The small state of Kerala, which represents just 1% of the land mass, is considered to be one of India’s most beautiful. It is a very rural state with most of the population living in villages and is culturally and scenically diverse. Kerala has two national parks, ten wildlife sanctuaries and two bird sanctuaries.

Kerala occupies a long (550 km), narrow strip of land in the far southwest of India. Its coastline is on the Arabian Sea (part of the Indian Ocean) and its eastern border with the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu is the top of the majestic Western Ghat Mountains. The landscape varies from long golden beaches to cool hill stations and dense green jungle to bustling cities. Its unique feature is the network of palm fringed backwaters.

The people of Kerala (known as Keralites) are warm and friendly and interaction with them is often a highlight of a holiday there. Keralites have a strong culture and are fiercely proud of their state. Some of their art forms (eg Kathakali and Theyyam) and martial arts (Kalaripayattu) are unique.

There are three main cities. The state capital of Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) is in the south, Cochin (Kochi) in the centre and Calicut (Kozhikode) to the north. Each has an airport, which means that the whole of Kerala is reasonably accessible. However, as in the rest of India, most of the roads are of poor quality and therefore travel can be quite slow.

 

WEATHER CHART : TRIVANDRUM
MAX °C	31	32	33	32	31	29	29	29	30	30	30	31
MIN °C	22	23	24	25	25	24	23	22	23	23	23	23
RAIN mm	20	20	43	122	249	331	215	164	123	271	207	73
	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUNE	JULY	AUG	SEPT	OCT	NOV	DEC