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God's country as it is sometime called, this green progressive State of India is again a much frequented state by foreign and domestic tourist alike. It offers sumptuous green landscapes dotted with palms. Exotic coastlines with tea and spices on a grand scale. Some rather tasty sea food and lots more besides. If we start in the south, visiting the town of Trivandrum we can also use this as a base to see Kanyakumari where the great oceans meet at the southern tip of India. Although not in Kerala it's easy to see from Trivandrum. In Trivandrum itself there are few things to see like the the Padmanabhaswami temple, with its gopuram soaring majestically upwards, is believed to be one of the 108 shrines sacred to the Vaishnavites in India. Or the Observatory and the Museum with its profusion of gables and turrets.

Nearby you have Veli, the Veli Tourist Village is built near the Veli lagoon fringed with greenery and easily accessible by road. Veli is located 8 kms from Trivandrum there's also a beach nearbye called Sphagnum.

A short hop from Trivandrum is the famous beach resort of Kovalam, though probably past it's hey day, Kovalem offers the usual stuff you would expect from a major beach resort, restaurants bars and cramped beaches, Many swear by it though. A little further North you have another resort at Varkala, though a bit more laid back than Kovalam, these days it's a busy little place as well, The beach itself is nothing spectacular but the surrounding beaches are worth exploring. The communal tank near the temple about 2 kms away is a good place to sit and have a chai and watch the locals interact.

East of here there's a hill Station at Ponmudi, Ponmudi (The Golden Peak) is a hillstation in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala in South India. close by there is Agasthyarkoodam which is one of the highest peak in the Western Ghats at (1868 m).

Moving back once more to coastal Kerala, Kollam is the starting point for a sail though the famous backwaters of Kerala, which is not to be missed, gently sail thorough small villages, eking out a living on small strips of land surrounded by lagoons and rivers, here an there you'll see church spires towering above the palms. As the sun sets, the backwaters take on a different peaceful hue. A great day out.

Also in the area you have Kottyam, which is a good base for heading up to the National Park at Periyer, where you have the chance to glimpse some wild elephants from the safety of a boat..or The village of Kumarakom a cluster of little islands on the Vembanad Lake, which is part of the Kuttanad region. The bird sanctuary here, which is spread across 14 acres is home to both local and migratory birds.You can continue from here upto Munnar, which is a refreshing little town with some staggering views across the mammoth tea gardens. The walking here is exceptional and the town itself friendly enough. The day tours to the surrounding sandlewood forest and wildlife parks is well worth doing.

From here we can again turn towards the coast, to one of Kerala's biggest attractions at Cochin. Along the way you could also see the tremendously varied bird life at, Thattekkad, birds like the Crimson-throated Barbet, Bee eater, Sunbird, Shrike, Black Winged Kite, Night Heron, Falcon, Gray Jungle Fowl, White-Breasted Water Hen, Hornbill, Ceylon Frogmoth, Rose-billed Roller and Blue-winged Parakeet are just some of the birds you can expect to see.

Cochin, or now Kochi was the first European colonial settlement in India. From 1503 to 1663, Fort Kochi was ruled by Portugal. It offers a wealth of attraction for the visor, Mattancherry Palace built by the Portuguese in 1557 and was presented to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi. The Palace was renovated in 1663 by the Dutch. The palace with a Bhagavathi temple in the central courtyard is built like the typical Kerala style mansion. Chinese fishing nets still operate here but mainly for tourist snaps, the nearby shacks will cook fresh fish for you at reasonable prices, A wander down the through the spice wholesale area is an assault on your sense of smell with chili, cloves and other spices all clamoring for your attention. The Synagogue here is evidence of a dwindling Jewish population. Destroyed in a shelling during the Portuguese raid in 1662, it was rebuilt two years later by.

The nearby Ernakulem town is a modern bustling town which is great for shopping but little else, the sail across the huge harbor on the local ferry is always interesting, with many big ships and dolphins to catch the eye

Nearbye Idukki district has a large population of tribals, the main tribes being Muthuvan, Malayarayan, Mannan, Paliyan, Urali, Ulladan, Malavedan and Malampandaram. The tribes of Kerala have unique customs and beliefs and maintain an ethos which is distinctly different from that of the mainstream culture. North East of Kochi you have Guruvayoor, one of the most sacred and important pilgrim centres of Kerala. Its main attraction is the Sree Krishna temple. Though close by you also have the elephant pound at Punnathur kotta, where temple elephants are trained.

The district of Palakkad is known as the granary of Kerala and is a land of valleys, hillocks, rivers, forests and mountain streams, There are several destinations of note in this district the most obvious being the hillstation of Nelliampathi , though the nearby villages of Kaikatty and the waterfalls of Seetharkundu, should bear some attention.

Punarjani Guha is a natural tunnel 150 meters long in the rocky cliff. near the Thiruvilwamala Temple and the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is also a highlight.

Palakkad Fort (Tipu's Fort) is an old granite fort situated in the heart of Palakkad town of Kerala state, southern India. It was built by Haider Ali in 1766 and remains one of the best preserved forts in Kerala.

As we amble north, Malappuram distict has a few lesser visited places of interest. Such as Nilambur, and Triprangode

Triprangode houses the only Garuda Temple in India. The temple has golden snakes around it and also houses a rather unusual shrine of Lord Vishnu. Vishnu is here worshipped in a tortoise form.

Wyanad in the north of the state has the Edakkal Caves, two natural caves located 1000 meters high on Ambukutty Mala 25 km from Kalpetta. These are not technically caves rather a cleft or rift caused by a piece of rock splitting away from the main body. On one side of the cleft a rock weighing several tons has fallen over the fissure forming a roof. The carvings are of human and animal figures. There's also Pookot Lake a perennial fresh water lake, nestled among wooded hills, is the only one of its kind in Kerala.

Kozhikode District has a waterfall at Thusharagiri,boating trekking at Peruvannamoozhy, Kakkayam and Velleri Mala, The boatbuilders at Beypore

11 kms from Kozhikode, has been known for centuries as a ship building centre and still famous for its country crafts called "Uru" which are built by the traditional shipbuilders known as Khalasis. Beypore is still a favorite destination among the Arabs for buying of large boats.

There's a beach at Kozhikode and you can also hire Houseboats to sail the Malabar Backwaters.

Kasaragod, the northernmost district of Kerala is renowned as the land of gods, forts, rivers, hills and beautiful beaches. The imposing fort at Bekal is one of the largest and best preserved forts in Kerala. The beautiful expanse of the shallow beach near the Bekal fort known as Bekal Fort Beach is worth a stroll along and the Ananthapura lake Temple is highly unusual

The only lake temple in Kerala and the Moolasthanam (original seat) of Ananthapadmanabha Swami (Sri Padmanbha Swami Temple) Thiruvananthapuram. is 5 km. from Kumbla. Local belief is that Ananthapadmanabha had settled down here originally.

Kerala truly is god's country and it offers much for the passing tourist, all presented with Keralean a smile.