Kerela
Area : 38,863 sq km, which is 1.27% of India's total land area and is located at the Southwest tip of the India's main land
Weather - Tropical
Summer - April-June [24 - 33 degree celsius]
Monsoon - July-September [22 - 27 degree celsius
Winter - October-March [22 - 32 degree celsius]
High Season - December-May
Population : 29,032,828 (1991 census)
Capital : Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Number of Districts : 14 [ a district is equivalent to a county in the US]
Major Cities : Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi(Ernakulam district) & Kozhikode (Calicut)
Sex ratio : 1036 women to 1000 men
Literacy rate : 100% [ approx.]
Currency : In Kerala, as elsewhere in India, the currency is the Indian Rupee (100 paise). All major credit cards find wide acceptance.
Food : Most restaurants, coffee shops, eateries or cafes offer a Cosmopolitan fare for Chinese, Continental, Indian or American. You can find many who specialize in Kerala Delicacies.
Clothing : Ideally light cottons. However the cooler hill stations may warrant woollens
Travel Formalities : A Visa is a must to enter India. You can contact the Indian Embassy / High Commission in your country for the same. It is best to carry your passport on you all the time. You may also carry a travel insurance.
Communication : Kerala has a well-knit communications network. With telephone, fax and internet centres in almost every corner. Enabling you to get in touch with any part of the world easily.
Health Centres : Hospitals and health centres in Kerala offer world-class facilities.
Kerela is strategically located right in the middle of the travel-trade corridor connecting Europe to the Pacific Rim, at the south-western tip of India. Sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and the forested western ghat mountains, the state of Kerela is blessed with unique geographical and cultural features. Its overpowering tropical greenery with forty one rivers and countless waterways, fed by two annual monsoons, intoxicates every visitor.
Apart from being one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Asia, Kerala can claim some of the most startlingly radical credentials in India. Like being India's only 100% literate state. Having India's largest concentration of Science and Technology personnel. India's highest life expectancy. India's lowest infant mortality, India's most balance mix of Hindus, Muslims & Christians. India's cleanest, most peaceful, pollution free State, India's highest Physical Quality of Life Index, India's most advanced society.
" This small state in India has a population
as big as California (USA) and a per capita annual income of less than
US$ 300. But its infant mortality rate is low, its literacy rate among
the highest on Earth, and its birthrate below America's and falling
faster. Kerala's citizens live nearly as long as Americans and
Europeans. Though mostly a land of paddy-covered plains, statistically
Kerela stands out as the Mount Everest of social development; there's
truly no place it on the planet earth. "
Kerala Beaches : Kerela has
a 600 km long shoreline dotted with some of the finest, most charming
beaches of the world, coconut groves, natural harbors, lagoons and
sheltered coves. All of it as peaceful as the rest of the land, washed
by the pleasant tropical sun and as pristine as ever.
Kovalam beach : This
internationally renowned beach resort of Kerela has been a favorite
haunt of tourists since the 1930s. Kovalam consists of three adjacent
crescent beaches. The southernmost , known as the Lighthouse beach, is
the most popular, Kovalam offers accommodation options to suit all the
budgets.
Poovar Beach : Poovar is an unspoilt and unexplored island, envoloped by the most serene backwaters, and opening out to the sea and a dream golden sand beach.
Shanghumugham Beach : This is a favorite haunt of sunset viewers. The beach is adjacent to the Thiruvananthapuram ( Trivandrum ) airport and Veli Tourist Village.
The Varkala Beach : Vakala
is a seaside resort and spa, as well as an important Hindu centre of
pilgrimage. High cliffs with rich mineral springs rise majestically
from the coastline. The 2000 year old Sree Janardhana Swamy Temple and
the Nature Care Centre are the two main attractions there
Alappuzha Beach : This is one of the most popular picnic spots in alappuzha. The pier, which extends into the sea here, is about 140 years old.
Cherai Beach : This lovely beach bordering Vypeen island is ideal for swimming. Dolphins are occassionally seen here.
Fort Kochi Beach
: The town was shaped by the Portuguese, the Dutch and later the
British..
Kappad : This is the historic beach where Vasco da Gama landed on the 27th of May, 1498 with 170 men in three vessels. The rock studded beach is locally known as Kappakadavu. An interesting feature of the landscape is the sprawing rock that protrudes into the sea. The temple on the rock is believed to be 800 years old
Access :
By
Air :The International airports at
Trivandrum (now Thiruvananthapuram) , Kochi (Cochin) & Calicut
(now Kozhikode) facilitate easy access by air. Direct flights operate
from Singapore, Colombo, Maldives, Kuwait, Muscat,Dubai, Abu Dhabi,
Dehran, Riyadh, Doha and Bahrain.
By Rail- : All
major tourist destinations and important cities of India are
well-connected by rail to Kerala.
