While thinking of travel destinations, the biggest question that comes to our mind is mountains or beaches?
Even in our travel groups, some friends would like to go to beaches and some mountains and we end up cancelling the travel plan.
Kerala is a place blessed with both, the hilly town of Munnar offers avenues for trekking and mountain biking and some of the best beaches in India are located at the coastal towns of Varkala and Alleppey. The backwaters of Alleppey is an added bonus on top of everything else.
Here are 6 more reasons to travel to Kerala-
Backwaters-
Alleppey is the only place in India which lies below sea level and the backwaters are formed by the various rivers that are flowing down the western ghats. The gates are put in place to stop the sea water to come back to the backwaters so that the fresh water can be used for irrigation and household purposes.
One memory that I am definitely taking back from Alleppey is the way we were slowing inching forward with those majestic views of the coconut trees and small huts on both the sides of the backwaters, sipping fresh coconut water along with some fresh air and looking at how these backwaters are the lifeline for people living in those villages which are still not connected to the world through any other means of transportation.
It was amazing to see how those fish sellers and ice cream sellers were selling the items on a boat. They even had a school boat like the school bus to drop kids to the schools.
Effluent people in the backwaters own a luxury boat for the family similar way we own a car and they even had a boat parking with sheds.
Road trips-
Kerala is a great place to be explored on roads due to the scenic views in all over the state, good and clean roads and car or bike rental being available quite easily.
The roads were not that crowded and you will find new things to eat, shop or see on the streets which will make you stop at multiple points to capture the beauty in your camera or embrace the views with a fresh coconut juice near that waterfall which is worth the efforts.
The best part was riding the bike with tea gardens on both sides of the roads at Munnar. It was a treat for the eyes and the soul.
A culture trip-
A trip to Kerala is not just about the natural beauty or leisure, people here are extremely proud of their rich culture and they are happy to share it with the visitors, Which is quite evident in the activities that they offer, the items that they sell and the food that they serve. So you don't need to put any extra efforts in knowing their way of living, it's omnipresent.
All the tour operators, guides, hotel staffs will share their rich culture and suggest activities which takes you to the culture trip of Kerala.
Warm and friendly people-
People in Kerala are very kind and composed and they are always ready to help you with a smile, despite of the language barrier.
I feel that people here are not very money minded and they value brotherhood within the community.
We always wish to travel places which are safe and gives a liberty to just go out whenever you want. There was a sense of security even while roaming late night on the streets or the beach even when it was dark.
Tourism is one of the biggest source of income and people here have a long history of serving visitors with kindness.
Cuisines-
This was the best part of the entire trip. Kerala is a paradise for food lovers specially for non vegetarian food. The taste and flavors were amazing and different with a lot of variety which was due to people visiting from all parts of the world.
My personal favorites were fish cooked in banana leaf and the seafood delicacies which I had at Varkala beach.
The rich spices of Kerala gave a sharp taste even to basic street food that I tried.
It's Cheap -
A travel plan can be as cheap and as expensive as the traveler wants it. If you do your research and book in advance then you definitely save a lot. I was able to complete a week's trip to Kerala in 10k. The entire itinerary will be shared in my upcoming blog soon.
Till then keep reading