With its long sea coast line and unique geographical location, Kerala is surely a hotspot for tourist destinations. The vibrant flora, fauna, literature, architecture and yes the culture, makes Kerala a truly fascinating state. Apart from these, Kerala is also the leading state in terms of literacy rate and has among the highest literacy in the country. To add charm to the geographical locations, there are many rivers that protrude out of the main land and pour in to the Arabian Sea, and the natural habitat composed by them is impeccable. The spices and the Ayurvedic medicine are also famous from ancient times here. The cuisine of Kerala is also different from the other states and is worth for trying when you are visiting this state. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala and it too shares a good proportion when it comes to the tourism sector. So let’s see more about places that are visited most by the travelers.
Best Tourist Places to Visit in Kerala
Alleppey
This is among the most famous tourist destination in Kerala. Its famous name is ‘Venice of the East’ and it is famous for its backwater sports. It is situated near the Ashtamudi Lake and has some of the fantastic view of nature. Mostly this place is surrounded by the water bodies all around and this makes it a perfect place to spend you holidays. Alleppey has also become world’s famous supplier of coir and is a fully fledged industry here. For water related sports, a famous backwater tourist center is also there. In the month of August and September, a famous event Nehru Cup Snake Boat Race is performed with great enthusiasm. It is also a hotspot for the maritime industry because of its prime location in Arabian Sea.
Cochin
Cochin or Kochi is a major port city in Kerala and is well connected by air, road and rail transportation. It is well connected to the major cities of India like Mumbai and thus dominates itself in terms of shipping industry. This is also famous for the shopping centers and the main reason behind is that, Cochin is a major hub in terms of Business. At many places you can get glimpses of Portuguese architecture, as in ancient time Portuguese had a major establishment here. Naval base, Cochin shipyard, Marine drive, Fort Kochi, Mattancherry Santa Cruz Basilica and The St. Francis Church are some of the key locations that are visited people in large numbers.
Kovalam
Kovalam is mainly famous because of its natural beauty and lies 16 Km from the capital city. The presence of coconut trees in abundance make this place a really interesting one. Sand color of the beaches here is black land and this due to the fact that it contains thorazite and ilmenite in abundance. There are three beaches that are very famous here and they are namely: Lighthouse Beach, Samudra beach and Hawah beach.
Kumarakom
It is also because of the presence of backwater sports. In terms of beauty too, it gives picturesque views of nature and has large presence of coconut trees. Vembanad Lake is a very famous water body here and there is several water sports that organized on this lake. Due to the presence of this water body, it houses different species of flora and fauna.
Munnar
Munnar is a famous hill station of south India and is 6000 ft above the sea level. Due its geographical location, the view of natural beauty is impeccable. Now it is a fully fledged tourist hub and houses various hotels to accommodate the coming tourists. Tea plantation is also very famous here and there are three mountains Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala that are mostly visited by tourists.
Periyar
For a person who loves to explore the natural wildlife, then this is a very promising place to spend your holidays. The grand attraction of Periyar is its National park and presence of large lake inside it. It is formed because of the construction of Periyar dam and houses various different species of plant, animals and birds. Due to the presence of longs grasses in this national park, elephants live in large numbers here. A 750 sq Km tiger reserve is also there and very famous in south India.
Thiruvananthapuram
Unlike other capital cities, Thiruvananthapuram offers charismatic, picturesque and mesmerizing view of nature. It is much cleaner than any other city in the country. In earlier times, it was among the major medical hub. Historic places, famous beaches and ancient time art and architecture all can be seen in this part of city. A very famous temple known as Shree Padmanabhasami temple is present in this city and caters will in large numbers.
Varkala
Varkala is famous for its crystal clear beaches with white sands at bottom and blue sky at top. The terrain of this part is also different and formed because of erosion effect done by the water. Paddy fields and coconut tress adds charm to the view of nature here. Still this place is much untouched from the human intervention and thus a promising place for spending times in quietness.
Wayanad
Wayanad is famous for its mysterious jungle trails, mountain caves, ancient ruins, thundering waterfalls, exotic wild life. Because of the hilly terrain, trekking and rock climbing is prime sports here. This place is mostly covered with forests and has different species of birds, flowers, animals and plants. It is a part of Nilgiri biosphere reserve. It is also famous for its spices and coffee beans.
Tips for Journey while visiting Kerala
Kerala no doubt is a major hub for the Ayurvedic treatment. But due to this it has led to opening of many unrecognized treatment centers. So before going for any of these centers, make sure it is registered to the Kerala government. There is no need to carry extra cash with you, because there are so many nationalized banks available in Kerala. Foreign currency conversions points are also available in abundance. This state is located near to the equator and hence it is advisable to all the people to have their sunglasses and sun scream ready with them. With summer temperatures near this land shoots up to a great extent, so all the necessary steps that you think will be useful to beat the heat are always welcomed. Now talking about going to tribal areas, there are some places that are not connected or we can say not well connected by the public transport. In Land water transport is very famous in Kerala, and to avoid any type of exposure to pollution, try them.