The Backwaters of Kerala is unique and is found nowhere else in the world. Backwaters are a network of lakes, canals and estuaries and deltas of forty-four rivers that drain into the Arabian Sea.The backwaters of Kerala are a self supporting eco-system teeming with life. The canals connect the villages together and are still used for local transport. Over 900 km of this labyrinthine water world is navigable.Kumarakom and Alleppey (new name Alappuzha) are the prominant Backwater tourist attractions in Kerala.Kuttanadu is the one rare places in the world where farming is done below sea level (1.5 -2 meters below sea level). Inland waterways that flow above the land level is an amazing feature of this land. Kuttanad lies in heart of the backwaters of Kerala. This beautiful countryside with its waterways also is rich in crops like rice, banana, Cassava and yam.The backwaters of Kerala have a unique ecosystem - freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea in the backwatersThe backwaters are a network of waterways stretching across almost 2,000km of Kerala’s lowlands. Kettuvallams or rice barges converted to houseboats are a unique feature of these backwaters. As you cruise along you will see all aspects of Indian rural life; people washing their clothes, men fishing, children playing as well as goods being moved along the waterways.

Like its Culture, Kerala cuisine has also been influenced by various traditions. A cuisine enriched with exotic tropical fruits, meats, vegetables, cereals, seafood and herbs and garnished with the distinctive aroma of pepper, cardamom and chillies. Almost all type of foods in Kerala are flavored with spices and cooked in sweet coconut milk. Be it vegetarians or non-vegetarians spices are generously used to enhance the taste of the food and they also help in digestion. The mouth-watering cuisine of Kerala is distinctive in its taste and quite different from the rest of India. Kerala cuisine is very hot and spicy and offers you many opportunities for gastronomical experiments.

Breakfasts of Kerala Kerala is known for its delicious and nutritional breakfasts. Puttu, Kadala Curry, Appam, Chicken Stew, Iddiappam and vegetable stew are favorite items for breakfast in Kerala.

Puttu is made out of rice flour with plenty of coconut pieces. Cylindrical in shape, it is served with kadala curry and some times fish curry. Appam are soft centered pancakes made out of rice and coconut milk.

Appam is usually served with the Kerala chicken stew and sometimes with mutton stew

Iddiappams are very similar to Appams, made with rice flour. The noodle like rice cake dish is usually served with sweet coconut milk or vegetable stew. Other special items of Kerala cuisine are Sadya, Karimeen Pollichathu, Fish Moilee, Malabari Biryani, kallu (toddy) and patta charayam. Among them Sadya and Malabari Biryani are very popular among tourists and locals

Sadya is a very delicious feast comprising as many as 40 vegetarian dishes and is served on a plantain leaf mostly during marriages and festivals. Fish Moilee is a fish item cooked in coconut milk with lot of spices. Malabari Biriyani is one of the most enjoyed delicious food item of Kerala. Fried rice is mixed with meat, chicken, fish or prawn and topped with a variety of hot spices. Other South Indian dishes such as Dosa and Idly are also common in Kerala. Besides, a variety of seafood such as lobsters, prawns, crabs to name a few with are cooked and served with exotic spices. Welcome to Kerala and enjoy the delicious and mouth watering cuisine of Kerala and the sweet and refreshing coconut water.

Spices are defined as "a strongly flavored or aromatic substance of vegetable origin, obtained from tropical plants, commonly used as a condiment". In ancient times, spices were as precious as gold; and as significant as medicines, preservatives and perfumes. India - the land of spices plays a significant role in the global spices market. No country in the world produces as many kinds of spices as India with quality spices come from Kerala, an Indian state. Holds a premier position in the world spices market. Because of the varying climates in India - from tropical to sub-tropical,45C to 0 c temperate-almost all spices are grown in this country. In almost all of the 28 states and seven union territories of India, at least one spice is grown in abundance. A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavoring. Spices and herbs are good not only for our taste buds but also for our health. They supply calcium, iron, vitamin B, vitamin C, carotene and other antioxidants. For instance fresh parsley has been linked with cancer prevention due to its antioxidant content and spicy food is much more appealing than a vitamin pill. Besides herbs and spices don't have any kilojoules or fact, so you can eat them to your heart's content.Cardamom , Cinnamon , Clove , Coffee, Cashew , nut meg , pepper , ginger are major share of Kerala spices

