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Kerala is the state which is highly blessed with the true natural beauty that’s why it is often called as “God’s own country”. God created this place to provide a picture of heaven. This is a place which can in no way be explained in words. Every corner has its own charm and offer different sense of joy to the visitors due to which there are a lot of tourist places in kerala. But when the number of days to spend are limited, it can be hard to decide the best tourist places in Kerala. Continue reading to find out our had picked choices for you!

Did you know that people from all over the world come in Kerala to cherish every feel of nature and to get good worth of their leisure time? It is the freshness and purity of the air that a traveller lingers for a while on vacation. Kerala offers everything in one go.  It is so close to Mother Earth that the food served is on a cleaned banana leaf. If you enjoy eating new things from starters to deserts, this is the perfect article for you to find some must places to visit in kerala. It provides a variety of cuisines ranging from Indian to Continental to Chinese and Italian. The aromatics, the delicacies of Kerala are known to be one of the enticing parts of every tourist. They look forward to every day’s menu just to have lip-smacking experience of whole Kerala.

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The land of coconuts, as known by its name, Kera, meaning coconut in the local language Malayalam, calls couples to leave their hustle bustle life in the city often and spend some peaceful, romantic time with each other here. Kerala’s backwater and beaches are famous for destination weddings. Kerala beaches are clean; couples go in for candlelit dinners, cruises, houseboats, that make it a perfect romantic destination.

Best 9 Unique Places to Visit in Kerala:

Though, Kerala is considered as flower in which every petal is equally beautiful but here we are including some places that must be seen in Kerala trip because these places are the best tourist places in Kerala.

1. Amazing Kerala Backwaters:

Amazing Kerala Backwaters

If one had to compare the Venice of West, it is the Alleppey that is fondly known as the Venice of the East. It has the large network of inland canals, perfect for many backwater cruises and houseboats. It’s intertwined backwaters, beaches and lagoons make every visitor fall in love with. A visitor can witness the Aranmula snake boat race hosted by Alleppey every year is a treat to eyes.

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Spend some time in Backwater, is one of the most peaceful and relaxing things that you can’t miss in Kerala trip. Backwater offers a trip in a houseboat along with the palm-fringed canals, freshly cooked Indian food and chilled beer on board the boat. The delightful Kerala Backwaters are defined as the world of serenity and astonishment that make your experience with Kerala even more enjoyable.

Famous backwaters of Kerala

Kollam the oldest port on the Malabar Coast, but has the spectacular trench of blooming water lilies, the beautiful canals and the melodious songs of the birds, made it a picture perfect vacation. The houseboat cruises are the longest that lasts for almost 8 hours showing all the modern architecture to the ancient ruins and historical places.

The Mangrove forests along the canals have amazing streams at Kumarakom. The country boats take its tourists all across the village of Kerala. The Bird sanctuary attracts every photographer to capture the glimpses of some rare birds on their Kodak. The handicraft items are famous here. Kumarakom is surely one of the best tourist places in Kerala.

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The lowest place in India that lies below the sea level is Kuttanad. The name essentially means the ‘the rice bowl of Kerala’. The backwaters offer striking images of green paddy fields, migratory birds, flowers etc.

Away from commercialism is Kasargod, where a tourist can live the life of the locals. The Oyster Opera is a theme village, where the activity of oyster farming can be witnessed. The backwaters of Kasargod offer to see some forts and temples.

Though one could visit the Kerala backwaters at any time of the year, to enjoy the best features of the place, the recommended best time to visit Kerala backwaters is between Augusts to May to avoid the heavy rains that the state observes every year. The state offers a variety of houseboats for its visitors, from a double deck to single deck, from a lavish traditional one to a modern style, it provides it all. The beauty of backwaters and the house boat experience is so heart touching and memorable that it should always be at the top of your list of places to visit in Kerala.

2. Beautiful Fort Kochi:

Beautiful Fort Kochi

Kochi was known as the fishing village of the pre-colonial Kerala. The place has a lot of influence of Portuguese as the territory was under the Portuguese in 1503. Many architectural influences can be seen here.

This enchanting city has British, Arabs, Dutch, Chinese and Portuguese marks. Fort Kochi is well known as the “Gateway to Kerala” and has eclectic and assorted influence to attract the history lovers. The historical sites in Fort Kochi can be explored well with walking on the streets. There is something amusing with this place that you can’t afford to lose, just come and explore each and every nook of this island.

