Travel Guide

Kerala

India

Best time to go: October–March

Sights

Backwaters by houseboat – A night on a rice boat through canals and lagoons near Alappuzha.
Fort Kochi – Chinese fishing nets, colonial houses and art cafés.
Mattancherry – Spice warehouses, a synagogue and the Dutch Palace with its murals.
Munnar – Tea plantations stretching to the horizon in the Western Ghats.
Kathakali – A dance drama with splendid costumes and mask-like make-up.
Varkala – A beach below red cliffs, with a clifftop path lined with cafés.

Sadya – A feast of many vegetarian dishes on a banana leaf.
Coconut fish curry – With coconut milk and kokum, tangy and spicy.
Appam with stew – Fluffy rice pancakes with a mild coconut stew.
Karimeen Pollichathu – Pearl spot fish cooked in a banana leaf, a backwater speciality.

Ayurveda – Kerala is considered the home of Ayurvedic treatments – choose a reputable centre.
Periyar and Thekkady – A wildlife reserve with elephants and spice gardens.
Kumarakom – A bird sanctuary and quiet resorts on Vembanad Lake.

When to go: October–March
Getting around: Kochi airport; travel between coast, backwaters and hills by train, bus or with a driver. Monsoon roughly June to September.
Tipping: Around 10% is customary in restaurants.
Power: Plug type C/D/M, 230 V – pack an adapter for Swiss plugs.
Currency: Indian Rupee (INR)

Create a trip plan and the Travel Guide comes with it – with a map, ideas to suggest and saved for offline use.

General tips without guarantee – please check opening times and prices locally.