Kochi, popularly regarded as the 'Queen of the Arabian Sea', is also famous as Cochin. Kochi is located in the district of Ernakulam, about 220 km. north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The commercial and industrial capital of Kerala it houses one of the finest natural harbors in the world. The port has been very popul ar among foreign traders and visitors from early times. One of the famous tourist destinations in Kerala, Kochi is picturesquely spread across islands and promontories. Major tourist attractions in Kochi are:

Fort Kochi: Starting as a fishing village, it became the first fort built by the Europeans in India. Firstly, the Dutch and then British all constructed numerous architectures in and around this historic fort.
Chinese Fishing Nets: Indian traders brought these huge cantilevered fishing nets here from the court of Kublai Khan. The best place to enjoy the nets being lowered into the sea and its catch is the Vasco de Gama square.
Mattancherry Palace: It was built by the Portuguese in 1557 and presented to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi. Some of the beautiful arts on display here are murals depicting scenes from the epics, Ramayana, Mahabharata and from other Puranic Hindu legends. Here you can also see the Dutch maps of old Kochi, royal palanquins, coronation outwears of former maharajas of Kochi.
Jewish Synagogue: The oldest synagogue in the commonwealth, it was built in the year 1568. The synagogue is famous for its amazing 18th century hand painted willow pattern floor tiles imported from China, the copper plates on which the privilege granted by the kings were recorded, a dock tower and Hebrew inscriptions on stone slabs.
St. Francis Church (Fort Cochin): First church built by the Europeans in India, it was constructed by the Portuguese in 1503 AD. Vasco De Gama, the famous Portuguese trader and sailor, was buried here in 1524 before his remains were moved to Lisbon, Portugal.
Bolghatty Island: A narrow long island, it's famous for the Bolghatty Palace, built by the Dutch in 1744. The only golf course in Kochi is located here. Boats are available for water cruise in the island connecting Cochin to Bolghatty Island. This island is famous for its palace of the same name.
Willington Island: This is a man-made island surrounded by beautiful backwaters. It houses the city's best hotels and trading centers, the port trust and the headquarters of the southern naval command.
Cochin Museum: Earlier it was situated at the Durbar Hall, now has been shifted to the Hill Palace at Tripunithura. The collections include 19th century oil paintings, old coins, wooden sculptures, sculptures in stone and plaster of Paris and copies of Mural paintings collections from Cochin royal family.
Thekkady wild life
Thekkady houses one of the most famous and important wildlife sanctuaries of India, popularly known as the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Located amidst the verdant vegetation of Thekkady, the sanctuary is counted among one of the most fascinating natural wildlife reserves of the world. The picturesque surrounding with lush green vegetation, exotic spice plantations and beautiful hills with adventurous trekking routes make Thekkady a popular tourist spot in Kerala
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary: Located amidst the green lush vegetation surrounded by hills with refreshing spice plantations, Periyar wildlife sanctuary is probably the most picturesque wildlife destination in India. The sanctuary also houses one of the few Tiger Reserves of India. A splendid artificial lake formed by a dam across the Periyar River adds to the charm of the park. This is the only sanctuary in India where you can enjoy boat safari to explore the beauty of wildlife here. You can spot herds of elephants bathing and playing near the lake and babies running around their mothers. Other wildlife in the sanctuary includes Tigers, gaur, Sambhar, Bison, Spotted Deer, Leopards, Malabar Flying Squirrels, Stripe necked Mongooses, Jungle cat and wild boar. A variety of beautiful and exotic birds including Nilgiri Wood Pigeons, blue-winged Parakeets, White bellied Tree Pies, laughing Thrushes, Fly Catchers, Hornbill, Stork, woodpecker, kingfisher, Raptor, Cormorant and Grackle can also be spotted in the park. You can also visit Kumily, located at about 4 km from Thekkady, a famous plantations town and a spice trade center. Another spice town near its vicinity Murikkady is a panorama of cardamom, coffee and pepper plantations. Tours to Kerala offers you Thekkady Tours in Kerala. Visit and explore Thekkady, one of the most beautiful wildlife sanctuaries and natural landscapes of Kerala. For more information or to book a Thekkady tour please enter your query in the form below

