Places to See in Kerala

list of tourist destinations in kerala - God's own country

Destinations in Kerala

National Geographic Traveler has selected Kerala as ‘one of the 50 must see destinations of a lifetime’.

In a special collector’s issue released just before the turn of the century, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER gifted the tourists of the world with a priceless treasure – a well researched compilation of the 50 destinations of a lifetime. The only Indian destination that featured in it was KERALA other than the Taj Mahal in the World Wonders section.

Kerala was celebrated as a ‘Paradise Found’ – one of the ten in the world, A perfect description for a land renowned as “God’s Own Country”. What adds to the charm of its backwaters, beaches, Ayurveda health holidays, hill stations, wildlife, festivals, monuments and vibrant art forms, is its amazing social development indices that are on par with the developed world.

 

POPULAR TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN KERALA

KOVALAM BEACH

The Kovalam beach situated 16 Km. south of Trivandrum city, is one of the best beaches in India. It’s a must see destination of India. On account of it’s natural location, it affords facilities for safe sea bath.

Poovar Island, Beach & Backwaters

Poovar is an isolated but spectacular beach and backwater destination located south of Kovalam beach in Trivandrum. It is situated close to the Neyyar River estuary, and it is today an important tourist destination.

Alleppey Backwaters (Alappuzha)

Alappuzha or Alleppey is famous for its boat races, houseboats, coir products, fish and lakes. Alappuzha remains prominent on the tourist trial of Kerala as one of the major centers for backwater boat trips.

Kumarakom Backwaters

The village of Kumarakom is a cluster of little islands on the Vembanad Lake, and this small water world is part of the Kuttanad region. The bird sanctuary here, is a favorite haunt of migratory birds and an ornithologist’s paradise.

Thekkady Wildlife (Periyar Tiger Reserve)

The Periyar forests of Thekkady is one of the finest wildlife reserves in India. Spread across the entire district are picturesque plantations and hill towns, moist deciduous forests and savannah grass lands.

Munnar Hill Station

Located at 1600 m above sea level, Munnar is one of the most popular hill stations in India is situated at the confluence of three mountain streams – Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala.

Fort Kochi

Fort Kochi in Cochin (Kochi) is the first European township in India, and Fort Kochi owes its grace and old-world ambience to the old buildings and worshipping centres there.

Cochin (Kochi)

Kochi or Cochin is an emerging cosmopolitan city and is the commercial capital of Kerala. Popularly known as the Queen of Arabian Sea was once a major centre for commerce and trade. The British, Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch etc., have all come to its shores in search of exotic spices and sandalwood.

Wayanad Wildlife

Wayanad lies at an altitude varying from 700 – 2100 metres above the sea level and the sanctuary is very rich in flora and fauna.  Rich in bio-diversity, the sanctuary is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Athirapally Waterfalls

Athirapally, which stands tall at 80 feet is close to dense green forests that are home to many endangered and endemic species of flora and fauna. The waterfalls are located on the edge of the Sholayar forest ranges is the only place in the Western Ghats where four endangered Hornbill species are seen.

OTHER TOURIST PLACES TO EXPLORE IN KERALA

Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram)

The Capital city of Kerala. The wooded highlands on the Western Ghats in the eastern and northeastern borders, a long shoreline, with internationally renowned beaches, historic monuments, backwater stretches and a rich cultural heritage make it a much sought after tourist destination.

Chowara Beach

The soft white sand is what that draws visitors to this beach and it is ideal for beach volleyball. The long stretch of beach is dotted by many cattamarams; a country fishing boat, which is three logs tied together in the shape of a boat.

Varkala beach

Varkala, a calm and quiet hamlet, lies on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district. It has several places of tourist interests like a beautiful beach, a 2000-year-old Vishnu Temple and the Ashramam – Sivagiri Mutt a little distance from the beach.

Ponmudi Hill station

Ponmudi is an enchanting hill resort with narrow winding pathways and cool, green environs. Along with a beautiful array of mountain flowers, exotic butterflies and small rivulets, Ponmudi offers excellent opportunities for trekking.

Kollam backwaters

Kollam is a coastal district and 30% of this historic town is covered by the renowned Ashtamudi Lake making it the gateway to the magnificent backwaters of Kerala.  Munroe Island cradled by the Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River, is blissfully unaffected by the hustle bustle of the outside world, here life drifts along at the calm, peaceful pace of the emerald backwaters that not only surround it, but also crisscross the entire network of islands.

Thenmala Hills

Thenmala or Honey Hills is an ecotourism destination ideal for vacation seekers. Lush green forest Park, Adventure Park, Children’s Park, Butterfly Safari, Musical Dancing Fountain, Boating, Trekking, Hiking, Night Camping galore the attractions. Thenmala village located in the valley of Western Ghats amidst evergreen forests of Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary, Kollam

Vagamon Hills

Vagamon is criss-crossed with streams and tea plantations & the hills look as if they were draped in silk. Vagamon is an emerging international paragliding destination in south India, at an altitude of 1,100 m above sea level. This picturesque hill is noted for its rolling hills, grass lands and sprawling tea plantations and with a cool climate round the year.

Cherai Beach

This lovely beach near Kochi, bordering Vypeen island, is ideal for swimming. Dolphins are occasionally seen here. A typical Kerala village with paddy fields and coconut groves nearby is an added attraction of this beach

Guruvayur

Guruvayoor is one of the most sacred and important pilgrim centres of Kerala. Its main attraction is the Sree Krishna Temple, considered the Dwaraka of the South. The Punnathur Kotta Elephant Camp is located at a distance of 3 km from the Guruvayur Temple.

Konni Hills

Konni is a popular training centre for elephants in Kerala. The main attraction at the elephant-training centre at Konni is the huge cages built of wood to house elephants. This massive wooden cage is locally known as Aanakoodu and can accommodate three to four elephants at a time.

Kodanad

Kodanad, set on the Southern banks of the Periyar River amid the beautiful high ranges near Perumbavoor, is one of the largest elephant training centres in Kerala. Since the introduction of a ban on elephant capture Kodanad has been reduced to a training centre. The famous Malayatoor Church is near Kodanad.

Kappad Beach

Kappad Beach is a clean beach with safe waters.  The best route to Kappad is along the backwaters. Unspoilt and uncrowded, the picturesque backwaters of Kozhikode offer a bewitching experience. A ride down the backwaters through the Korappuzha river brings you to the beach.

Bekal 

Bekal fort stands on a promontory between two long classically beautiful palm fringed beaches.  The imposing fort at Bekal is one of the largest and best preserved forts in Kerala. The beautiful expanse of the shallow beach near the Bekal fort known as Bekal Fort Beach. Bekal is situated in Kasaragod, the Northern most district of Kerala is renowned as the land of gods, forts, rivers, hills and beautiful beaches.

Thattekad

Thattekad Bird sanctuary is the one and only sanctuary of its kind in Kerala, and is covered with deciduous forests and plantation of rosewood, teak etc. Thattekkad Bird sanctuary experiences a tropical climate and the rivers are rich in fishlife and are shallow for most of the year. One may even spot the rare Ceylon frog-mouth or the rose billed roller here while enjoying the boat cruise from Bhoothathankettu to Thattekkad.

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