• By: Riyanka
• Jul 16, 2019
• (4) Comments

10 Best Things To Do in Kerala | Travel Guide

To put it in the words of the Lonely Planet, “This slender coastal strip is defined by its layered landscape: almost 600km of glorious Arabian Sea coast and beaches; a languid network of glistening backwaters; and the spice- and tea-covered hills of the Western Ghats, dotted with fiercely protected wildlife reserves and cool hill stations such as Munnar. Just setting foot on this swathe of soul-soothing, palm-shaded green will slow your subcontinental stride to a blissed-out amble.”

Kerala, rightly called “God’s Own Country”, has a perfect blend of everything – the emerald green Western Ghats, the pristine blue backwaters with the coconut trees leaning over, and the golden sandy beaches. It has more colours than any painter can imagine to put on his canvas!

Being selected as one of the 50 destinations ‘To visit once in a lifetime’, Kerala was also nominated as one of the 13 paradises in the world, by the National Geographic Traveller. No wonder because the enchanting beauty of this land can leave anyone speechless! Although it had been on our bucket list for quite some time, we finally planned it a couple of months ago, and here’s a glimpse of our journey through the photographs we captured!

Here are the top 10 things to do in Kerala that we enjoyed while exploring God’s Own Country.

1. Go for a road trip along the Western Ghats!

The road trip from Kochi to Munnar & Thekaddy stole our hearts, and we were left in awe by the varied shades of green! There were a couple of waterfalls on the way, apart from the spice gardens, coffee plantations, and tea estates, which mostly cover the Western Ghats in this region. Living in urban areas, we often forget the charm that nature holds – but thankfully, Kerala still boasts a wealth of greenery, helping us fill our lungs with fresh air.

As our car crossed the hills and valleys, through the winding lanes and hairpin bends, we munched on banana chips and enjoyed the monsoon breeze.

2. Soak in the freshness in Munnar & Thekkady!

There’s something ethereal about Munnar & Thekkady! Those mist-clad hills and the sprawling tea gardens, unique montane shola grassland, and picturesque towns are just a few things that you can expect when you visit these beautiful hill stations. As we walked through the lush green tea gardens of Munnar and soaked in the freshness, we felt as if time had paused, and we were enchanted by the beauty of a perfect painting that seemed too good to be real.

The monsoon clouds played hide-and-seek with the sun, as we hopped from one stop to another, in those couple of days. We kept our itinerary flexible and roamed around without a checklist. However, we also explored the Eravikulam National Park, visited the Tea Museum and Mattupetty Dam in Munnar, took a boat ride in the Periyar National Park in Thekkady, and attended a Kathakali show.

3. Binge on the delicious Malabari cuisine!

(Guess the photographs have said it all!)

Kerala is a paradise for foodies, and we couldn’t resist embarking on a gastronomic adventure! From Masala Roasted Black Pomfret at Thekkady Cafe (thanks to a dear friend who suggested it) to the delicious Beef Roast and Malabari Porotta in Alleppey, we were treated to the best dishes during this journey!

Well, your trip to Kerala would be incomplete if you miss out on the Ghee Rice, Fish Fry, Bamboo biryani & of course, Beef Roast. When in Kochi, do stop by the Forte Kochi Restaurant, because they serve the best Malabari fish fry & Mango Sorbet that you’d never find anywhere else!

Pro Tip: Many restaurants (especially in Munnar and Thekkady) don’t mention beef on their menu cards. You should ask the person serving at your table, as they’ll be the best person to provide you with the information.

4. Go for an Ayurvedic massage & rejuvenate yourself!

The ‘Ayurvedic’ treatment of Kerala is known across the world, and how could we miss the relaxing massage while we were there?! We decided to go for the massage on the very first day in Munnar, as we were tired after the long journey – and trust me when I say this, it actually did wonders! You can choose the duration of the massage (we opted for 45 minutes) and let yourself go as the expert drenches you in Ayurvedic oils, then gives you a soothing massage that eventually calms all your muscles. After the massage, take a steam bath to remove the oil and walk out of the parlour feeling totally rejuvenated!

5. Watch a Kathakali Dance show!

Of course, this is another thing that we couldn’t have missed! Kathakali is one of the richest classical dance forms and a unique ‘story play’ genre of art, distinguished by the elaborate and colourful makeup of the performers. Kathakali draws its subject matter from the Hindu epics, which chronicle the lives, loves, and conflicts of the Gods and heroes of Indian mythology. While most major cities (and even small towns) have Kathakali shows, we opted to see the performance at Mudra Kathakali Centre, which is quite popular in the Kumily Region, Thekkady.

