the full India spectrum.
Learn MoreTamil Nadu Temples
Drive from Thekkady to Madurai (130 km). Continue to Thanjavur, Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram for Dravidian temple architecture.
Learn MoreMaldives
Fly from Kochi or Trivandrum to Male (1.5 to 2 hours). Add 4 to 5 nights of island time after Kerala's cultural depth.
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