Kerala
Introduction to
Kerala
Kerala
travel leads the visitors to one of the most popular
tourist destinations not only of India, but of the
entire world. Kerala is an internationally reputed
Ayurveda hub. Tourists from all over the world travel to
Kerala to receive the holistic natural therapy provided
by the many high-quality Ayurvedic centers of the state.
A region noted for its biodiversity, Kerala is the
considered to be the greenest state of India. It is
resplendent with verdant forests and virgin backwaters.
The golden sandy beaches and the lush tea plantations
add to its beauty. Because of its unsurpassed scenic
beauty, Kerala is rightly referred to as 'God's own
Country'.
Wildlife tourism is one of the greatest attractions of
Kerala. The 14 wildlife sanctuaries, nestled in the deep
forests of Kerala form a vital part of Kerala tourism.
Kerala has wonderful places that support for adventure
tourism as well. The adventure-lovers can also go
trekking on the
exciting
hiking trails that border these exotic destinations.
There are, moreover, beautiful plantation fields where
tea, coffee, pepper, cardamom, vanilla, oranges, mangoes
are grown.
The famed backwaters of Kerala is an intricate network
of countless lakes, canals, deltas and lagoons, that
stretch for a total navigable length of over 900 km.
This absolutely dreamlike aquatic world can be explored
by indigenous houseboats called Kettuvalloms. Kerala has
a large number of beaches that dot the state. Many of
the beaches are located on the historic and famous
Malabar coast, while there are others that are located
in faraway islands, and only approachable by boats.
Some of
the most popular beaches of Kerala are:
-
Kovalam
Beach
-
Beypore
Beach
-
Shankhamugham Beach
-
Kozhikode Beach
-
Kappad
Beach
Due to its
enchanting greenery and paradisaical landscape, the
state of Kerala has been ranked as one of the 50
'Paradises Found' by the Geographic Traveler. All of its
myriad attractions, along with a very pleasant weather
that prevails for most parts of the year, make it the
most sought after tourist destination in the Indian
subcontinent after Goa, Rajasthan and Agra. The exotic
houseboats, luxurious resorts and hotels in Kerala
present a wide range of accommodation facilities for the
tourists.
The
most favorite tourist spots in Kerala are as follows:
The state
of Kerala has fantastic transportation links with the
rest of the world. The presence of three international
airports in Kerala, including a privately owned
international airport at Kochi, has contributed
significantly towards boosting international tourism in
the state. The state is also very well connected by
roads and railways with other parts of the country.
Kerala is located between the Western Ghats and the
Arabian Sea in Southern India. The geographical
coordinates of Kerala correspond between 8º18'N and
12º48' N latitudes and 74º52' E and 72º22' E longitudes.
With a total population of about 32,000,000, the state
is divided into 14 districts. Thiruvanathapuram is the
capital and Malayalam is the official language of this
South Indian state. Kerala witnesses pleasant climate
throughout the year but the best time to visit this
'Paradise on Earth' is between the months of October to
March.
Tourist
attractions :
Backwaters in Kerala:
Kerala is most reputed for its undulating backwaters,
which possibly does not have a match anywhere else. As
many as forty-four rivers crisscross the land and
finally drain into the Arabian Sea, creating a network
of lakes, canals, estuaries and deltas. A cruise through
the backwaters in Alleppey and
Kumarakom, in a
houseboat offers you amazing spectacles of rural Kerala.
Beaches in Kerala:
Along its 600kms shoreline, Kerala has a number of
sparkling beaches. With soft white sands, unending
stretch of turquoise water, tall palm groves swaying
with the sea breeze, the beaches of Kerala have an
unspoilt and unexplored charm. Beaches at
Kovalam, Poovar,
Alappuzha, Fort Kochi are major tourist attractions in
Kerala.
Hill Stations in Kerala: Enchanting hill stations
lie clad in lush green woods along the Western Ghat
range in Kerala. Sprawling plantations around, the clear
sky above, refreshing breeze combine with a panoramic
view of sleepy little villages in the hill stations of
Munnar, Palakkad,
Ponmudi, Rajamala.
Wild lives in Kerala:
12 Wildlife sanctuaries and two National Parks literally
dot over the map of Kerala. In the dense forests of
Periyar and Rajamala,
you may chance upon elephants, gaur, sambar, deer,
Nilgiri Tahrs, langur and a wide variety of birds and
reptiles.
Ayurveda in Kerala: Today, Ayurveda seems to have
found a synonym in Kerala. The ancient medical science
has been practised in India since times immemorial. Rare
herbs with therapeutic qualities abound in the jungles
of Kerala. They serve as fitting rejuvenation agent to
your body and soul as an alternative to contemporary
medical science.
Art and culture in Kerala: Kathakali dance form
is one of the major tourist attractions in Kerala. The
dance shows revolve around religious themes and the form
imbibe age-old martial arts of the region. Some other
dance forms are Mohiniyattam. Elaborate make-ups and
graceful physical gestures are feast to eyes.
Cities in Kerala: The state boasts of quite a few
cities which have a rich history interwoven with myths.
The cities are home to many tourist attractions in
Kerala.
Kochi is a naval base,
Trivandrum is its
capital,
Trissur is the cultural
capital while Kottayam with numerous churches and
colonial style houses can be dubbed as the Rome of the
East.
How to
Reach Kerala
By Air: Two
international airports in Kochi, Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram)
and a domestic airport in Kozhikode are strategically
located within the state. All public and private
airlines operate regular flights link these airports to
major airports in India. A number of international
airlines also have regular operations in these airports.
By Road: The state of Kerala is also easily
accessible by road from any part of the country.
National highways 47, 17 and 49 crisscross the landscape
of the state. A number of state highway and other
metalled roads networks among the important cities in
the state.
By Rail: 200 Railway Stations dot the map of
Kerala interconnecting the most of the places in and out
of the state. Long distance express trains service the
major railway stations and there is also an extensive
network of local trains running through the railways
station within the state and entire south India.
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