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Kerala: Southern India’s EdenBy Rod Lopez-Fabrega
Too good to be true? Not at all. The word is out, and Kerala has been discovered as the next destination du jour by the beautiful people, but Kerala’s authorities are making every effort to ensure tourism growth is done in an ecologically sustainable manner with all efforts directed toward restraint in order to avoid the models set by other ruined paradises. What is more, it is a real place with an enlightened attitude. As National Geographic Traveler’s Bill McKibben has pointed out, in a state not much larger than Maryland, with a population as large as that of California and a per capita income of less than $300, Kerala, nevertheless, has a notably low infant mortality rate, a literacy rate among the highest in the world and a dropping birthrate currently below that of the U.S. It is a model of social development and a standout in a country with a huge and burgeoning population.
The second most important city in Kerala and its capital is Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) to the south, a bustling working city with street markets; crowded, traffic-choked boulevards and alleyways; the towering Sri Ananthapadmanbhaswamy temple dedicated to the god Vishnu, its glittering white tower literally buried under thousands of life-size statues depicting scenes from Hindu mythology; the splendid Sri Chitra Art Gallery of Asian and Mughal paintings; a stunning collection of Indian bronzes; a handsome botanical garden and zoo; and much more of interest to tourism. Between the two cities is a string of elegant beach and backwater resorts designed for total escape. Here is just a sampling of what is available. The Beaches
Ayurveda
The Backwaters
Another noteworthy resort is Aquaserene, a unit of Tulip Star Hotels, also reachable only by boat. The resort is located on a spectacular peninsula jutting out into the backwater lakes and offering 28 air-conditioned, traditionally constructed cottages with five-star amenities. The unusual swimming pool floats in the middle of a natural pond, and the resort offers aquatic sports and cruising in surrounding waters as well as excellent fishing and ample beachcombing as well as its Ojas Ayurvedic treatment center.
The Hill Stations
Adventure in Kerala
Another adventure company worth investigating is The Far Horizons Of India, offering the biggest backwaters houseboat, a ten-bedroom floating giant named Vaikundam, meaning the abode of the Lord Vishnu, the god of preservation in the Hindu mythology. This type of boat is called a Kettuvallum meaning a rice barge. The shallow and rounded hull of the boat is made without using a single nail, and each Anjali wood plank is joined to the next with strong rope and then coated with black resin obtained from boiled cashew nuts and fish oils. The claim is that it is the largest boat of this kind in the world. The Far Horizons Of India company also offers tented safaris in Rajasthan. Exotic Kerala
Some final thoughts:
For More Information On India and Kerala:India Tourism, 212-586-4901/4902/4903, Fax 212-582-3274, ny@itonyc.com; Kerala Tourism, 011-91-471-322547, Fax 011-91-471-322279, deptour@md2.vsni.net.in Photo Credits: Rod Lopez-Fabrega and Courtesy of: Kerala Tourism, Tourism India, Photo Sven Ulsa, V.B.Anand, Marani Beach Resort, Poovar Island Resort, Aquaserene, Kumarakom Lake Resort, Paradise Plantation, Kalypso Adventures, Far Horizons |
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Kerala, India’s
southwestern state is a ribbon of land on the southern tip of the Indian
subcontinent sandwiched between the Arabian Sea on one side and the Western Ghats high country at its eastern boundaries. To its inhabitants, it is
known as God’s own country. Considering all the gods in the Hindu pantheon,
who can argue with this assessment? The god in question might well be
Krishna, that mischievous, much loved flute-player, frolicker in sylvan
glades and the object of every young maiden’s prayers. In some ways, he
typifies the character of Kerala, a land of splendid beaches, emerald
backwaters, outstanding up-scale resorts, handsome hill stations, wildlife
retreats, and many centers of sensuous and healthful Ayurvedic restorative
and therapeutic treatments utilizing Nature’s herbs and oils to massage away
the stresses of modern life.
Kerala’s recorded history
goes back to the third century B.C., and throughout the time since this
special place in India has been a crossroad of trade and religious
movements. Jesus Christ’s disciple St. Thomas established his church at Muziris around 52 A.D., there was trade with Rome and Byzantium and Greece,
and a Jewish colony was established in Cochin (Kochi) where it remains to
this day centered around the beautifully preserved and still active Pardesi
synagogue. Another landmark in this busy city is St. Francis’s of Cochin,
the oldest European church in India and for a time the burial place of famed
Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama. Cochin also is the major airline hub in
Kerala and the most likely arrival point for overseas visitors coming from
Delhi or Bombay (Mumbai.) 
The Marari Beach Resort is an
idyllic beachfront retreat of palm-thatched, air-conditioned villas (each
with an al fresco bathroom in a landscaped private courtyard) set among 25
acres of coconut palm groves and providing all the luxurious amenities
anyone could wish for, including a noted Ayurvedic Center under the guidance
of an expert vaidyan physician and his team of men and women masseurs and
therapists. Ayurveda is promoted as “The Science of Life,” and is as old as
Indian civilization. One treatment, for example, is Dhara, a mental relaxant
consisting of herbal oils and medicated buttermilk poured on the forehead
and as a massage lotion applied to the entire body. It is said to be good
for insomnia and mental tension. An herbal chest is displayed for guests to
inspect the hundreds of natural condiments used in the many treatments
offered to them. The best times to visit are October through March, after
the summer monsoon season is over. At least six other spectacular beach
areas along this coastline all offer excellent accommodations.
