Tucked away in the South West corner of India, Kerala is a
narrow strip of land between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat
mountains. The name means 'land of coconuts,' and palms still shade
almost the entire state from the tropical sun. The tropical
landscape is criss-crossed by dozens of rivers and countless
waterways and visitors can spend idle days riding small ferries
through the backwater lagoons and see village life close-up in
this, India's most populous state.
Kerala has some of India's best coastal resorts; among the
finest is the much-photographed Kovalam, which many argue has the
best beach in the country. Here visitors can take in Kerala's rich
cultural and artistic life and enjoy the best vegetarian cuisine on
the planet.
When the rest of India gets too hot to handle, Kerala is
soothing and rejuvenating, whether you stick to the lowlands or
head for the hills, passing through scenery dotted with churches
and temples, past spice, tea, coffee and rubber plantations,
enjoying natural forests with wildlife reserves filled with
elephants.
Compared to the rest of India Kerala is short on monumental
sights to see; the drawing card here, though, is the natural
beauty. The countryside undulates westward from the mountains
offering vistas of rich green valleys. Rivers glide across the
plains towards the sea, creating attractions like the Athirampally
Falls, ending in a linked chain of lagoons where the silence of the
still waters is broken only by boats and canoes, seagulls and
cranes.
