Amazing Kerala: Beautiful one day, perfect the next

Kerala rightly known as the God’s Own Country is an ideal place to be in with someone special. Equipped with surpassing natural beauty, superb beaches, breathtaking backwaters, rich cultural heritages, arts and crafts, dance and music, food, lush green hill stations and expertise in traditional ayurvedic treatment and rejuvenation practices, Kerala has become a major holiday destination in the world.
The serene beaches are one the major destinations worth going to and enjoying while in Kerala. Flanked on the western coast by the Arabian Sea, this Queen of Arabian Sea is blessed with a long coastline of approximately 580 km (360.39 miles). Kovalam beach near Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandum) is among the first beaches in Kerala to attract tourists. It is today the most visited tourist destination in the state. Other famous beaches are Alappuzha Beach, Nattika beach (in Thrissur), Vadanappilly beach (Thrissur), Cherai Beach, Kappad,  Marari beach, Fort Kochi, Varkala Beach, etc.
The other major attraction in Kerala is its tranquil Backwaters. The backwaters in Kerala are a chain of lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (also known as the Malabar Coast). These were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range. Alleppey, popularly called the “Venice of the East” has a large network of canals that stroll through the town. Another important backwater destination is Kumarakom. The backwater network includes five large lakes, major and popular ones being Ashtamudi Kayal and Vembanad Kayal.  Kumarakom is also famous for its bird sanctuary.
Kerala houseboats in the backwaters are one of the most prominent tourist attractions in Kerala. The Houseboats of Kerala are converted Kettuvalloms. (In Malayalam language “kettu” means tying and “vallam” means boat). Each houseboat is constructed using the ancient principles and techniques of boat building by the local carpenters using jack-wood, bamboo mats, sticks, and coir mats. Coir ropes are used for tying the wooden boards together. In the past, these Kettuvaloms were used for cargo transportation in the backwaters of Kerala, especially for transporting rice from the highly fertile paddy fields to the major port of Kollam, Allappey and Cochin. Nowadays, these are converted into tourist attractions by constructing rooms to accommodate the tourists.  Today a houseboat has got all the comforts of a good hotel including furnished bedrooms, modern toilets, cozy living rooms, a kitchen and even a balcony. They also host modern electrical amenities like LCD TV, DVD, micro-oven, air conditioner etc. A Kerala houseboat is the perfect way to experience the calm and unique ecology of the Kerala backwaters.
The lush hill stations of Kerala add further gems to the crown of glorious Kerala. The wildest hilly lands are covered with dense forests, while other regions lie under aromatic spice, tea and coffee or other forms of cultivation. Popular hill stations in the region include Munnar, Devikulam, Nelliyampathi, Peermade, Ponmudi, Thenmala, Vagamon, and Wayanadand Kottanchery Hills.
For those looking for a Wild adventure, Kerala offers the apt environment. The important wildlife centers in Kerala are Periyar Tiger Reserve in Thekkady, Eravilulam National Park in Munnar, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Muthaga Wildlife Sanctuary, Silent Valley National Park, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Thattekkat Bird Sanctuary etc.
On a Kerala trip; one should also not miss witnessing the amazing performance of dance and arts by various artists. Native performing arts include kalaripayattu (Kerala martial art), koodiyattom, kathakali, koothu (akin to stand-up comedy), mohiniaattam (“dance of the enchantress”), thullal, padayani, and theyyam. Other arts include chavittu nadakom, oppana (originally from Malabar), which combines dance, rhythmic hand clapping, and ishal vocalisations.

Since there is a lot to see and enjoy in Kerala, one should plan ahead the duration of travel and the month of travel to fully benefit from the trip. The tour package should be designed and planned by a well experienced tour operator so as to have a
convenient, hassle free, and memorable travel.