Throughout the coastal areas
of Kerala are endless stretches of lakes, lagoons and ponds connected by a
network of canals. A huge expanse of estuaries formed by 41 west-flowing
rivers, the backwaters stretch to over 1,000 miles. The backwater routes
date back over the centuries and have been long used for all transportation
needs, in particular trade in coconut, rubber, rice and spices. Today, these
waterways link remote villages and islands to the mainland and nerve centers
of the coastal area. They also form an ideal highway for the thatched roof
houseboats of Kerala, a colorful and unique navy of floating hotel suites,
suitable for cruising the backwaters in sybaritic decadence.
Also located in the
backwaters are some truly exceptional resorts, among them the Poovar Island
Resort, reachable only by motor launch from the nearby mainland. This resort
is separated from the beaches of the area by a barrier island but within
easy access of these sandy expanses for those who wish to beach comb. Of
immediate interest when disembarking on the shores of the resort are its
unique villas, floating individual mini-apartments docked along the
shoreline. Built on hollow lightweight concrete hulls, the cottages
replicate traditional Kerala architecture with Teakwood paneling and
thatched grass roofs, air-conditioned, with all the amenities and with
fantastic views from private balconies facing the estuary. The resort also
provides 22 land-based cottages built on stilts on a moat. The resort can
boast of a chef who works miracles with Keralan and international cuisine.
Kumarakom Lake Resort is
located by the Arabian Sea along a narrow strip of lowland with extensive
backwaters, lagoons and canals flanked by coconut groves and lush green
paddy fields. The resort is so unique and special that it has been accorded
a Heritage Resort classification. 28 poolside villas, transplanted from
various villages in Kerala, each recall a traditional style of the illams
(homesteads) of old, and all have been re-built to include ultra-modern
amenities. The resort’s Ayurvedic treatment center is particularly
well-regarded.
Paradise Plantation
Retreat is set in the pristine hills of Kerala on its own coffee and spice
plantation. This area was the site of the summer palace of the Maharajas of
Travancore and is an area renowned for its tea plantations. The architecture
of the retreat is based on traditional Kerala wooden houses embellished with
antique columns and artifacts. Its open dining veranda overlooks the cool
Cardamom hills, believed to have figured in the great Indian epic, the
Mahabharata. 
Kalypso Adventures is the one
for the more adventurous traveler looking for physical challenges in a
unique environment. The company offers jungle treks in the Periyar Tiger
Reserve, mountain biking, whitewater rafting in the Periyar River, wildlife
tented safaris, birding outings, and eco tours. The company also offers
family and youth camps and corporate adventure holidays for larger groups.
One of its treks that starts in the Periyar reserve passes through thick
tropical rainforests, with abundant wildlife including elephants, Gaur which
are a type of bison, the Lion Tailed macaques and plentiful bird life.
Camping is in specially made protected enclosures in the middle of the
rainforest—after all, this is tiger country, though the real possibility of
seeing one of these reclusive beasts is not great. Trails stretch through
high altitude of the Munnar mountains and across splendid grasslands.
Kalypso Adventures provides items like sleeping bags, rucksacks and first
aid equipment as well as all the camping paraphernalia of tents and the
rest. Just bring personal effects. 
Kerala is a land rich
in the artistic expressions of its ancient culture and history. It is a land
of festivals and religious celebrations, of music and dance. Among its
best-known dance forms is Kathakali with elaborately costumed and painted
dancers recounting stories based on the Ramayana and the Manhabarata and
stories of Krishna and Ram. It is a highly stylized dance drama, and the
telling of the story requires the subtlest of eye movements and gestures to
communicate the fine points of the story. Costuming requires hours of
make-up for the dancers who represent various deities and demons. Also
illustrated is a male dancer performing the snake dance in which he mimics
the movements of a cobra and a female dancer whose movements tell of a
chance encounter between a hesitant maiden and the amorous Lord Krishna. 
There is no need for American
tourism to deny itself this lovely corner of India, far from the troubled
border with Moslem Pakistan. India is a predominantly Hindu country, the
world’s most populous democracy, English-speaking, growing exponentially in
technical and industrial proficiency, friendly toward the United States, and
still maintaining a truly fascinating and unique exoticism of cultures and
attractions found nowhere else in quite the same profusion. A visit to
Kerala to unwind after a tour of India’s “Golden Triangle” of Delhi/Agra/Jaipur
would make just about the ideal India vacation—with the possibility of
including a hop to Kerala’s neighboring southern state of Tamil Nadu for its
incomparable temples. Air India, a first-class international airline and the
national carrier of India has excellent direct service from New York and
Chicago to Delhi via London and from Los Angeles via Singapore to Cochin.
There is a good possibility that direct Air India flights will resume from
the Eastern U.S. to Bombay. Internally within India, Indian Airlines and
newcomer, Jet Air with an all-new fleet and highest standards both offer
service to every corner of the subcontinent.