5 Reasons Why Kerala is the Best State in India
Last Updated on November 10, 2019
I was welcomed with open arms into Kerala – ‘Gods own country’, with flowers and a personalised sign. I think I could get used to airport welcomes like this and now everywhere I go I will be expecting roses!
Why is Kerala the best state in India?
1. The people are beyond friendly
I have noticed in the last week of my travels in Kerala, people are so friendly and always smiling. Whether it’s in 5-star luxury, the streets or along the backwaters, people are more than happy to be waving and saying hello to you. Keralites are incredibly friendly and will welcome you into their region with open arms!
2. It is much more relaxed!
I backpacked for 6 weeks from Delhi to Mumbai and the constant hassling can get overwhelming if you are not used to this sort of thing. In Kerala, I have had not one person come up and try to sell me something or shout ‘rickshaw, rickshaw!’, NOT ONE.
From my experience so far, this would be the perfect introduction for newbie’s into India! As a backpacker, it can be a struggle and some people don’t think of coming to India a relaxing holiday. But if you would like to take things a little slower then come here, it’s perfect!
You will be welcomed with palm trees, coconuts and a chilled vibe that is unlike any other region in India.
3. The food is delicious!
I feel like all I did in Kerala is eat and eat, and eat. The food in Kerala is more seafood based than the North. Actually, I prefer the cuisine down in Kerala more than in Rajasthan! Kerala is known as the land of palm trees so coconuts are very much a staple for food, skin and hair, and many other uses.
Just some of my favourite dishes so far have been the Putta (coconut rice) with squashed bananas – a popular breakfast option. The Palada Payasam is also a favourite which is a dessert usually made with rice ada, milk, sugar and ghee.
A traditional meal for the Kerala region is served on a banana leaf like the picture above.
4. The nature will blow you away
The nature is beautiful and this place is so clean! I love nature so to travel through Kerala is like walking into a tropical paradise for me. Palm trees, beautiful beaches and wild animals are all things you can expect. Kerala is famous for its tea plantations. I highly recommend a visit to the tea fields in Munnar. The rolling hills of this region will make you never want to leave Kerala – everything is green!
One of the main reasons why people come to Kerala is because of the backwaters in Alappuzha. I highly recommend doing an overnight stay on a houseboat while you cruise peacefully down the water. The price to do a houseboat overnight stay includes full dinner and breakfast which I was blown away by. This should be at the top of your Kerala bucketlist.
5. You will see incredible wildlife
If you visit the Waynard Wildlife Sanctuary in Muthanga you will see true Kerala wildlife including elephants! During my time there we saw a beautiful family of elephants roaming free. There is also tigers, buffalos and lots more! You will see plenty of monkeys, nearly in your hotel room if you don’t shut your window as I did! Make sure you keep your accommodation shut so you don’t have any unexpected visitors.
You may also see colourfull painted elephants walk the streets, but unfortunately, these elephants are not free in the wild. They have owners who look after them and use them for festivals or tourism purposes.
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The Comments
WorldWideVegetarian (@WorldWideVeggie)
Kerala is gorgeous, it gave me a perfect first impression of India 🙂
righteousbruin9
I would definitely include Kerala, on any visit to India. I hope to be there, sometime in 2021-22.
Aley
Kerala is so very different than the rest of India, beauty, culture, literacy, celebrations, movies, music, art, culture, food everything is a lot different than the Indian culture, it’s very interesting! It’s mainly because all the explorers, apostles, etc landed in the south first because that’s where the ocean is, and it’s right on the ocean. There are so many different religions than the rest of the India, it’s very balanced with them all as well. My home! ♡
by the way, i just wanted to let you know, it’s “puttu” and it’s not coconut rice, it’s rice flour and coconut. It’s very healthy because it’s steamed and very clean food. There are also so many different versions of puttu other than the transitional one, like chicken puttu, beef puttu, fish puttu, prawn puttu, other fruits puttus! There will be a layer of one of these in the regular puttu,that’s how stuffed puttus are, still steamed. Do try jackfruit puttu, it’s pretty rare and super yummy!
I do want to suggest a couple of places with hill stations and wild life such as munnar, the beautiful wayanad!, gavi in pathanamthitta, idukki! Agricultural best is Kuttanad, and the Venice is Alappuzha! If you’re an art lover do visit Trissur, it’s rich with our art culture and history, people here live in art! And do wander around some villages with amazing beauty!
Also, stores like ‘Pulimoottil silks’, ‘chennai silks’ etc will have the best quality sarees etc for way less money than other places, quality comes first in the south!
🙂 Have a wonderful time!
mail.sijojolly@gmail.com
good article.loved it.thanks for sharing
Jake
It is true that Kerala doesn’t feel like it is part of India. If it we’re an independent country, it would have under the ‘developed’ category it looks like!!
Anita Hendrieka
> JakeYes definitely! It’s a lot more chilled than further north :p
Quick Kerala
We are so happy that Kerala is one of your favorite tourist location….Keep writing about Kerala.. Thanks a lot… Regards Kevin..