Kerala Travel
Located on the southwestern tip of India with the Arabian Sea on the west and the Western Ghats in the east, Kerala is divided into three regions - the coastal lowlands, the fertile midlands and the highlands. The lowlands are networked by endless backwaters, the midlands are rich with pepper, cashew, coconut among other plantations, and the forested highlands abound in tea, coffee, rubber and spice plantations and wildlife reserves.
In 1956, when the states were reorganized, Kerala was formed after tying the princely states of Travancore and Cochin with Malabar, a province under Madras state.
It is a purified world in Kerala, the land of trees. A big, spreading tree purifies as much air as a room air-conditioner. And the former is never switched off. The prolific, bustling, vegetation acts like a massive, biological, air-filtration plant working round the clock, round the year. Hence spending days in Kerala countryside is as if spending in an air- purified environ; some times better than it. So is the rejuvenating effect of the lush greenery of the state.
The wanton growth of trees makes Kerala a herbarium. The four month-long, copious monsoon and recurrent flurry make this land a perfect nursery for all living beings. Loitering under the canopy of the foliage, you will feel blossoming the dreams. Thus, on a sojourn in Kerala, away from the rough and tumble of cities, you're breathing freshly purified air all the time.
Another piece de resistance of Kerala is the meandering rivers which criss-cross the state physique like blood veins. Besides, water bodies tucked away in thick forests also enhance the amazing beauty of the state. They fertilize the land, turn waste into the wealth of the rich, black, alluvial soil on which the agrarian state thrive.
The Lowlands or the coastal area, made up of river deltas, backwaters and the Arabian coast, is essentially a land of coconuts and rice. Fisheries and coif industry constitute the major industries of this area.
Languages spoken:
Malayalam; however English is widely spoken and understood by the fully literate populace of Kerala.
Major Cities:
Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi (Ernakulam district) and Kozhikode (Calicut)
Food:
Most restaurants, coffee shops, eateries or cafes offer a cosmopolitan flare for Chinese, Continental, Indian or American. You can find many who specialize in Kerala delicacies.
Clothing:
Ideally light cottons. However the cooler hill stations may warrant woolens.
Travel Formalities:
A Visa is a must to enter India. You can contact the Indian Embassy / High Commission in your country for the same. It is best to carry your passport on you all the time. You may also carry travel insurance.
Health Centres:
Hospitals and health centres in Kerala offer world-class facilities.