Hotels in Kerala

Kerala: Where the Western Ghats Meet the Arabian Sea

Kerala stretches 580 km along India's southwestern tip, bordered by the Western Ghats to the east and 590 km of Arabian Sea coastline to the west. The state divides into three distinct landscapes: the hill stations of Munnar at 1,600 m elevation, the Alleppey (Alappuzha) backwater network of roughly 900 km of canals and lagoons, and the colonial-layered port of Kochi. Fort Cochin, the oldest district, holds 16th-century Portuguese churches, Dutch-era warehouses, and the Chinese fishing nets on Vasco da Gama Square that have operated since the 1400s.

Travelers arrive for Ayurvedic retreats, houseboat stays on Vembanad Lake, and the Thrissur Pooram festival each April — one of Asia's largest elephant processions. Wildlife visitors head to Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Cardamom Hills, where elephant and tiger sightings are recorded year-round. The spice trade that drew Arab, Chinese, and European merchants for centuries still shapes the cooking of Kozhikode (Calicut) in the north.

Practical Tips

• Best season: October to February for dry weather; June-September brings the southwest monsoon.
• Getting around: Kerala Rail links Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode; houseboats depart from Alleppey Boat Jetty.
• Entry point: Cochin International Airport (COK) sits 30 km north of Fort Cochin and handles international routes.