Best Places to Visit in Kerala

 Here are the list of best palces to visit in Kerala, India 

1. Munnar

Munnar is a town in the Western Ghats mountains in India’s Kerala state. Munnar, a hill station and former resort for the British Raj elite, is set within rolling hills dotted with tea plantations established in the 19th century. Eravikulam National Park, home to the endangered mountain goat Nilgiri tahr, is a seasonal trekking destination encompassing the Lakkam Waterfalls and 2,695m-tall Anamudi Peak.

Munnar is the most popular hill station in South India and one of the best places to see in Kerala. It has exclusive views of extreme mountain slopes which are covered with about 80,000 miles of green tea farms like organic bedding over mountains which offer views of low-flying clouds and misty valleys. Munnar is usually cold and relaxed and gives you a incredible sensation, with the dense spray around you in the center of the organic tea farms. Munnar was once the summer season of the erstwhile English and English settlers found that the elevation, slope and alignment of the hills were particularly designed for the farming of tea. The modern end result is the lavish organic mountains decorated by tea gardens which is the sight to look out for in modern Munnar. There are also lot of waterfalls and hiking routes in Munnar for the adventure seeking guests. With its drowsy little bungalows, bungalows, old play areas and tea factories, Munnar is one of those unique hill stations in India with an old world colonial feel to the area.

2. Thekkady

Thekkady (Idukki district) is the location of the Periyar National Park, which is an important tourist attraction in the Kerala state of India.

 Thekkady is located about 257 km (160 mi) from Trivandrum, 114 km from Madurai City and Madurai Airport, 145 km from Cochin International Airport and 114 km from Kottayam railway station. Thekkady is located near to Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The sanctuary is famous for its dense evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous forests and savanna grass lands. It is home to herds of elephants, sambar, tigers, gaur, lion-tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs.

The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across 777 km2 (300 sq mi), of which 360 km2 (140 sq mi) is thick evergreen forest. The wildlife sanctuary was declared a tiger reserve in 1978. The splendid artificial lake formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam across the Periyar River adds to the charm of the park. The greatest attractions of Periyar are the herds of wild elephants, deer and bison that come down to drink in the lake. The sanctuary can be accessed through a trekking, boating or jeep safari.

Periyar Wildlife sanctuary in Thekkady is a popular wild life sanctuary preserving various species of animals including elephants, tigers, sambars, gaurs and the very rare lion tailed macaques. The forest is situated on the banks of the lake, Periyar. Of the 777 sq kms of area, 360 sq km has been taken up bythe thick evergreen forest. Thekkady’s scenic beauty along with its wildlife has been attracting tourists and visitors from all over the world for years. Probably the best position in Kerala to see wildlife while doing a boat trip trip in Thekkady lake. From the mighty Indian elephant to the Great Indian tiger to leopards, boars, bisons, deers etc Thekkady has it all that a wild life sanctuary has. The tourism department provides going up the right into the middle of the jungles either on feet or on top of elephants. If you want some more awesome adventure,you can take the path from Moozhiyar to Thekkadi via Gavi spinning through the thickest wooded miles of Kerala. Elephants are a common sight in Thekkady and boating is the favortie past time for most tourist who visits Thekkady.

3. Alleppey (Alappuzha) Backwaters

 Alleppey also known as Alappuzha, is the administrative headquarters of Alleppey District of Kerala state of southern India. Alleppey is the 10th largest city in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029  and third among the districts having highest literacy rate in Kerala. Alleppey is considered to be the oldest planned city in this region and the lighthouse built on the coast of the city is the first of its kind along the Arabian Sea coast.

Alleppy is situated 62 kilometres (39 mi) to the south of Kochi and 155 kilometres (96 mi) north of Trivandrum 

Alleppey is well known for the backwater trips on houseboats and always comes on top among the best destinations to check out in Kerala, simply because it is a exclusive encounter that you cannot get anywhere else on the globe. Alleppey was described as the one of the locations known as ‘Venice of the East’ by Lord Curzon. A houseboat vacation along the natural backwaters in Alleppey provides a chance to observe landscapes attractions like lavish paddy areas below the water levels, small chapels, fishing with netting, ducks in water, water lilies etc, sure to remain etched in your mind forever and this is among the best places to visit in Kerala in October to December. 

A vacation along the pathways with conventional Kerala food provided in a bananas leaves is fascinating with a meditative spell that is weaving a feeling of calmness and beauty around you . All months from Sept to May are fun to check out and go to Alleppey which has few of the best backwater trips in Kerala. Some other tourist destinations in Alleppey are Chettikulangara Bhagawathy Temple, Arthunkal Church, Krishnapuram Palace, Pathiramanal, Marari Beach, Sri Krishna Temple in Ambalappuzha etc other than the beach in Alleppey which may be among the closest encounters to Arabian Sea. All months from September to May are good time to visit and go to Alleppey which has few of the best backwater tours in Kerala. All months from September to May are good time to visit and go to Alleppey which has few of the best backwater tours in Kerala. 

4. Wayanad

Wayanad District is a district in the north-east of Kerala state, India with headquarters at the town of Kalpetta. The district was formed on 1 November 1980 as the 12th district in Kerala by carving out areas from Kozhikode and Kannur districts. The district is 3.79% urbanised, with three municipal towns Kalpetta, Mananthavady and Sulthan Bathery.

Wayanad district is in the southern tip of the Deccan Plateau. Part of the Western Ghats is in the district. In the centre of the district hills are lower in height while the northern area has high hills.

To know the greener side of Kerala, one must visit Wayanad which translates to the land of paddy fields in Local language Malayalam. It won’t be irrelevant to call it the ‘Green Paradise’ if you are planning for a sightseeing in Kerala. Calm and quiet, enriched with scenic beauty, tradition and wildlife, Wayanad is a blend of nature and heaven together and is one of the best places to visit in Kerala during summer. 

Wayanad is also famous for the richness it holds in the tribal heritage and agricultural abundance. Observing the lifestyle of over fifty tribes dwelling in this region will be a mind-blowing experience. The place is least populated when compared to other districts in Kerala, but the exoticness and landscape make it a must visit destination in the God’s own country. Wayanad all together has many exotic locations in and around the district like edakkal caves, banasura sagar dam, Wayanad Wildlife Santuary, Lakkidi, Tusharagiri Waterfalls, Kalpetta, and Sentinel Rockfalls. Wayanad is a popular trekking destination in Monsoons and is a must visit destination in Kerala in July and August for adventure tourism enthusiasts. in Checkout an article on Wayanad Tourism and an experience in the hills of Northern Wayanad.