Kovalam Beach - small village along the shoreline, fabulous beaches, most popular is the Lighthouse Beach, the northern most Samudra beach, least affected Kovalam. Kovalam is an internationally renowned beach with three adjacent crescent beaches. A massive rocky promontory on the beach has created a beautiful bay of calm waters ideal for sea bathing. The leisure options at this beach are plenty and diverse-sunbathing, swimming, herbal body toning massages, special cultural programmers, and Catamaran cruising etc.The tropical sun acts so fast

Wayanad literally means the 'land of swamps'. Lying at an altitude between 700 - 2100 metres above the sea level, Wayanad possess great flora n fauna. The district has the highest number of tribal settlements in Kerala. The road from Kozhikode ascends the Wayanad plateau over the mind boggling bends and ridges, are the highest locations of Wayanad district. Wayanad is one of the districts in Kerala that has been able to retain its pristine nature. Hidden away in the hills of this land are some of the oldest tribes, as yet untouched by civilisation. Wayanad is known for its picturesque mist clad hill stations, sprawling spice plantations, luxuriant forests and rich cultural traditions. Edakkal Caves is 12 km from Wayanad at Ambukuthy Hills where you will find the ancient carvings and paintings of human and animal figures in stylized headgears and geometrical motifs. Thirunelly is known as the 'Kasi of the South'. It is 32 km from Mananthavady and has a temple constructed of 30 granite columns. The Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, 16 km from Sultan Battery, is near the Karnataka border. The Glass Temple of Koottamunda, 20 km from Kalpetta, is a Jain temple dedicated to Parshawnatha Swami. Mananthavady is famous as the last resting place of Pazhassirajah. He fought the Guerilla Warfare with the British.

Munnar, one of the most popular hill stations in India is situated at the confluence of three mountain streams - Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala. Located at 1600 m above sea level, this was once the summer resort of the erstwhile British Government in South India. Sprawling tea plantations, picture book towns, winding lanes, trekking and

Puli means Tiger The Keralite has always prided himself on his cultural wealth. The art forms of this small State are, by and large, subtle, elegant and highly stylized. But there are times when even the relatively sober Keralite lets his hair down and lives it up! One such occasion is the annual Pulikali the dance of the tigers at the Swaraj Round, Thrissur. This boisterous dance, a part of the Onam celebrations, is performed by groups of men who paint their bodies to look like tigers. On the fourth day of Onam, tigers from all over Thrissur come to the Swaraj Round in processions to perform a riotous dance.

The Vadakkumnathan Temple is one of the oldest temples in the state. It is a classical example of the Kerala style of architecture and contains many decorative murals and pieces of art. It stands on a beautiful hillock at the center of Thrissur overlooking the town. The massive stonewall forms a strong fortification enclosing an area of nearly 9 acres. The four gopuras on four walls of the main shrine represents the four cardinal directions-North, South, East and West. Within the vast enclosure are the three main shrines dedicated to Shiva or Vadakkumnathan, Sankaranarayana and Rama. The most remarkable feature of the temple is the Kuttambalam, which is visible on the left side as one enters the temple by the western gopuram. This is the theatre hall for staging kuttu, an ancient dramatic form of art famous in Kerala. The temple is equally famous for the Thrissur Pooram Festival and is therefore more popularly called the Thrissur Pooram Temple. Thrissur Pooram Temple Tour is an enlightening journey about the history, culture and celebration of the temple. Thrissur Pooram is celebrated in the Malayalam month Medam that falls between April/May. The practice of celebrating this temple is almost two century old and continues for nearly 36 hours. It begins at 6 am and continues till 12 noon the other day.

