Travel

By Author: Jimna
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Best of God’s Own Country
One of the best-known states of India, there’s a lot to pack into a trip to Kerala. God’s own country, Kerela in South India has a lot to offer to hill stations and tea plantations up in the Western Ghats, to national parks that are home to tigers and elephants, to palm-fringed beaches. And then there are the Kerala Backwaters when experienced in the right way.
We spent over 3 weeks travelling to Kerala at the beginning of this year, and we still could not fit everything in. There’s a lot to do in captivating Kerala. Kerala beauty is no longer a secret, and with its popularity have come crowds of visitors both from within India and from overseas. Those crowds have congregated in specific areas of Kerala and led to problems for Kerala’s wildlife. Local resources have become drained, including water, upsetting that delicate balance of flora and fauna. In Alleppey, we're going on a houseboat cruise is on the bucket list for so many, the scenes are often of overcrowding of houseboats, islands of floating plastic and filth a-top inky black water.
North Kerala
Kannur & ...
... Thottada Beach
Kannur was our first port of call in Kerala. Northern Kerala has been off the beaten track for many visitors to Kerala who have focused more on the central and southern parts of the state. And as a paradise for those seeking a quieter taste of Kerala. Small homestays line the palm-fringed shores, with uninterrupted views out across the Arabian Sea. There aren’t any facilities in such shade, so the best time to visit is morning or late afternoon for a stroll. Ladies are recommended to cover up a bit on the beach as this is a rural and mainly Muslim area.

Wayanad
Wayanad is a tranquil uphill oasis of homestays, quiet villages, and scenic winding roads that take you through wild forests, and is a place where you can truly escape. There is no centre to Wayanad as such, so for first-time visitors, it can take some time to get your bearings. Sights and activities are spread all over the region, some road travel will be involved. Wildlife is a big attraction here, but we found our Jeep drive at Tholpetty to be disappointing. After an early start and being in line at the forestry department by 6 am to get our tickets, we got the second jeep out of the gates. We didn’t see anything apart from a few deer. Wayanad is easily accessible from the northern Kerala cities of Calicut (Kozhikode) and Kannur. There are also connections to Cochin, Bangalore, Mysore and other major regional hubs. There are more frequent bus services to Calicut, although you can take a direct bus from Mananthadvady to Kannur. There are no railway connections to/from Wayanad.

Kochi / Cochin
Is one of Kerala’s most popular tourist spots and transport hubs, and so the starting point for many travellers in Kerala. It’s possible to spend many a day wandering the old lanes of Fort Cochin between colonial houses, organic cafes, art galleries, churches and boutiques. Note that Cochin
is quite separate (it is an island) from the mainland town of Ernakulam, where all major transport arrives and departs from.

Exploring Fort Cochin

As an old trading and naval outpost, over the last 600 years, Kochi has seen the arrival of many immigrants of different nationalities and religions – from Portuguese to Dutch, to British to Arabic traders. There’s an Indo-Portugese museum, a Dutch cemetery, as well as several beautiful churches to explore such as the Santa Cruz Basilica. There’s also a growing number of art galleries (often with cafes), such as the Kashi Art Gallery.

Munnar
Despite being one of Kerala’s major attractions this is one place that we failed to squeeze into our Kerala itinerary, except for passing through its scenic gardens. Tea is of course, the name of the game here and is the main draw, and most visitors come to soak up the ambience and enjoy being surrounded by the beauty of the tea gardens. Tradition states that Colonel Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, was the first British person to pass through Munnar during Tippu Sultan's campaign in Travancore, but this is unsubstantiated.

South Kerala
Thekkady & Periyar Tiger Reserve
Travelling inland and up into Kerala’s mountains – the Western Ghats – was one of the highlights of our Kerala trip. Winding through hills, tea plantations and around several hairpin bends, our bus journey provided spectacular views. Thekkady is best known for Periyar National Park or sometimes, rather optimistically known as Periyar Tiger Reserve and many come here for a chance to see Kerala’s wildlife. It’s also, more simply, a chance to get away from the hot and humid air of the backwaters and coast.

Alleppey (Allappuzha)
Alleppey is backpacker central and ground zero for backwater cruises – expect wherever you stay to persist with offering you houseboat services during your stay. We however enjoyed our time in Alleppey we spent nearly a week there and found it to be a great town for unwinding, with good wifi for when we needed to catch up on work, good food, and plenty of facilities.