Kerala is the gentler side of India. A journey through Kerala’s backwaters and beaches begins in cool hill country and ends on the Arabian Sea coast, and the pace slows at every stage. After the intensity of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur the change is clear within a day: greener landscapes, quieter roads and a rhythm set by water and weather. For many travellers it forms the natural second half of a first journey to India, and it stands equally well on its own.
Most journeys begin in Fort Kochi, where Portuguese, Dutch and British history sits alongside the Chinese fishing nets on the waterfront and the old spice warehouses of Mattancherry. From there the road climbs for about four hours to Munnar, where tea estates cover the slopes of the Western Ghats and the air is noticeably cooler. A few hours further on, Thekkady sits on the edge of Periyar Tiger Reserve, known for its spice gardens and for boat trips on Periyar Lake, where elephants come down to the water’s edge, most often in March and April. We plan the journey by private car with a driver, with road legs of three to four hours between stops.
The backwaters are a network of lakes, rivers and canals running inland from the coast, centred on Vembanad Lake. We include one night aboard a kettuvallam, a traditional rice barge converted into a private houseboat with its own crew and cook. Guests board around midday and cruise through the afternoon past paddy fields, villages and small churches. Houseboats are not permitted to cruise after dark, so the boat moors by about 5.30pm, and the evening passes quietly on the water before a short morning cruise back to the jetty. One night covers the experience fully. Alleppey offers the classic canal scenery and the widest choice of boats, while Kumarakom, on the eastern shore of the lake, is quieter, and we choose between them according to the season and the traveller.
The journey ends on the coast. Marari, north of Alleppey, is a quiet stretch of sand fringed with coconut palms and fishing villages, while Varkala, further south, is the only beach in southern Kerala backed by sea cliffs. Either makes a natural place to slow down for two or three nights. Kerala is also the home of Ayurveda, India’s traditional system of medicine, and many properties in the hills and on the coast offer treatments, from a single massage to a programme over several days. Kerala suits travellers who enjoy nature, gentle pacing and time to rest, and who are content to trade monuments for landscapes.
Travel rewards attention. Five for Fridays is our monthly letter from Ron: five things about the world worth knowing before you go – or before you decide where.
