Kerala Holidays

Over 350 miles and extending inland as far as the Western Ghats and Bandipur National Park, Kerala has attractions and activities for every visitor to enjoy. Discover the bustling capital of Thiruvananthapuram, home to palaces, museums, beaches, gardens, and a gold-plated temple laden with treasures worth over £12 billion. Explore beautiful beaches from Kovalam to Bekal. Sail gently on a houseboat in Alappuzha.

Search for elephants and tigers on a safari in Thekkady or glimpse bison, wild dogs, and panthers at Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Ride a bamboo raft down the Pozhuthana River or brave the rapids in Chalippuzha, Iruvanjippuzha, and Kannur. Witness a Kathakali dance and a Theyyam ceremony. Indulge in a Kerala Sadya feast and an Ayurveda massage treatment. Take a scenic train from Kochi to Thiruvananthapuram. Watch the 4000-year-old martial art of Kalaripayattu. Or taste a traditional palm wine from a thatched Toddy Shop.

One of the best areas to visit in Kerala sits in the middle of the state between the inland mountain region of the Western Ghats and the coastal towns from Kochi to Alappuzha. Start in the multicultural port city of Kochi where beautiful beaches compete for attention with museums, synagogues, churches, and the mural-covered walls of Mattancherry Palace. Spend days jostling among cafés, shops, and markets before heading inland to find serenity among the hill stations of Munnar and Vagamon.

Visit tea museums and spice plantations on pine-covered mountainsides where trails take you past lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and romantic wildflower meadows. Take a boat safari in Periyar National Park to spot tigers, elephants, and rare birds before returning to the coast and Alappuzha. Here, in the Venice of the East, rent a houseboat, sit back, and drift through the tranquil waterway scenery.

While Goa gets the headlines, some of India’s best beaches can be found on the coast of Kerala. Choose Kovalam in the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram for a vibrant and relaxing beach resort filled with watersports, luxury hotels, massage centres, and some of the region’s best restaurants.

Head a little north to laidback Varkala where palm groves, shacks, and cafés line the beaches beside historic forts, ancient temples, and clifftop spots for sunset spectacles. Get away from it all at Marari Beach near Alappuzha. At the top of the state sits Bekal Beach, where unspoiled luxury is found around the soft sands and semi-submerged Bekal Fort. Or just a little south is Kannur, where the beaches are tucked away and regular opportunities to observe dramatic Theyyam rituals.

December to March is the best time to visit Kerala, but some regions of the state can be enjoyed for longer periods. Low rainfall and pleasant days are expected from August to February in Kochi, Kovalam, Kozhikode, and Alappuzha. When the temperatures at the coast rise to their peak between March and May, many travellers head inland to the higher ground of Thekkady and Munnar which can be visited all year, or to the wildlife sanctuary of Wayanad where the best viewing is enjoyed between October and May.

Rainfall increases quickly in March and is heaviest between June and September, this is the best time to receive an Ayurvedic treatment. Event lovers will enjoy the lively snake boat races which take place throughout the monsoon season, or the colourful spectacle of Thrissur Pooram held at the Vadakkunnathan Temple, two hours north of Kochi, every April or May.