Roadways and waterways reach fort Kochi. There are buses run by Government and private from different parts of the city to Fort Kochi. They can also take the jetty to travel to this place.

Places To Visit and Things to Do at Fort Kochi

  • One of the top Tourist places at Fort Kochi is Francis Church. Travellers come to see the St. Francis Church that has the congruence of Portuguese influence, Dutch and Angelic.
  • Apart from it, travellers can enjoy the iconic Chinese Fishing Nets. They are a half a century old but do wonders when it comes to some angling effort. A must see for all.
  • One of the oldest Jewish synagogues is present in India and is in Fort Kochi. It is known as the Jew town owing to a smaller population of the Jewish community.
  • Along with it is the small town of Mattancherry known for its spice market. It is blessed with Dutch Palace Museum too.
  • Kathakali is the traditional dance of the state, and if you haven’t been able to be a spectator to the mind-boggling performance, your visit to Kerala is futile. So it becomes imperative to book shows and watch them with utmost interest and pride.
  • Fort Kochi beach is very famous for its scenic views. You can find peace here.
  • Here are some of the top Fort Kochi restaurants – Old Harbour Hotel at Tower Road, Kashi Art Café at Burger Street, Fort House restaurant at Calvathy Road and Vivanta by Taj at Willingdon Island.

One of the best ways to explore Fort Kochi is to walk around. Starting from Zostel, there are some things to do and explore too.

3. Munnar Tourist Places:

Munnar Tourist Places

Newlywed couples often come for their honeymoon here. Walking through the tea gardens, photography amidst the scenic hills with lush green all around, it cannot get better than this.

Munnar is one of the popular places to visit in Kerala which is situated at an altitude of 5,600 ft in the Idukki district. Munnar joins three mountain streams i.e. Nallathanni, Mudrapuzha and Kundala. The endless span of tea plantations, extraordinary species of flora and fauna and the chill and fresh breeze of the beautiful hills and valleys make this place more mesmerizing.

Best places to visit in munnar

  • Enjoy the waterfalls and drench yourself in the freshness of it. Munnar is famous for its trout fishing at the Sita Devi Lake. Get fresh trout and get going for the barbeque.
  • Eravikulam National Park is home to Nilgiri Tahr; one could strike a pose with this docile and endangered species. This surely seems like an good idea to be one of the places to visit in munnar for you.
  • The Eco point at Munnar offers the highest pitch of your voice coming back to you.
  • Tea expeditions are best at the century-old factories in Munnar where there exists the Tata Tea Museum which is one of the top Munnar tourist places.
  • If a traveller happens to be there on one of the twelfth years where the Neelakurunji (Strobilanthud) flowers blossom every 12 years, the purple view is mesmerizing.
  • For sports enthusiasts, Munnar offers rock climbing, rappelling, paragliding and other cycling sports.

Nearest railway station to Munnar is at Alwaye (Aluva) or Angamaly. These are nearly 120 kms away from Munnar. Alwaye (Aluva) is a bigger station so people prefer it over Angamaly.

4. Wayanad Hill Station:

Wayanad Hill Station

The pristine waterfalls, the immaculate lakes, the untouched wildlife, all calls in for nature lovers to come and spend quality time here. Wayanad being a hill station can be visited any time of the year. However, it is best to visit during October to May. Also in Wayanad tourist places, Wayanad Tree house is a must. There are some very beautiful Wayanad resorts Tree house.

Wayanad is blessed with the extraordinary scenic appeal where the vivid green mountainous region stretches along the Western Ghats. Wayanad is the site filled with thick forests, profuse coconut palms, paddy fields and supercilious peaks that make this place more attractive to the adventure lovers. Wayanad is also popular for trekking, Chebra Peak and Meenmutty Falls is the best place for trekking.

Places to Visit and things to do in Wayanad

  • The hill station offers beautiful temple like the Thirunelli Temple that is surrounded by the peaks of Kambamala, Karimala and Varadiga. The temple’s architecture ought to keep its admirers in complete awe. The Glass Temple of Kottamunda is dedicated to the third “Tirthankara” of the Jains and holds prestigious importance to it.
  • The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary offers the best flora and fauna of the state. One could view wildlife in its natural habitat.
  • Edakkal Caves have captivated the attention of the tourists with its pictures of animals and human beings aptly representing the age-old civilization that was once upon a time dawned here.
  • If there is anywhere one wish to be amongst the green forests and High Mountain peaks, it is best to come to Pookot Lake. A boat ride or two at this lake offers good quality time.

