Kerala

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

India

$28.99

Shop Book

A young woman kayaks through the backwaters of Monroe Island in Kollam District, Kerala, South India.

Getty Images

Overview

For many travelers, Kerala is South India's most serenely beautiful state. This slender coastal strip is defined by its layered landscape: almost 373 miles (600km) of glorious Arabian Sea coast and beaches; a languid network of glistening backwaters; and the spice- and tea-covered hills of the Western Ghats, dotted with fiercely protected wildlife reserves and cool hill stations such as Munnar. Just setting foot on this swathe of soul-soothing, palm-shaded green will slow your subcontinental stride to a blissed-out amble. Kerala is a world away from the hectic action of the rest of India, its long, fascinating backstory illuminated by historically evocative cities like Kochi (Cochin) and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum).

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
Northern Kerala
Wayanad's ethereal 345-sq-km sanctuary is accessible only by two-hour jeep safari (₹680), on which you might spot langurs, chital deer, sambar, peacocks,…
Pardesi Synagogue
Kochi (Cochin)
Originally built in 1568, Mattancherry's synagogue was partially destroyed by the Portuguese in 1662, and rebuilt two years later when the Dutch took…
Mattancherry Palace
Kochi (Cochin)
Mattancherry Palace was a generous gift presented to the Raja of Kochi, Veera Kerala Varma (1537–65), as a gesture of goodwill by the Portuguese in 1555…
Museum of History & Heritage
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Occupying a handsome 120-year-old heritage building within the Kerala Tourism complex, this intelligently presented museum traces Kerala's history and…
Napier Museum
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Housed in an 1880 wooden building designed by Robert Chisholm (a British architect whose Fair Isle–style version of the Keralite vernacular shows his…
Chinese Fishing Nets
Kochi (Cochin)
The unofficial emblems of Kerala’s backwaters, and perhaps the most photographed, are the half-dozen giant cantilevered Chinese fishing nets on Fort…
Matha Amrithanandamayi Mission
Kerala
The incongruously salmon-pink Matha Amrithanandamayi Mission, 30km northwest of Kollam, is the famous ashram of one of India’s few female gurus,…
Kerala Folklore Museum
Kochi (Cochin)
Created in Kerala style from ancient temples and beautiful old houses collected by its owner, an antique dealer, the family-run folklore museum houses a…