Introduction
Kerala, fondly called “God’s own country” is a place where both nature and cultural attributes synchronize and attract tourists. Rich with its backwaters, green landscapes, diverse festivals, and traditions, Kerala offers a truly extraordinary experience for tourists. If you are an adventure lover, a nature lover, or a cultural admirer, travel to Kerala as the state has attractions for every type of traveler. If you choose Nixtour for the planning of your vacation, we promise to ensure your travels are as enjoyable and stress-free as possible so that you can explore this wondrous place to the fullest. It’s time to pack your bags for the dream destination of Kerala – Let’s discover the top 10 must-see attractions in the state.
Best Time to Visit in Kerala
Kerala has a tropical climate, so it is an ideal state to visit throughout the year but the best time to visit the place depends on the interest of an individual. The climatically favorable season to travel to Kerala is from October to February, which comes under the winter season. During these months the temperature is relatively low and very suitable for traveling to the hill stations, beaches, and backwater tourist destinations. It is also the high season for tourists which means that one should make early bookings of the hotels and other related facilities.The weather in Kerala is relatively hot, especially during the summer months of March and April and the post-rainy season from April to May when the gradient temperature rises more so in the lowland and the coastal areas.
But it is a good season to visit hill stations like Munnar and Wayanad since the climate remains comparatively better. It is also a good time for the Ayurvedic treatments because the climate is good for skin pores and so the effects of the treatments are better.The southern part of the country experiences the monsoon climate, which covers the period from June to September, the season is characterized by a heavy downpour, and the landscape turns green. The downside may be rain but it is ideal to see the backwaters of Kerala in full spate or to indulge in wellness treatments by availing of the famous Kerala massages. The monsoon also comes with a bonus of fewer tourists but more of a serene environment, which is good for nature lovers.
Tea Gardens of Munnar
Sprawling over the hills of the Western Ghats, the tea gardens of Munnar are spread across green carpets and are a popular icon of Kerala due to their lush green backgrounds. These beautiful tea gardens are spread over very large areas and not only offer a great view to travelers but also give an insight into the colonial past and the growth of the tea industry. Tea gardens of Munnar are famous for giving India’s best quality of teas like Nilgiri and Assam, because of the favorable climatic conditions and the earth of Munnar is also very fertile. The ideal time to explore the tea gardens of Munnar is from October to May which gives the right kind of climate for traveling through the vast tea states. Site visitors can appreciate the calmness of the scenery which is much enhanced by the mist some of which give the area a mysterious aura. Visiting the area, surrounded by the rows of green tea bushes, one can watch the tea picking and processing, which is crucial for the creation of the unique taste and smell, that are characteristic of Kerala. Apart from being a natural beauty spot, Munnar has vast tea gardens that can be toured at a leisurely pace and is an excellent spot for photography lovers and those who wish to visit tea factories and learn the process of making tea in person. Maybe you want to relax in one of the most beautiful regions of India, take unique pictures, or just enjoy the natural scenery – Munnar’s tea fields will certainly leave you with sweet memories of the trip.
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the most famous and sacred temples of Kerala, which is located in the middle of Thiruvananthapuram – the capital city of Kerala. It is dedicated to Lord Padmanabhaswamy who incarnated from Lord Vishnu, and this temple is also counted among the 108 Divya Desams. It has both Dravidian and Kerala architecture, a towering gopuram with many shrines richly decorated with sculptures and carvings depicting various myths, gods, and demons. The inner sanctum contains the main deity which is Ananthan (Adi Sesha), and other deities of the temple include Trivikrama, Lord Krishna, Goddess Mahalakshmi, and Lord Narasimha. Another interesting aspect of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is that the royal family of Travancore was the guardian of the temple and underwritten the expenses for the rituals and for maintaining the temple. The main area of the temple open only to Hindus, with strict clothing and other restrictions, seems sacred and serene, attracting millions of people for religious purposes, as well as architectural sensation. A visit to Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple is not only just a cultural program but also an exploration of the depth of religious beliefs and architecture of Kerala which makes it one of the prominent tourist destinations in Thiruvananthapuram.