Wayanad weather, Climate and Temperature

MonthAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptember
SeasonRainRainPartly Cloudy DayRainCloudyRain
Minimum Temprature in  0C212119191819
Maximum Temprature in  0C303125252426
MonthOctoberNovemberDecemberJanuaryFebruaryMarch
SeasonRainRainPartly Cloudy DayPartly Cloudy DayClear DayRain
Minimum Temprature in  0C191818161719
Maximum Temprature in  0C272728293031

The best season to visit Wayanad and the best time in terms of weather and climate is – January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. And you should probably not visit Wayanad in June, July, August and September.

5. Periyar National Park:

Periyar National Park

The Periyar National Park is known for its elephant reserve and tiger reserve. Located in the high hills of the Cardamom and Padalam of the south Western Ghats, it is approximately 4 km from Kumily, 100 km of east of Kottayam, 110 km west of Madurai and 120 km of Kochi.

Periyar National Park is one of the most popular national parks of South India and the best part is that it allows visitors to visit anytime and any season. The 30 minute ride of elephant is the most important attraction of Periyar. The fascinating sunset offers the outstanding relief to the visitors; they can also participate in an excellent variety of Eco-tourism activities.

It was in the year 1934 that the official action towards wildlife conservation and biodiversity in Kerala was initiated by the Maharaja of Travancore, Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma. It was declared as the private game reserve to stop the encroachment of tea plantations. It was thus founded as the Nellikkampatty Game reserve which later consolidated as a wildlife sanctuary than in the year 1950.

Depending upon the altitude the temperature varies from 15°Celsius in cool December and January to 31°Celsius in April and May. It observes annual precipitation between 2000 mm to 3000 mm. Summers in April is warm while winters remain cool.

Best Season / Time To Visit Periyar National Park

Though tourists can have a safari experience all through the year, in summers, they might spot animals near the lake. The Park offers evening safari tours as the daytime becomes hot and dehydrating. One could experience a temperature as high as 36 degrees Celsius with lean vegetation. During the monsoons, there isn’t much scope to spot the animals and the entrance to many of the areas on safaris become restricted. Winters offer a splendid view of the vegetation, animals and the safari ends on a good note.

It is best to visit during the winters hence, December to March. The park caters to different timings for different activities-

  • Boat cruises at Periyar National Park are for 30 minutes and are available at 07:25 hrs, 09:15 hrs, 11:15 hrs, 13:30hrs and 16:00 hrs.
  • The full day safari at Periyar National Park begins in the early morning and last trip for the same starts at 15:00 hrs.
  • The park also offers night safari that begins at 23:00 hrs and ends at 3:00 hrs.
  • Elephant safari at Periyar National Park is for 30 minutes, and it begins at wee hours of the morning at 6:00 hrs with the last slot being 17:00 hrs.

Well, if you still have time and want to do something else near Periyar National Park you can go for bamboo rafting at thekkady.

6. Thrissur – Fascinating Destination of Kerala:

Thrissur

This city is known for its sacred sites and colourful festival celebrations. Thrissur is called as the ‘cultural capital of Kerala’. The place offers spectacular waterfalls and clean beaches to enjoy.

Thrissur Tourist Places

  • Tourists could enjoy the activities at the Snehatheeram Beach
  • The Vazhachal Waterfalls and Athirappilly Waterfalls are a great way of being one with nature. Never miss out on this for places to visit in Thrissur.
  • Tourists often pay a visit at Vadakkunnathan Temple to praise the Kerala style of architecture.
  • ParamekavuBhagavathy temple is one of the largest Bagavathi temples in Kerala. People come here to find solace and tranquillity.
  • Asia’s tallest church Our Lady of DoloursSyro-Malabar Catholic Basilica is situated in Thrissur. It has the underground shrine, and the architecture is overwhelming.
  • The city also has the oldest Church that belongs to the Assyrian Church of the East and is called the Chaldean Syrian Church of the East.

