Kerala Travel Info
Located on the southwestern tip of India with the Arabian Sea on the west
and the Western Ghats in the east, Kerala is divided into three regions
- the coastal lowlands, the fertile midlands and the highlands. The lowlands
are networked by endless backwaters, the midlands are rich with pepper,
cashew, coconut among other plantations, and the forested highlands abound
in tea, coffee, rubber and spice plantations and wildlife reserves.
In 1956, when the states were reorganized, Kerala was formed after tying
the princely states of Travancore and Cochin with Malabar, a province under
Madras state.
It is a purified world in Kerala, the land of trees. A big, spreading
tree purifies as much air as a room air-conditioner. And the former is
never switched off. The prolific, bustling, vegetation acts like a massive,
biological, air-filtration plant working round the clock, round the year.
Hence spending days in Kerala countryside is as if spending in an air-
purified environ; some times better than it. So is the rejuvenating effect
of the lush greenery of the state.
The wanton growth of trees makes Kerala a herbarium. The four month-long,
copious monsoon and recurrent flurry make this land a perfect nursery
for all living beings. Loitering under the canopy of the foliage, you
will feel blossoming the dreams. Thus, on a sojourn in Kerala, away from
the rough and tumble of cities, you're breathing freshly purified air
all the time.
Another piece de resistance of Kerala is the meandering rivers which
criss-cross the state physique like blood veins. Besides, water bodies
tucked away in thick forests also enhance the amazing beauty of the state.
They fertilize the land, turn waste into the wealth of the rich, black,
alluvial soil on which the agrarian state thrive.
The Lowlands or the coastal area, made up of river deltas, backwaters
and the Arabian coast, is essentially a land of coconuts and rice. Fisheries
and coif industry constitute the major industries of this area.
Travel information
Capital: Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Climate:
Weather - Tropical
Summer - April-June [24 - 33 degree Celsius]
Monsoon - July-September [22 - 27 degree Celsius
Winter - October-March [22 - 32 degree Celsius]
High Season - December-May
Languages spoken:
Malayalam; however English is widely spoken and understood by the fully
literate populace of Kerala.
Major Cities:
Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi (Ernakulam district) and Kozhikode (Calicut)
Time:
Kerala is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT, 4 hours and 30 minutes behind
Australian Standard Time and 10 hours 30 minutes ahead of American Standard
Time.
Access:
By Air: The International airports at Trivandrum (now Thiruvananthapuram),
Kochi (Cochin) and Calicut (now Kozhikode) facilitate easy access by air.
Direct flights operate from Singapore, Colombo, Maldives, Kuwait, Muscat,
Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Tehran, Riyadh, Doha and Bahrain.
By Rail:
All major tourist destinations and important cities of India are well-connected
by rail to Kerala.
Currency:
In Kerala, as elsewhere in India, the currency is the Indian Rupee. All
major credit cards find wide acceptance.
Food:
Most restaurants, coffee shops, eateries or cafes offer a cosmopolitan
flare for Chinese, Continental, Indian or American. You can find many
who specialize in Kerala delicacies.
Clothing:
Ideally light cottons. However the cooler hill stations may warrant woolens.
Travel Formalities:
A Visa is a must to enter India. You can contact the Indian Embassy /
High Commission in your country for the same. It is best to carry your
passport on you all the time. You may also carry travel insurance.
Health Centres:
Hospitals and health centres in Kerala offer world-class facilities.
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