Accompanied by percussion instruments, a vocalist sang the songs and interpreted the story, while silent actors vividly conveyed their words through a language of facial expressions, bodily attitudes and poses, and hand gestures (mudras, as they are called). The Kathakali shows are usually performed in Malayalam; however, an English translator occasionally narrates the story.

6. Cruising in the backwaters of Alleppey!

Known as ‘The Venice of the East’, cruising along the backwaters of Alleppey on a houseboat was definitely one of the highlights of the journey! There are several options – one can either choose to spend a night in the houseboat, getting a room in it; or, stay at one of the picturesque resorts overlooking the brackish lagoons and go for a sunset cruise, soaking in the gorgeousness of the scarlet sky.

Well, we opted for the latter! As we sat on the deck of this traditional-styled boat, passing through the coconut groves and floating on the calm waters, our boatswain pointed towards the horizon, which was painted in the most beautiful shades of red and orange.

It was a treat for the eyes, as the boat slowly moved ahead and we got closer to the mind-numbing beauty. We gazed till the scarlet shades were wiped off and the sun sank, paving the way for darkness to tiptoe in.

Suggestion – If you are looking for hotels in Alleppey, we would suggest staying at Ramada, which is surrounded by the shores of the famous Punnamada Lake in Alleppey. We had a room with a view, which was a delightful treat!

7. Snap Kochi’s gorgeous fishing nets & fish markets!

This area, surely, is one of the most crowded parts of Kochi, and when we arrived at the shores to see & capture the Chinese fishing nets, there were hundreds of others doing the same!

The Chinese fishing nets are unique to this part of the country, and it seems that the Chinese explorer probably introduced this technique centuries ago, allowing a single fisherman to operate a 20-meter-wide fishing net independently.

There’s a fish market just next to the fishing area, where the day’s fresh catches are sold (don’t fall into the tourist trap, and be sure to bargain before you buy!). And guess what! You can select your fish from the market and have it cooked by one of the nearby restaurants. Sounds amazing, right?

8. Walk down the colourful lanes of the Jew Town in Kochi!

This surely turned out to be a hidden gem, where foreigners flock in numbers, but Indian travellers mostly skip it! Again, thanks to the same old friend who recommended that we walk down the alleys of Jew Town.

This part of Kochi is surely more quaint than the rest of the city, lined with colonial houses, some of which are painted in bright colours, and innumerable stores selling antiques, curios, and artefacts. To add to that, several cafes have cropped up here, and Loafer’s Cafe is one of the best among them!

Don’t forget to stop by the Ginger House Museum Restaurant and walk down till the end, to pay a visit to the Jewish Synagogue.

9. Gaze at the breathtaking sunset of Varkala!

The long, sandy stretch of Varkala, also known as Papanasam Beach, is believed to have medicinal and curative properties. (There must be some myth around it; we didn’t dig much into that!) Unlike the rather crowded and touristy beaches of Goa or Gokarna, which attract thousands of travellers, Varkala has a rustic charm that remains unspoiled, and as we walked down the beach, gazing at the setting sun, our eyes were dazzled by the reflections on the shimmering water.

Our hearts filled with joy as we witnessed the changing colours of the sky – red, yellow, orange, blue, purple, and many more! We treated ourselves to a hearty meal comprising crab curry and fried calamari at the beach shacks and continued with our journey ahead.

10. Stroll on the beaches of Kovalam!

This crescent-shaped beach, situated on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram, is the most popular in Kerala. Coming from Varkala, Kovalam seemed too crowded, but its gorgeousness wasn’t hampered in any way. The golden beach remains nestled between the sapphire waters and the lush green palm trees that line the coastal area’s periphery.

Travellers from all across the world were soaking up the sun and getting tanned, while others were splashing through the waves. Setting aside life’s worries, we walked down the beach from one end to the other, observing how nature and humanity are intertwined with each other.

While we did this trip in about 6 nights and 7 days (that’s budget-friendly but a bit too hectic, as we had to keep hopping from one place to another), we would suggest you keep more time in hand, so that you can get to explore more peacefully rather than continuously traveling from one stop to the next.

Alternatively, you can split your trip and choose to explore either the beaches of Kerala or the Western Ghats.

We look forward to heading back again, sometime soon! Needless to say, the taste of beef roast and appam still lingers in our taste buds, and often, our eyes long for the myriad colours of dusk that we witnessed on the beaches of Varkala.

If you’ve been to Kerala and explored something that we’ve missed out on, then do let us know in the comments below – and we’ll add that to our bucket list 🙂

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