Th e Monsoons in Kerala do not take the pattern of incessant rains continuing for weeks. Virtually it rains for a few hours with sunny interludes. Occasionally the rains might stretch on for a few days but the respite of sunshine is never far away. People look forward to seeing the sun peep through the wet palm fronds and rain drenched green. These golden interludes provide an equilibrium to life’s natural flow. As nature recoups with the rains, it is rejuvenation time for humans too. According to Ayurveda, Monsoon is the best season for rejuvenation therapies. During the Monsoon season, the atmosphere remains dust-free and cool, opening the pores of the body to the maximum, making it most receptive to herbal oils and therapy Kerala has mainly two rainy seasons. The Southwest Monsoon that arrives in the month of June is called Edavappathy, as it comes in the middle of the month of Edavam on the Malayalam Calendar.

A green paradise known for its highest life expectancy, lowest infant mortality rates and India’s most advanced healthcare system. And for its healthcare technology that is on par with renowned medical centres across the world. Where you’ll find some of the world’s most respecte d medical practitioners at work. Kerala ’ s internationally recognised medical institutions attract travellers from Europe, US, the Middle East and even countries like South Africa. Some of Kerala ’ s most acclaimed speciality healthcare institutions include the Lakeshore Hospital, Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences, SUT Hospital, Amritha Institute of Medical Sciences, Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences and a few others. Equipped with upto 20 speciality and super-speciality departments offering services of hundreds of physicians within each institution. And with state-of-the-art computerised technology, meticulous service and aesthetically furnished environments, tourists enjoy some of the best of facilities they can find anywhere in the world.

The Payyannur Pavithra Mothiram is a uniquely crafted golden ring shaped like a knot and considered to be a sacred ornament. The sole right to make this holy ring was vested in the hands of a particular family at Payyannur in Kannur district. This ring is believed to be a luck and grace to anyone who wears it with devotion.

TCenturies ago the native craftsmen invented a mirror made of metal. The bronze ( odu) workers of Aranmula (Pathanamthitta district) specialize in making the world famous cast metal mirrors with handles known as the Aranmula Kannadi

The nettippattom (the glittering ornament that adorns the forehead of the elephant) is crafted in gold by a skilled clan of artisans. Nowhere in India is an elephant decorated so extravagantly, or so befittingly.The making of the nettippattom: Three and a half kilograms of copper and three sovereigns (24 gms) of gold go into the making of a simple nettippattom. It takes not less than 20 days to craft this ornament which is priced between Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000. The size of the nettippattom varies with that of the elephant. An elephant of 9 to10 ft height would require an ornament of 60" - 66'' in length with at least 11 chandrakkala (crescents) on it.

Sandalwood oil, otherwise called the "liquid gold" is a popular perfume of the land over the years. Extracted from the roots and wood of sandalwood (Santalum album), the oil is a costly item marketed at a few choosy outlets all over the state. Marayoor is the only place in Kerala with natural sandalwood forests. The sandalwood factory run by the Forest Department is of tourist interest. Less rainfall is suitable for the growth of best sandalwood trees from which good quality oil can be extracted.

