Kerala is a land of backwaters having rich cultural heritage and highest literacy rate, having its own famous dance forms, preserving the ancient martial art skills. Bounded on the east by the Western Ghats and the west by the Arabian Sea, Kerala occupies 550 km long, narrow strip of land in the far south of India. Its coastline is on the Arabian Sea and its eastern border with the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. The landscape shows variety from long golden beaches to cool hill stations and dense green jungle to modern cities. Its unique feature is the 1,900 km of palm lined backwaters. Kerala is the home to several ethnic and religious groups. Talking about Kerala a good illustration of the religious tolerance or secularism is found in the heart of Kerala’s capital, 'Thiruvananthapuram', where a Hindu temple, a mosque and a cathedral stand side by side.
There are forty four rivers in the state, of which forty one originate from the Western Ghats and flow towards west into the Arabian Sea. Only three tributaries of the river Cauvery originate in Kerala and flow east into the neighbouring states. The backwaters are the backbone of Kerala tourism and a peculiar feature of the state. While visiting the backwaters a stay on the houseboats is an ultimate lifetime experience. Canals link the lakes and backwaters to facilitate an uninterrupted inland water navigation system from Thiruvananthapuram to Vadakara, a distance of around four hundred kms. The Vembanad Lake stretching from Alappuzha to Kochi is the biggest water stretch in the state and measures around two hundred sq.kms. Kuttanad in Alappuzha district alone has more than twenty per cent of India's total length of waterways.
The major tourist attractions of Kerala are the backwater tourism, Medical Tourism and the ancient dance forms. The well known traditional dance forms of Kerala are Kathakali, Krishnattam and Mohiniattam. Apart from the dance forms, Kerala also has an ancient form of martial art known as "kalaripayattu". There are many forms of music in Kerala, be it vocal or instrumental. People have sets of songs for every occasion. The devotional songs are sung with such a humor that it is a divine experience listening to them. Spice trading is another ancient activity of Kerala. Apart from spices traditionally grown in India such as pepper, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom farmers in Kerala have started growing spices that are used worldwide. Some of the spices cultivated in spice plantations are vanilla, oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, mint, bay leaf and sage.
Another fact boosting tourism in Kerala is the large number of beaches stretched along the length and breadth of the state. Kovalam is a world-famous beach resort located sixteen km south of Thiruvananthapuram previously known as Trivandrum city, which has been a favorite spot for tourists since 1930s. This beach has lovely coconut palms and golden sands.
Kovalam Beach consists of three successive small crescent beaches.
Varkala, Papanasham Beach is a crescent shaped beach considered sacred, as it is believed that you will be freed from your sins by taking a bath in the sea water here. This is the only place in southern Kerala where we can find cliffs adjacent to the Arabian Sea. The red laterite cliffs along the beach increase the beauty of the beach. There are numerous water spouts and spas on the sides of these cliffs. This is a new-generation tourist hot-spot very near to North Paravur town with golden beaches, coconut groves and backwaters where the Dolphins can occasionally be sighted.
Travelhot.in offers exciting Kerala Tourism.