The land of sacred sites has some mosques starting from the oldest mosque in Thrissur is the Chettiyangadi Hanafi Mosque. 40 km away from Thrissur is the Cheraman Juma Mosque that is situated in Kodungallloor. It is the first mosque build in India.  There are other mosques such as the Kalathode Mosque, KokkalaiJuma Masjid, Westford Sunni Juma Masjid, SalafiJuma Masjid, Juma Masjid

Do not forget to indulge in the cuisines of Thrissur that comprise of rice as their staple food. The speciality of the city is the Vellayappam, a rice hopper. Every tourist must try this. Achappam and Kuzhalappam are a few favourite snacks that one must have their taste buds indulged.

The Best Season / Time To Visit Thrissur

October to March is the best time to appreciate the city. To be a part of the Thrissur Pooram festival, visitors can come during April and May and enjoy the celebrations.

7. Kovalam – Best Place for Beach Lovers in Kerala:

Kovalam

Kovalam stands second in the list of beaches, and it is famous for its New Year celebration. It is a center for Ayurveda treatments, firm massages, sunbathing fests, adventurous sports etc. The metropolitan has crescent-shaped coastlines that are always bustling with activities.

Places To Visit in Kovalam

  • Tourists could visit the beaches along the Kovalam that are Lighthouse beach, the Hawah beach, the Samudra beach, and every beach showcases its beauty differently.
  • Lighthouse beach is the most populated with its tourists. The Hawah beach is a favourite for many for its calm blue waters puts forth a sense of paradise. To witness the life of fishers and their fishing activity, Samudra beach is where one could come and be a part of their activity.
  • One could take a tour of the Lighthouse, the Vizhinjam Marine Aquarium, the Halcyon Castle, the Rock Cut Caves Valiathura Pier, and Kovalam Art Gallery too.
  • The water bodies of Kovalam are famous and has many lakes that offer boat rides and picnic spots, such as the Akkulam Lake, Vellayani Lake, Karamana River, Neyyar Dam, Aruvikkara Dam which make them one of the tourist places in kerala.
  • Prayers can be offered at the ThiruvallamParasurama Temple and KovalamJama Masjid
  • A must visit Vizhinjam Fishing Harbour as well.
  • There are also some Beautiful resorts in Kovalam.

Best Season / Time To Visit Kovalam

September to May is a perfect time to be there, for the temperature is moderate.

8. Vagamon – Most Beautiful Hill Station in Kerala:

Vagamon Wagamon

The town of Vagamon remains unaffected the modern day hustle and bustle. The secluded world of Vagamon stands 3500 ft above the sea level, has much to its accolades. The climate is perfect that ranges from 10 to 28 degrees. The richness of the air, the aromatic tea, and coffee and spice plantations pull every traveller to witness the rolling plains of the town.

Its appealing gardens, the ambrosial tea plantations, calls every visitor a must see. The Hill station is located in the Meenachitaluk and Kanjirappalyytaluk. This hill station was one of the basements used by British for tea plantations and later on was of the Christian missionaries who build their abode of service. Vagamon finds its place in the “50 most attractive places to visit in India” as listed by a National Geographic Traveller.

It is the green meadows, the pine forests, the waterfalls, the tea estates that invite its visitors to enjoy amidst nature. Vagamon flaunts a variety of flowers and orchids. The cultural harmony of this place is best felt with Thangal, Murugan and Kurisumala hills that represent Hindu, Muslim and Christian, the chief regions in Kerala. Vagamon is the host for Ultra Trail Marathon in Kerala which is held every year in January. Here are the best places to visit and thing to do in Vagamon.

If you are only looking for peace and want to relax and stay aloof from the rest of the world, Vagamon is surely one of the places to visit in kerala.

Vagamon Tourist Places

  • The hills of the Vagamon are famous such as the Thangal Hill, Murugan Hill, and Barren Hills etc.
  • Vagamon Falls and Maramala Waterfalls showcase some eternal beauty.
  • Vagamon Lake is a great source of lazy mornings and afternoon.
  • Trekking around the Vagamon Pine Forest or the MundakayamGhat is a right way of exploring this place.
  • One could tour Kurisumala, The Pattumala Church
  • A visitor can enjoy trekking, paragliding, rock climbing, mountaineering etc.
  • The Vagamon pine Forest, is also a top tourist attraction as it offers various activities, like paragliding, rock climbing, and trekking. The Vagamon pine Forest is approximately 3,280 ft (1,000 m) above sea level.

