Kerala - God's own country
I started my trip in the port town of Kochi (Cochin), once the main centre of India’s spice trade. Not to be missed is the Mattancherry Palace presented as a gift to the Raja of Kochi as a gesture of goodwill by the Portuguese in 1555. It houses some astonishingly preserved Hindu intricate murals (see my pictures). Also not to be missed is wandering through the historic, once thriving, Jew Town, with its streets of brightly painted houses and the Paradesi Synagogue - from 1567 it’s the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth. Also close-by is the Santa Cruz Basilica, one of the most impressive churches in India, or you can try your hand with the locals at Chinese net fishing, and then watch residents haggle over the catch! One more thing to be sure to see is Kathakali – a colourful performance where silent actors vividly translate their historical stories and words into a language of facial expressions, bodily attitudes and poses, and figurations of the hands.
Kochi has many wonderful hotels to suit all tastes and budgets, and I can certainly recommend one to suit from the many I visited, whether you like historic, trendy, super luxury, or eco-boutique!
After a few days in Kochi it was time to head up into the Western Ghats Mountains, at an elevation of some 6000 feet, to Munnar, once a colonial hill station retreat that became Southern India’s largest tea growing region. Incredible beauty as you see the hills and slopes covered in vivid green tea plantations, all orderly and sculpted like ornamental hedges. If you like the great outdoors and walking or cycling, then here is a place to come. A short drive away is Eravikulam National Park, to see the largest wild population of the Nilgiri Ibex, an endangered goat species; I was also lucky enough to be there when a small shrub that flowers only once every 12 years was in its full delicate purple bloom everywhere! Quite a sight and lucky to see it.
In Munnar are a variety of hotels and as an alternative, beautiful homestays, where you stay at a local family’s estate where they will make you very welcome and prepare for you the most delicious food tailored to your tastes. This is a really nice alternative to a traditional hotel stay and worth considering.
After staying in Munnar it was time to descend lower from the ‘land of tea’ to the famous spice plantations that Kerala is so well known for. Staying in Thekkady, you can visit spice plantations and learn all about the cultivation of cardamom, pepper, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg - the list goes on. I didn’t realise how some of these spices were cultivated and used. Peppercorns from the Malabar Coast in Kerala, for example, used to be known as black gold as they were so valuable, and green, black and white peppercorns all actually come from the same plant (and are all green when initially harvested!) It’s a great opportunity to buy some fresh spices for gifts or to take home and cook with yourself, so stock up at direct at the plantations for the best in freshness and price!
Next stop on my trip was Kumarakom, close to Alappuzha, and situated on a lagoon in the backwaters of Kerala, the so-called Venice of the East. Home to some beautiful, relaxing hotels, it’s from here you can combine your stay with an overnight or day cruise on one of the iconic Kerala houseboats. Once used to carry tons of rice and spices, these exotic slow-moving barges are a truly magical way to take in the breathtaking views of the untouched and otherwise inaccessible rural Kerala as you float along with daily life going on around you.
Kerala is certainly not short on jaw-dropping beaches which is a great way to end a tour around of the state, so the final part of my trip was to visit two top beach destinations. Marari is a sleepy small fisherman’s village and its beach has won international awards. Kerala has a law that prevents construction within a few hundred meters at much of its shoreline, so they really are pristine, unspoilt and tranquil. You can watch the fisherman at sunrise or sunset in their colourful boats, or just laze in a hammock strung between some coconut palm trees and later watch a stunning sunset. I also visited Kovalam, just outside Kerala’s state capital of Trivandrum, which is a more developed beach resort with lots for the visitor to do and see in the vicinity. People also come here from all over the world for Kerala’s Ayurvedic resorts and retreats, developed over hundreds of years, their sophisticated mind-body programmes embrace massage, special diets/treatments and yoga and are used to treat weight, stress, and many other ailments/diseases.
So, when to go… October to February is the best time to visit Kerala with great weather. March to June can get humid in Kerala, this is the off-season, so there are great deals to be had. July to September: The monsoons showcase Kerala in all of its lush splendour with nature is at its best during these months, but it can be very wet indeed!
Kerala is a fantastic destination for so many reasons and I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you want to know more then just let me know and I can put together the perfect trip for you!