Varkala Beach
Kerala’s Varkala beach situated at the southern tip along the Arabian Sea is famous for its scenic cliffs, silvery sands, and the natural sports of healing minerals; it is also famous for being a spiritual center for travelers. While the other beaches in the state are crowded and vibrant, Varkaka is different from the other beaches of Kerala; in that, the beauty of the approaching sea is accentuated by tall cliffs towering on one side. The beach itself is great for sun lovers and for those who want to engage in various water activities such as parasailing and jet skiing etc., the sand is golden and perfect for a midday stroll or just sunbathing while enjoying the scenery. Besides the scenic beauty, Varkala is also famous as a pilgrimage center of Hindus as there is the Janardanaswamy Temple – the temple of Lord Vishnu dates back to the 11th-12th century. Many people come to perform rites and make prayers standing by the sea coast of the Arabian Sea, so it is rather quiet and contributes much to spiritual harmonization. There is nothing more stunning than watching the setting sun at Varkala Beach and the reflection of orange and pink in the skies over the cliffs and the sea below.
Wonderla Kochi
Wonderla Kochi today has become one of the best amusement parks in Kerala that can fun-loving moments and adventurous experiences for families and teenagers and for those who seek some adventure. Situated on the outskirts of Kochi city, Wonderla is famous for its thrilling rides, entertaining shows, and aquatic water rides, water attractions across the acres of lush green landscape. The park has attractions that are suitable for all ages and these include high-speed bullet trains, fun fast thrills and chills, double tier water slide, and the boomerang wave pool and simulated adventure. Some of Wonderla’s most featured facilities are Recoil, India’s first reverse looping roller coaster, and Rain Disco which is dancing in the rain. Those who wish to have fun and entertainment will find games, places to sit and relax, food courts with different cuisines, and facilities for corporate meetings and celebrations. Policies implemented by Wonderla Kochi such as safety standards, hygiene, and customer satisfaction imply that each visitor can be assured of a good time making it a favorite destination for entertainers in Kerala.
Great K. V. Kathakali Centre
The Great K V Kathakali Center in Kochi enlightens this cultural hub of India by presenting Kathakali, which is one of the biggest attractions of the region due to the specifics of makeup, costumes, and dramatic movements. Situated in the city center of Kochi, this center enables visitors to become acquainted with the artistic tradition of Kerala. It was wonderful to watch the Kathakali performances at the center with very talented artists revealing ancient Hindu myths through extraordinary facial expressions, Mudras, and coordinated movements. Similarly, makeup is applied before the show which depicts actors looking like gods, demons, and many other heroes along with using natural pigments and even colored wigs and facial appliances.
Not only does the Great K V Kathakali Center perform and stage the show, but it also enlightens the viewers about Kathakali, its history, and its importance in the cultural heritage of Kerala.
Guruvayur Temple
The Guruvayur Temple is situated in the town of Guruvayur in the district of Thrissur and is considered one of the most important and oldest Krishna temples in the state of Kerala. It is an ancient temple that is more than 5 thousand years old and that has cultural value and impressive construction. The chief deity of the temple is Lord Guruvayurappan or rather Lord Krishna himself, often referred to as ‘Unnikrishnan’ meaning baby Krishna due to the epitome of fairly young form. The temple has many daily rituals such as Nirmalya Darshanam early in the morning, Usha Puja in the early hours of the morning, and Deeparadhana in the evening lighting of lamps which devotees from all over India visit. The temple dressing code is also practiced at Guruvayur Temple, which shows the richness of Kerala’s heritage and the regard to the religious values and customs. Devotees who come to the temple, to worship, offer prayers, and play rituals, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or during specific occasions like Thulabharam, etc.
LuLu Mall
LuLu Mall in Kochi is one of the largest shopping and entertainment complexes in South India with its unique format of shopping, food junctions, and amusement. A rapidly growing mall situated in Edappally, Kochi extends to several floors and offers all kinds of national and international products starting from clothes to electronics, furnishing to foods. LuLu Mall is equipped with a big food court and several fine dining outlets that showcase and provide a variety of Indian and global flavors including local Kerala food, world-class cuisine, and an established fast-food unit. Apart from eateries and shopping outlets, the mall provides other facilities like a three-hall multiplex cinema, a fun bowling zone, and a separate fun, and soft zone for children making it an entertainment city for families and friends. The conceptual design, aerodynamic look, and spacious plan of the LuLu Mall, plus its luxurious facilities make it not just a mall for shopper’s destination but also a convergence place for people in terms of culture and social gathering in the city of Kochi.