Ravi Varma's paintings capture the subtle emotions and sublimity of physique of human characters and nat ure alike in a realistic manner. The exquisite works of Ravi Varma are on display at the Sree Chithra Art Gallery. The gallery is located in the Napier Museum compound, Thiruvananthapuram city. It is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on all days except Mondays. The gallery also houses the works of Roerich and fascinating works in the Mughal, Rajput and Tanjore schools of art, Pieces from the Ajanta and Bagh caves, and an oriental collection from China, Japan, Tibet and Bali.

Kerala stands next to Rajasthan in having the largest collection of murals based on puranic (ancient Indian mythology) themes. The murals of Kerala bear the stamp of uniqueness in aesthetic composition and techniques. Most of these were painted between 15th and 19th centuries, many even date back to the 8th century AD The largest mural panel in Kerala - the Gajendra Moksha - is at Krishnapuram Palace near Kayamkulam in Al appuzha district. Extensive murals depicting scenes from the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Bhagavatha are preserved at the Mattancherry Palace, Ernakulam district. The murals of the Shiva temple in Ettumanoor provide insight into the earliest forms of Dravidian mural art. or roasted and salted. For centuries a commercial export item of Kerala, cashewnuts are traditionally used for seasoning the sweet delicacies of the land's cuisine. It is said that cashewnuts were brought here by Portuguese traders.

The cashewnut tree ( Anacardium occidentale) is popularly called Parangi mavu in Malayalam and most of the cashew processing units in the state are concentrated in Kollam district.The cashewnut tree grows 12 m high and are mostly found in the tropical temperate regions of the world like - India, Srilanka, Malayasia, Philippines, Brazil and Africa. The tree starts yielding by the third year of planting. During the eighth to the tenth year the fruit bearing capacity touches a maximum and the tree lives up to 30 to 40 years.

Shrimp, cuttlefish, squid and quite a few other fish from Kerala have found a large global market. The land blessed with rich inshore fishing areas yield commercially important varieties like oil sardines (mathi chala), mackerel (ayila), prawn (chemmeen) and silver bellies (mullans). With a 36,000 sq km marine water spread and 3600 sq km of inland water bodies comprising 44 rivers, lakes, estuaries, backwaters, canals and fishfarms, Kerala is the largest fish landing state in India. The land has a maximum marine resource potential of one million tonnes annually. Canned seafood from Kerala is a favourite in markets like South East Asia, West Europe, Japan and the USA. Japan has been for many years the single largest consumer of Kerala's marine export

Simple and elegant, the beautifully crafted coir products of Kerala give an aesthetic touch to any home or office. Crafted by the women of the picturesque coir villages of the land of coconuts, the innovative range of products include mats, rugs, wall hangings, door pieces, bags, hammocks, ceiling/floor furnishing, beds, cushions, little show pieces, blinds... Made from the husk of the coconut, coir craft is a long drawn out process. First the coconut husks in huge quantities are left to decay in the backwaters surrounding these villages. Once the softer parts decay and only the fibre remain, it is collected and woven into ropes on indigenous machines. These are then dyed and meticulously crafted to fill orders. Most of the coir industry is concentrated in the Kollam and Alappuzha districts. Over four hundred thousand people, of which nearly 84 percent are women, are engaged in coir making, one of the traditional industries still surviving, in Kerala.

Simple and elegant, the beautifully crafted coir products of Kerala give an aesthetic touch to any home or office. Crafted by the women of the picturesque coir villages of the land of coconuts, the innovative range of products include mats, rugs, wall hangings, door pieces, bags, hammocks, ceiling/floor furnishing, beds, cushions, little show pieces, blinds... Made from the husk of the coconut, coir craft is a long drawn out process. First the coconut husks in huge quantities are left to decay in the backwaters surrounding these villages. Once the softer parts decay and only the fibre remain, it is collected and woven into ropes on indigenous machines. These are then dyed and meticulously crafted to fill orders. Most of the coir industry is concentrated in the Kollam and Alappuzha districts. Over four hundred thousand people, of which nearly 84 percent are women, are engaged in coir making, one of the traditional industries still surviving, in Kerala.