Kerala
God's Own Country — backwaters and beaches
Kerala, on India's southwestern Malabar coast, is known as God's Own Country for its network of backwaters, a 900-kilometre chain of lagoons and canals traditionally navigated by wooden kettuvallam houseboats around Alleppey and Kumarakom. The state has the highest literacy rate in India and a distinct social development model often cited internationally for its health and education outcomes relative to its income level.
The Western Ghats hill stations of Munnar and Wayanad, part of a UNESCO-recognised biodiversity hotspot, hold extensive tea and spice plantations, while Kerala remains the historic heart of India's spice trade, its pepper and cardamom having drawn traders from Rome to Europe for over two thousand years. The state's Ayurvedic wellness tourism and Kathakali dance-drama further distinguish it culturally from the rest of South India.
Curated Experiences
Our journeys in India.
Categories
Points of Interest
14 places
Attraction
Alleppey Backwaters
The Alleppey backwaters are a network of lagoons and canals around Alappuzha, Kerala, best seen from a kettuvallam houseboat
Attraction
Munnar
Munnar is a tea-growing hill station at about 1,600 metres in Kerala's Western Ghats, surrounded by working estates
Attraction
Kovalam Beach
Kovalam Beach is a group of three crescent beaches south of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, known for its lighthouse and ayurveda
Viewpoint
Chinese Fishing Nets, Fort Kochi
The Chinese fishing nets of Fort Kochi are giant shore-operated cantilevered nets, a working symbol of Kochi's trading past
Temple / Religious Site
St. Francis Church, Kochi
St. Francis Church in Fort Kochi, founded by the Portuguese in 1503, is the oldest European church in India and Vasco da Gama's first grave
Temple / Religious Site
Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica
Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica is a Gothic-style Catholic cathedral in Fort Kochi, completed in 1905, known for its painted interior
Temple / Religious Site
Paradesi Synagogue
The Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry, built in 1568, is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth, famed for its Chinese floor tiles
Natural Wonder
Cheeyappara Waterfalls
Cheeyappara Waterfalls is a seven-tiered waterfall beside the Kochi to Munnar highway in Kerala's Idukki district
Natural Wonder
Eravikulam National Park
Eravikulam National Park near Munnar protects high grasslands and shola forest, and is the main home of the endangered Nilgiri tahr
Museum
Tata Tea Museum
The Tata Tea Museum on Munnar's Nallathanni Estate is India's first tea museum, telling the story of the Kanan Devan Hills estates
Natural Wonder
Mattupetty Dam
Mattupetty Dam is a hill reservoir about 13 km from Munnar in Kerala, surrounded by tea estates and known for boating
Other
Cochin International Airport (COK)
Cochin International Airport (COK) at Nedumbassery serves Kochi and central Kerala and was the world's first fully solar-powered airport
Natural Wonder
Valara Waterfalls
Valara Waterfalls is a tall forest waterfall near Adimali on the Kochi to Munnar highway in Kerala's Idukki district
Market / Shopping
Jew Town, Mattancherry
Jew Town in Mattancherry, Kochi, is a historic lane of spice warehouses and antique shops leading to the Paradesi Synagogue
Travel Information
Best Time to Visit
September–March
Other Districts in India
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