Kerala Folklore Museum
The Kerala Folklore Museum based in Kochi is an amazing and unique museum that displays various items and highly significant folklore and artworks of the Kerala region and its people. Situated in Thevara, Kochi, this museum was set up by Shri George J Thalieth, a legendary enthusiast in antiques and items associated with folklore and traditional arts of Kerala. The building design of the museum resembles classical Kerala architecture in the form of wooden carvings on the columns, vintage furniture, and a serene courtyard where cultural performances take place. There are many items and artifacts that visitors can see and these are armory and weapons, art and music instruments, masks and costumes of genres like Kathakali and Theyyam, and items used in daily life with categories of rural and urban Keralite life modeled across the two floors. The Kerala Folklore Museum is also involved in live portrayal demonstrations of art forms, storytelling, and workshops that allow for cultural exploration and discovery of the culture of Kerala.
Kovalam Beach
Kovalam Beach is also famous all over the world as it is only 16 km from Thiruvananthapuram this beach is famous for its clean sandy beaches and deep blue sea which attracts a lot of tourists thus making it one of the most famous beaches in Kerala. Nestled between two rocky promontories, Kovalam consists of three adjacent crescent-shaped beaches: Basically, three major beaches are famous among tourists, they are Lighthouse Beach, Hawah Beach or Eve’s Beach and the last one is Samudra Beach. Every beach is distinguished by characters and visitors go to these areas for different purposes. Lighthouse Beach, so called due to the Vizhinjam Lighthouse bearing down on it is perfect for sunbathing and swimming. Hawah Beach which is usually characterized by calm nature and beautiful views of the seascape is usually the preferred vacation destination by travelers who wish to enjoy their vacation in silence, especially for sunset viewing. Samudra Beach being the most northern of the three is less crowded and provides an opportunity to take a stroll along the beach and discover the local fisherman. Besides tourists who wish to lie down under the sun, Kovalam Beach is also famous for water sporting activities such as surfing, parasailing, catamaran, and others. This feature of the beach can be evident in the many seaside restaurants, beach coffee joints with fresh seafood, as well as the various stores with locally made trinkets and jewelry.
Kalari Kshethra
Ayurveda. Kalari Kshethra is a training hall and theatre where visitors can watch performances and clinics of the Kalaripayattu and receive lessons on its background and foundations from masters of the art. The training sessions include sprints and other physical drills, chuvadu which are elaborate footwork patterns, fight sequences with weapons, and defense mechanisms all of which aim at increasing strength, speed, and concentration. In addition to the martial arts exposure, Kalari Kshethra provides information on Kerala’s health practices by passing through the Ayurveda center, herbs, and presentations of traditional Kalari massages- uzichil. Tourists can watch Kalaripayattu shows – percussive and dramatic dance performances plus directions of fighting, tumbling, or flipping on the ground and air inside Kalari Kshethra. The focus of the center in protecting and propagating Kalaripayattu as the cultural heritage of Kerala gives the learners the chance to discover the history and warlike art that makes up the culture of people in the region of Kerala.
Conclusion:
To summarize, Kerala represents one of those ideal paradises where a traveler can encompass the charm of untouched nature and rich culture, creating a lifetime of memories. Kerala is blessed with God’s own country with the back waters of Alleppey to the hills of Munnar spanned with tea gardens. This is why at Nixtour, we do not arrange ordinary tours but ones that would let each guest meet the real essence of Kerala. Whether one wants a peaceful vacation or a cultural tour, Kerala provides for all with an array of tourist sites. Every place we suggest is special, and inviting, and has so much to offer on your trip, which will be full of unforgettable experiences. Kerala welcomes you with its beautiful and peaceful atmosphere Book your travel package with Nixtour and let us walk through the state and every corner has a story to tell.
