5 Reasons To Visit Kerala, India
India has been on my bucket list for many years, primarily as a food destination. I watched Rick Stein and Gordon Ramsay travel around India in search of authentic Indian dishes. I was enchanted by the diversity of both the food and the landscape. I felt I would never get true Indian food anywhere except in India, no matter how many cookbooks I bought or restaurants I visited. I would have to go there myself.
It wasn’t until recently, though, when I heard about the Kerala Blogger Express (a two-week tour of Kerala especially for food, travel & photography bloggers), that I really began to think about where in India I would like to travel. India is huge country – about one third the size of the US and over 46 times the size of my native Ireland! This is not a country you can take on in one trip. You need to break it down into regions.
The more I look into what Kerala has to offer, the more eager I am to go there. Here are a few reasons I would love to partake in the Kerala Blogger Express:
1. Food
Well, of course. I’m a food girl, so naturally I’m drawn to Kerala’s food offerings. I was fascinated to discover that Kerala was the gateway to the original spice route and has been trading in spices since at least 3,000 BC. These days we take our spices for granted. Pepper is on tables in homes and restaurants the world over. As someone who grows much of my own food, I am excited to see how these spices are grown and prepared, and the amount of manual labour that goes into their preparation. Tea and rice are also grown across the region, creating an incredibly varied landscape. I want to wet my feet in Paddy fields, walk through tea plantations and visit markets brimming with fresh produce.
Oh, look at that crab. So delicious!
Tea Plantation, Munnar
Collecting Tea
Planting Rice
Transplanting Rice
Rice Paddy Field
Sorting Pepper. Look at the amount of it!
Coconut Trees. Coconut features prominently in Kerala cuisine.
Food Market in Chalai
2. West Coast Sunsets
I am a sucker for a good sunset, but give me a sunset over water, especially if I’m on a boat, and I’m in heaven. The colours, the sound of lapping water, the serenity. Sign me up, please!
Sunset at Bolgatty Island, Kochi
Sunset Boat Ride, Kochi
Sunset at Wagamon
3. Wildlife Reserves
Four our honeymoon, we went on safari in South Africa, where we got to see fabulous wildlife. I am very happy to find that Kerala has a number of animal reserves and sanctuaries to preserve and protect wildlife diversity. I have nothing against zoos (assuming they are well managed), but my preference is to see animals in their native, natural habitat.
Monkeys at Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
Elephants at Tholpetty Sanctuary
Deer at Siruvani Reservoir, Palakkad
Deer at Parambikulam Tiger Reserve
4. Cattle Racing
What can I tell you, I’m a country girl at heart and this sport looks like fabulous fun!
Cattle Racing at Palakkad
Cattle Racing at Palakkad
5. Natural Ayurveda Medicine
I’m a qualified massage therapist and have practiced aromatherapy for many years. I fully believe in the power of touch as a healer of both body and mind, and will always try natural therapies before resorting to pharmaceuticals. India is the home of ayurveda and I would relish the opportunity to indulge in some revitalising therapies.
Ayurveda Medicines
I feel more relaxed just looking at this!
Selection of Herbs & Spices for Ayurveda Medicines
Video Version
I have created a short video version of this post, which you can find here:
All photos courtesy of Kerala Tourism, used with permission. For more photos from beautiful Kerala, please see my Kerala Pinterest Page.
Text copyright of June Molloy Vladička and My Food Odyssey, 2017. All rights reserved. Text may not be replicated on other sites within prior permission from the author.
Update: Note that the voting for this year’s Kerala Blog Express has now closed.
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My Food Odyssey 
Wow !! What a Beautiful place to visit. Lovely pictures.
