What inspires you to travel to a particular country, city or any destination for that matter? I can bet that for most of us it’s either some breathtaking travel photos that you would have seen on the social media or some exciting story that you would have heard from a friend / relative. Flipping through your Instagram or simply browsing through the web, stunning photos of beautiful destinations will always create an excitement within you to go and explore the place yourself. And Kerala (in India) is no different. Known as ‘God’s own country’, Kerala is a land full of mystery and coconut trees. Each region within this southern state is quite different from the next. From intense hikes to relaxing houseboats, from traditional dance to yummy food. I am sure these travel photos from Kerala will spark your interest and inspire you to plan a trip there.
Many of you who have been regularly following our blogs, know about our honeymoon in Kerala. Since then (2016) I have been contemplating if I should publish a photo diary compiling our travel photos from Kerala. I have finally decided in favor of it and here I am! 🙂
My Diary of Travel Photos from Kerala
Kerala is wedged between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. Hence, it boasts of some of India’s best beaches and most spectacular hill stations. Kerala’s western coastal belt is relatively flat and is crisscrossed by a network of interconnected brackish canals: Kerala Backwaters. These will give you distinguished experiences when you move from one region to another. I have compiled below a melange of photos showcasing this uniqueness of Kerala
Most of the photos below have been taken by us during our honeymoon. Additionally, a few photos have been contributed by our friends – Ray Thomas (check out his Kerala travel portal: experiencekerala) and Briar Jones (check out her travel blog: sosheroamed).
— Advertisement —
Tea estates and hill stations
Munnar ? is probably the most famous and most visited hill-station of Kerala.
Its full of tea-estates and multiple small waterfalls.
(click on the images to enlarge)
Wayanad ? is another beautiful city nestled in the western ghats.
Wildlife
We were very lucky to catch a glimpse of a herd of wild Elephants ? roaming in the
open forests near Mattupetty dam.
Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary ? (near Thekkady) is also another place where you can see many animals in their natural habitat.
— Advertisement —
Kerala Backwaters
Well, let’s be honest – no trip to Kerala is complete without experiencing the backwaters.
We had spent an entire day in a private boathouse lazying amidst the calming network of canals, rivers and lakes. Take my word: you will not wanna miss the sunrise
and sunset both in the backwaters!
(click on the images to enlarge)
Beaches
Being a coastal state, Kerala is blessed with many beaches. From the pristine beaches of Kovalam to the cliff beaches of Varkala, Kerala has it all.
(click on the images to enlarge)
— Advertisement —
Culture and Tradition
Kathakali, classical Indian dance, is believed to have originated from Kerala.
It is a “story play” genre of art, but one distinguished by the elaborately colorful make-up, costumes and face masks.
Ayurvedic massages are now-a-days common across the globe. But Kerala provides an authentic touch to it. We will always cherish our massage experience and its soothing impact!
Glimpses of Local life
Local life in Kerala has a flavor of it’s own.
— Advertisement —
Cuisines
Yummyyyyyyyy…………..!!
Other attractions
The unofficial icon of Kerala’s backwaters, and perhaps the most photographed, are the half-dozen giant cantilevered Chinese fishing nets on Fort Cochin‘s northeastern shore.
The most recent ‘feather’ in Kerala’s crown is the Jatayu Eart Centre (a.k.a Jatayu Park) in Kollam district – which hosts the world’s largest bird sculpture.
Jatayu is a legendary bird from the Indian epic Ramayana.
— Advertisement —
In the end…
Kerala has truly mesmerized us. I mean, we got everything that one could ask for!
We sure that these travel photos from Kerala will inspire and motivate you to start planning your trip to this beautiful state in southern India.
Travel photos from Kerala – PIN IT !!
Such an amazing blog post Mainak, definitely awe-inspiring! Thank you very much for including my photographs! Reading all about Kerala again and seeing your stunning photos makes me want to head back there already- so dreamy. The Kathakali photo is incredible also.
I didn’t manage to get to Munnar on my last trip to India, so definitely adding it to the list after seeing it here!
Thanks once again, and I look forward to enjoying your blog 🙂
Thanks a million, Briar! Your compliments really motivated me to publish more of such ‘photo diaries’ of places that I have been to!
Let us know before visiting India next time.. we can plan a trip together!! cheers!
Wow. Stunning photography. Really makes me want to visit Kerala, what a beautiful place. Beaches, food, culture, wildlife, and a road that would get me carsick, haha. It is all lovely.
Thank you so much Jenny.. You should definitely try to visit Kerala some time soon..
Cheers!
Khub sundor. Apurbo photography.
thank you so much Mamuni 🙂
Very nice?
Some awesome piece of writing, with awe-inspiring photography..Big fan of yours Mainak! I have been to Kerela..And you have put the beauty of Kerela captured in your tiny lens so beautifully. Continue your good art work
wow! thank you so much, Monisha. Your motivating words really made our day!
cheers!
Very informative blog and snaps are awesome too.keep the good work going..
Thank you soo much bhai 🙂
Wonderful guys…keep rocking…Keep posting the beauty of India…
Super Photography and very nicely written.. good job.
Thank you 🙂
Very nicely jotted down.
I love everything about Kerala, though I’ve only been to Munnar, Alleppey and Trivandrum.
The Varkala beach is bae. Alleppey was superb with it’s calm backwaters and we tried the ayurvedic massage there. Munnar was majestic with the hills and rich green tea gardens everywhere.
I find the food cooked in coconut oil and Keralian spices, absolutely lip-smacking and flavourful. Wish i could go to see a performance of the Kathakali dance, but that’s for the next time then!
Hello Dona, first of all, thank you so much for the nice words.
Coming to Kerala, it’s indeed beautiful across its length! And yes, Malabar delicacies are finger-licking-good..! 😉
cheers!
Hi Mainak,
Amazing pictures as always…never got a chance to go to Kerala…max. to max. Chennai and u know why?…this encourages me to go there…u HV got great taste bro…keep it up?
Thank you so much, Sandhya, for the motivation and encouragement 🙂
Keep reading 🙂