Best Season / Time To Visit Vagamon

Vagamon can be best enjoyed during the early months of August to May.

9. Varkala – Best Cliff Beach in Kerala:

Varkala Beach

If you want to experience the enticing coastline with cliffs on one side and lush greenery on the other, it is Varkala that offers you a splendid view. Situated in the south of Kerala and on the north end border of Trivandrum, its beauty of landscapes and brown sand is a perfect spot to rejuvenate.

The sunsets are one of the best due to which they are forever captured in your memories due to this, Varkala has always been the top tourist places in kerala. The religious place of Hindu culture embraces many Hindu temples. It welcomes every caste, religion and creed to seek blessings. The Varkala beach is often called the Papanasam beach, meaning, it is believed that by taking a bath in the water, the sins are washed away.

The Varkala beach offers many activities like the horse-riding, jetting, parasailing, surfing, swimming, sunbathing, boat riding etc.  Varkala beach offers Ayurveda centres, spa, and mineral springs to sit back and relax.

Places To Visit And Things To Do in Varkala

  • Apart from Varkala Beach, a tourist can visit Papanasam Beach, Kappil Lake as well.
  • Janardhan Temple, SivagiriMuth, Janardan Swami Temple, Vishnu Temple, Sarkara Devi Temple and Kaduvayil Thangal Dargah where visitors come to offer their prayers.
  • Touring to Anjengo Fort, Varkala Tunnel, Lighthouse gives it a whole new experience.
  • You can also add – Anjengo Lighthouse, Varkala Cliff and Kappil Pozhi in the list.
  • Tourists can visit the Janardana Swami Temple that is situated near the beach. It is known to host a 10-day festival called the Arattu twice a year. One could witness the grand procession of five caparisoned elephants. These elephants are decked up, and their ornamental silk umbrellas and peacock fans are a sheer sight to watch.
  • The Sivagiri Mutt that is octagonal it attends more than a thousand pilgrims during the fall in August or September in yellow attire at the Samadhi of the Guru.
  • Talking about places to visit in varkala, Varkala beach offers adventure and leisure activities like the parasailing or jetting, horse riding and boat riding expeditions.

Facts about Varakala Beach

Varakala Beach, lies on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram district, it is considered as one of the finest beaches that you have ever seen. The setting of this calm and quiet hamlet is really outstanding due to a long winding stretch of beautiful cliff and views that expand over the Arabian Sea. Walking on a paved footpath along the length of the cliff, encircled with coconut palms offers a great relaxation. The attractive shops, hotels and the guest houses have the special magnetic charm that attracts every sort of tourist.

Best Time To Visit Varkala

To enjoy the ecstasy of this region, August to mid-May is the best months to be there.

The Food And Festival at Varkala

The place offers delicacies from South Indian to Italian to Chinese and Continental too.  The town celebrates the Malayalam or Kerala New Year with utmost traditions, and traditional meals, the Arattu festival at Janardhana Swamy Temple sees thousands of pilgrims, Karkidaka Festival and Onam are celebrated with fun and frolic.

Final Thoughts

So it’s time to pack your bags and start the journey of heaven as Kerala is a real heaven on earth where you can enjoy every color of nature. Though Kerala has many best places in its bouquet but if you are restricted with time then these places are must to watch to get the best return of your leisure time. Kerala is bestowed with the most exquisite weather, landscapes, waterfalls, beaches and hill stations. The above are the best ten that one could enjoy his vacation at. Here we give you the top tourist places in Kerala but several areas are yet to be explored and discovered. Now its your time to make a call. Choose to go to some or all of these places in accordance to the amount of days you are going to spend in Kerala.

Kerala gives surprises to its audience every time a tourist visits. The down to earth nature of the locals, the hard-working community, the clean and green surroundings, sums up the tourism of the place to be superlative. It is this reason that every time one thinks of a vacation, whether for back water or hill station, to the plains or near the beach, Kerala offers the best resorts, hotel accommodation; lip-smacking cuisines, top quality transportation and humble service. Now book your Kerala tour packages with Kerala’s leading tours & travel operator.