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Good one good luck
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Kerela is splendid… so many places to visit in Kerela alone… beautifully described…
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good to see this post
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It’s a very special feeling to hear so many good words about my native land from a foreigner……thanks for such a wonderful feedback🤗
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Good one good luck good
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That’s a beautiful write up… Kerala is one of the most amazing places in India , Munnar is awesome , also I would recommend you to visit North India , and talking about food South indian special dishes like Idly , Vada , Sambar, Dosa are very healthy as well as tasty . Also not only places or food , you will also find a lot of cultural heritage here. Next time when you come please let us know if u need any information or any help , For more Information on Indian places , Travel accross India , Travel till infinity .. thanks 😇
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Glad you enjoyed visiting kerala..Do come again…
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It’s almost like visiting the place. Your pictures have captured the essence of Kerela very well.
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Thank you! The pictures are all courtesy of Kerala Tourism, although I did edit some to make them shine! Very happy you enjoyed the post.
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Had been there….its beautiful!!
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Thanks for sharing this the photos are absolutely amazing. I have travelled extensively in Europe but have only done a few holidays further afield. I really want to go to Kerala. Maybe your blog will make me actually put the dream into action! I have a poetry blog on WordPress in case you have time to have a look. Have a nice day, Sam 🙂
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Sep to feb are best days to visit ..
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Crazy amazing pics! I wish I had gone to the south when i visited India. My experience was quite different :O
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You’ve made me want to visit! Good job!
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It’s on my bucket list already! God’s own country.
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Welcome always
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Shukriya!
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Most lovely! Congratulations on acquiring a new surname with the letter ‘č’ in it. 😀 Now you’ll see the trouble with it in online fonts, or maybe you know all about it already. 😉 I’ve had it since birth.
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Thanks Manja! The name is not new, really – I’ve had it for nearly 10 years now. It can be a bit problematic online, alright, and can be limiting when creating graphics with fancy fonts. I usually just end up manually adding a little “v” on top of the “c” !!!
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Very well written 👍👍
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Wow! Beautiful. There are more to explore in Kerala
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Thank you! Yes, I know this is only the tip of what Kerala has to offer. I can’t wait to explore it for myself some day!
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Unfortunately I don’t have enough time to visit Kerala during my time in India, but I would LOVE to! Mainly for the food as well!
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That’s a pity, but I’m sure you’ll have a fabulous trip anyway. And there’s always next time! 🙂
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Headed to India tomorrow! Kerala is on the itinerary and I absolutely cannot wait, thanks for sharing!
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Oh my goodness, I’m so jealous! Hope you have a fab time! 🙂
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Thank you very much!
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done …. voted 🙂
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Thank you – very much appreciated! 🙂
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vowwww..nice blog…
thanks for sharing…
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Well written post and nice pictures.
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First, thank you for dropping by my blog.
India has fascinated and scared me in equal measure for years.. I hope to visit it soon so it was interesting to see the photos and read of your reasons for choosing that area to start your India exploration. But, as an animal advocate reason #4 sticks in my craw. I don’t think that is so much fun for the animals.
But your other reasons rock and I will remember them when I start my trip.
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Hi Donnae. Thanks a million for your comment. Yes, I see your point about the cattle racing. I am also a huge animal advocate and would not like to see any animal mistreated. I don’t know enough about this sport or how the animals that participate are treated and would reserve judgement until I know more. Suffice it to say that if I discover, either by research or by visiting, that the cattle are mistreated, I will take this item out of my list. Happy travels! June.
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It’s all anyone can ask, eh?
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This is really nice! I am so happy after reading this.
I hope you will write more about Kerala.
And,
Hope you will check my blog too.
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Thank you! You have a beautiful blog. 🙂
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Thanks a lot for checking it!!😄😄
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Pls try out tour packages to Kerala and rest of India…very reasonable quotes and good services too !
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Nice post 🙂 Good luck 😉
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Thank you!
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Hello June, Your reasons to visit Kerala found really awesome for me. I would say you can expect more than these from our state. You can enjoy the traditional festivals, cultural artfoms and many ancient buildings -much like forts, castle’s,temples etc are also there to visit. Anyway I’m going to vote for you. All the best. 😁
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Thank you! I know that I have only scratched the surface with regard to what Kerala has to offer. I look forward to exploring in much more detail! 🙂
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😊 All the best.
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