Best Travel Destinations in Kerala – From Coast to Peak

Popularly dubbed as “Gods Own Country”, Kerala is one the most beautiful states in India and is home to some of the best travel destinations in South India and the best part is, the places that we have mentioned in this list can be visited anytime of the year owing to the fantastic weather. It was really quite tough for us to list these 3 places amongst so much wonderful ones – but as always, we did our best for you!

Top 3 destinations in Kerala

Munnar

Known for its cardamom and tea plantations, this beautiful hill station is has a maximum height of about 1,500 m above sea level and wonderful climate year round making it an awesome choice to visit even in the summers. The name is actually a short for “Moonu Aar” which is named after the 3 rivers that flows through the town and eventually join after a while. Munnar has been a summer resort since the British times and is one the most popular honeymoon destinations in the southern part of India. The highest peak of the range, Anaimudi is also located here. Eravikulam National Park is the main tourist destination where you can spot an endangered species of mountain goat called Nilgiri Tahr. While you are there don’t forget to take a trek to Rajamala for spotting more wild life. It also has adventure sports like paragliding and one can also sample several types of tea due to the abundance of tea estates around the town.

Periyar

The Periyar National Park is a wildlife sanctuary situated about 90 Kms from Munnar is home to India’s largest Tiger Population and is a must see place if you are planning to visit the later. Apart tiger it also has Gaur and wold boar and it is quite possible to spot one of them. The guides there also arrange for night safaris which is quite exciting for any thrill seeking visitor. A wonderful boat ride is recommended on the beautiful Periyar Lake if you are visiting with your beloved one or with family. If you wish to do some adventure trekking and jungle camping definitely check out The Periyar Tiger Trail which is a 1 Night/2 Days or 2 Night/3 Days package and if you are lucky you might actually spot a tiger in the dense jungle. However, the trekkers are accompanied by extremely well equipped guides and armed forest officials, hence it is quite safe. It’s a super adventurous 20-35 kms of trek through the mystic Nilgiri jungle with staying in tents inside the forest. It is a must do thing if you are a serious nature lover or into photography and wildlife.

Kovalam

Known as the home to the most pristine beaches in India, Kovalam is a wonderful travel destination if you seek the beautiful ocean. A place frequented by foreigners owing to the shallow waters and low tidal waves it has slowly become one of the most popular beach travel destinations from a humble costal village. Amongst the 3 beaches in Kovalam, The Lighthouse beach is the most popular and has a number of hotels for staying and restaurants with a variety of options depending on your budget. The Hawa Beach, which once used to have topless bathing option (it’s banned now) is also another beautiful spot. Things to do includes surfing where you can hire surfing boards and body guards right on the beach, but make sure to be safe while you’re at it. You can also take wooden boat rides in the early morning for a wonderful snorkelling session. Make sure to take the sunset cruises to spend a romantic time if you’re there with your partner. Kovalam is located on 16 KMS away from the city of Trivandum.

Apart from these there are quite a lot of other beautiful destinations like Alleppey, Kochi and more which we will cover soon.