Reason Why Kerala is Called a Paradise
Kerala is no less than a paradise on earth and is therefore aptly known as God’s Own Country. Located on the Malabar Coast in South India, the state is famous for its varied topography, full of networks of rivers, lakes, and canals that form what are called its backwaters, beaches, and mountains with tea, coffee, and spice plantations, and a plethora of wildlife and biodiversity. There’s so much beauty of the nature to be explored in Kerala and with its insistence on a sustainable ecotourism, the state can be explored by tourists in a way that doesn’t adversely affect its environment. So without further ado here is a list of things to do and places to see in Kerala for tourists.
Backwaters and Waterfalls in Kerala
Some brackish lagoons and lakes in Kerala, which have more salinity that freshwater does but less than seawater, that lie parallel to the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea form a network that is known as Kerala’s backwaters. These backwaters are famous for houseboat riding and boat races during festivals and form one of the major tourist attractions of the state. The most popular backwaters of Kerala that you must definitely visit are the palm tree lined backwaters of Alleppey where you can take Houseboat Cruises and witness the traditional snake boat race in August and September and the beautiful backwaters of Kollam, the Ashtamudi Lake, which is an ancient port town in Kerala and the gateway to Kerala’s backwaters.
Kerala is also home to some of the most beautiful and majestic waterfalls you will ever get to see in your life and you should definitely visit some of the most famous waterfalls of Kerala, which are the three-tiered Soochiparra Falls in Wayanad, surrounded by forests on all sides, and which fall into a large pool where tourists can swim and bathe; the Athirappilly Falls in Thrissur, which is the largest waterfall in India and is called India’s Niagara; and the Palaruvi Falls, which is one of the highest waterfalls in India.
Beaches and Lighthouses in Kerala
Kerala is quite famous for its beaches, so much so that some people might call them superior to even Goa’s beaches, especially because some of them are comparatively much less crowded and more quiet and serene, although there are plenty of beaches here too where tourists come in flocks. Go to one of Kerala’s best beaches in the months between September and March and you would have quite a memorable experience. The most popular beaches of Kerala that you should give a visit to are the best beaches in Kovalam, such as the Lighthouse beach, Samudra Beach and Hawa Beach/Eve's Beach, which are the most visited beaches in Kerala; Varkala Beach and Marari Beach, which are quieter and less frequented; the secluded beaches of Kannur, where you will also find beach houses; and Bekal Beach in North Kerala where you can find luxury hotels nearby.
Kerala’s beaches are made all the more special by the presence of elegant and charming lighthouses on them, which are a major tourist attraction in Kerala. Some of Kerala’s popular lighthouses that you must go and see are the Alappuzha Lighthouse, which is 150 years old, the Varkala Lighthouse, which was built in the 17th century by the British, and the Vizhinjam Lighthouse, which is the highest lighthouse in Kovalam.
Hill Stations in Kerala
Kerala is quite unique in that in this one state you get not only beaches and lakes and backwaters but also hill stations for Inland Kerala has the mighty mountains, gorges, and valleys of the Western Ghats where the lush forests support a plethora of wildlife and a lot of the land not covered by forests is under tea and coffee plantations. Some of the best hill stations in Kerala that you can spend a great holiday at are Wayanad, whose misty mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and spice plantations make it look like an idyll; Munnar, which is famous for its tea plantations and the blue Neelakurinji flowers, which bloom only once in twelve years; and Vagamon, which is surrounded by three hills and is full of meadows and nature trails where you can peacefully explore nature and find some inner peace.
Wildlife in Kerala
Since Kerala is full of evergreen rainforests and highland deciduous forests and has a humid tropical climate it inevitably has a wildlife and varied biodiversity unique to itself. The rare and often exotic flora and fauna is conserved in many wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala, some of which you should definitely try to visit while you are in the state. Some of the most popular of these are Begur Wildlife Sanctuary, where you’ll find such animal as Black bulbul, Peafowl, bears, Laughing Thrush, Panthers, Wild boars; Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, where you’ll find tigers, leopards, lion-tailed Macaque, Asian Elephant, Pit Vipers, King Cobras, Great Pied Hornbill, etc.; and Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, where different species of birds, such as waterhen, marsh sandpiper, different species of butterflies, and the surrounding mangrove vegetation can be seen.
Festivals in Kerala
Kerala witnesses a lot of events and festivals that makes a truly interesting and fascinating place to visit where you get the chance to see for yourself its unique culture and spirit. You absolutely must visit the city during the Kochi-Muziris Biennale where an international exhibition of contemporary art takes place, which includes everything from film, new media, and performance art, to installation, painting, and sculpture. This yearly festival is the largest art exhibition in India. You should also visit the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival in which small businesses as well as big industries all participate in an annual shopping event that takes place from December to January in which customers are offered large discounts, refunds, and gift coupons to promote Shopping Tourism in Kerala.
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We are providing our expert advice for your visit to Kerala, also known as Gods Own Country when you visit Indian on Indian Tourist Visa.