Holidays in Kerala and South India
with specialist tour operator Kerala Connections

The small state of Kerala, which represents just 1% of the land mass, is considered to be one of India’s most beautiful. Holidays in India and especially Kerala are becoming ever more popular among tourists. Kerala is a very rural state with most of the population living in villages and is culturally and scenically diverse. Kerala has two national parks, ten wildlife sanctuaries and two bird sanctuaries. With its strong culture, palm fringed beaches, houseboat cruises on a vast network of backwaters, a wealth of religious festivals and delicious cuisine – holidays in Kerala cannot be matched.

Holidays in Kerala, India have so much on offer including:

• Attending a Kathakali performance - a combination of theatre and dance acting out the Indian epics.
   
• Visiting the numerous wildlife sanctuaries and national parks and if you are lucky seeing a wide range of birds, wild elephant and maybe even a tiger.
   
• Cruising the backwaters in a houseboat (converted rice barge or Kettuvallams).
   
• Enjoying the scenic beauty and clean air of the majestic Western Ghat mountains, perfect for walking, trekking and cycling.
   
• Relaxing on a wide sandy beach.
   
• Learning to cook some of Kerala’s delicious dishes.
   
• Taking an Ayurvedic massage.
   
• Staying in some of India’s best heritage and boutique hotels.

Kerala occupies a long (550km), narrow strip of land in the far south of India. Its coast line is on the Arabian Sea (part of the Indian Ocean) and its eastern border with the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu is the top of the majestic Western Ghat mountains. The landscape varies from long golden beaches to cool hill stations and dense green jungle to bustling cities. Its unique feature is the network of palm fringed backwaters.

The people of Kerala (known as Keralites) are warm and friendly and interaction with them is often a highlight of holidays in Kerala. Keralites have a strong culture and are fiercely proud of their state. Some of their art forms (eg Kathakali and Theyyam) and marshal arts (kalaripayattu) are unique.

There are three main cities. The state capital of Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) is in the south, Cochin (Kochi) in the centre and Calicut (Kozhikode) to the north. All three have an airport, which means that the whole of Kerala is reasonably accessible. However, as in the rest of India, most of the roads are of poor quality and therefore travel can be quite slow.

If you’ve never visited India before, Kerala is a wonderful introduction. If you have visited other parts of India and liked it then we are sure you will love Kerala.