It’s true that Kerala is beautiful enough to have truly earned itself the sobriquet of God’s Own Country… and there are many unique things about Kerala because of which you should visit this South Indian state. If you’ve never been to Kerala, do so for any or all of these reasons:
The beaches
Crystal clear water, gentle waves and pristine sands of beaches such as Kappil, Varkala, Kovalam, Kollam, Poovar and so many more beckon visitors to this coastal state.
The hills
Munnar with its rolling tea gardens, Thekkady with its gentle elephants and so many other hill stations such as Ponmuddi, Idukki and Athirapally with its stunning waterfalls also make Kerala one of the most sought after destinations in India.
The culture
The culture of Kerala is unique. There are no beggars. The streets are clean. People take great pride in their language and their heritage. Women are safe. In the rest of India, women dress more traditionally than men as a rule. In Kerala it is most common to see women dressed in outfits that can be considered nontraditional for this part of the world; the salwar kameez whereas the men are traditionally attired in their mundus.
The houses
The houses of Kerala are almost uniformly colorful… though some are done up in muted colors and elegant whites, the populace largely seems to favor pinks, purples, turquoises and sometimes rather virulent shades of magenta. And the paint industry appears to be flourishing here… Keralites are a house proud lot and homes are not only clean they all appear freshly painted!
The backwaters
These stunning lagoons, with their adjoining rice fields, the little charming houses with canals instead of roads and jetties instead of bus stands are quite simply unique in India.
The roads
I said roads because Kerala seems to have no highways; practically no roads where you can go above an average speed of 40 kmph because all roads appear to wind through towns and cities. With houses continually lining the roads, NH 47 may as well as been a busy road in the middle of any city.
The temples, churches and the masjids
One of the first things you’ll notice in Trivandrum is the beautiful and sometimes fanciful churches; all incredibly well looked after. Then of course there are the equally stunning temples and the beautiful masjids everywhere you go in the state.
The food
Spicy and full of flavour, the sheer variety of Kerala cuisine is a far cry from the idli-dosa that North Indians think of as ‘South Indian food’… and a non vegetarian’s delight, it simply must be added to this list.
