Kerala
Kerala
Country : India
Region : South India
Capital City:Thiruvananthapuram
Population:3,33,87,677
Geo Location:South
Area :38,863 square kms
Average Climate: Summer March till May (32°C to 36°C), Monsoon is from June till September (18°C to 30°C) and Winters from November till February (17 °C - 28 °C).
Best time to visit: Kerala can be visited throughout the year, although it is experienced best between October till the month of March
Situated on the borders of the Arabian Sea, with the Western Ghats in its east, Kerala has a network of 44 rivers flowing through it. It shares its boundaries with the states of Karnataka on the north and north-east and Tamil Nadu on the east and south. The twelfth largest state in the country in terms of population, Kerala’s capital city is Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum).
Its unique geographical features make it one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in Asia – a uniform climate, serene beaches, tranquil backwaters, waterfalls, lush green hill stations and exotic wildlife. The most popular cities of Kerala in terms of tourism are Alappuzha, Munnar, Kannur, Thrissur, Kottayam and Kochi among others.
Kerala boasts of a rich history and has played hosts to travelers and explorers from across the world including Portuguese, Dutch, French, Roman, Chinese, Greeks, British and Arabs. The imprints of each of these explorations can still be found in the modern Kerala in terms of architecture, literature and cuisine. It was the blooming spice trade of Kerala that attracted these explorers to reap its benefits. Kerala soon became a prominent spice exporter to these countries and many others across the world.
The most famous tourist destinations spread all across the state are the hill stations, beaches and backwaters. Some of the major beaches of Kerala are located at Kappad, Varkala, Muzhappilangad, Kovalam, Fort Kochi, Bekal and Cherai. Munnar, Wayanad, Nelliampathi, Ponmudi, Peermade and Wagamon are the popular hill stations of Kerala. The ‘backwaters’, an extensive network of lakes, canals and rivers flow through the districts of Alleppey, Punnamada and Kumarakom, providing the tourists an extraordinary opportunity to stay on water in beautiful and exotic “houseboats”.
Kerala is also famous as an ecotourism destination and houses 12 wildlife sanctuaries and 2 national parks, popular among which are the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Ernakulam National Park and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. Concentrated to the Western Ghats, its flora and fauna constitutes 900 species of medicinal plants, 4000 varieties of flowering plants, 102 species of mammals, 476 species of birds and many other varieties.
Important Tourist Destinations in Kerala
Kochi, Munnar, Alleppey, Periyar, Kovalam, Kumarakom, Kannur, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Thrissur, Wayanad etc
