How to plan a Kerala Tour ?

1. Probe through the tourist places.

Know the name of the places and determine your destinations in Kerala. Whether you want to see the hills, mountains, museum, beaches, backwaters, waterfalls, wildlife or experience the ayurvedic treatment or attend the festivals. The top tourist attractions of Kerala thrive in Alleppey, Kochi, Thekkady, Munnar, Thrissur, Kovalam, Wayanad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Kannur.

Beaches - Kovalam Beach, Samudra Beach, Varkala Beach, Marari Beach, Kannur Beach, Muzhappilangad Drive-In Beach, Bekal Beach and Cherai Beach.

Backwaters - Kumarakom, Alleppey, Kozhikode, Kasargod, Ashtamudi, Kochi, Trivandrum, Payyanur, Kuttanad and Kollam.

Hill Stations - Munnar, Wayanad, Vagamon, Vythiri, Athirapally, Ponmudi, Ramakkalmedu and Thenmala.

Wildlife - Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Periyar National Park, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Silent Valley National Park, Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, Eravikulam National Park and Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary.

Museum - Hill Palace Archeological Museum, Kerala Folklore and Cultural Museum, ArakkalKettu Museum, Napier Museum, Indo-Portuguese Museum, Kerala Science & Technology Museum and Thrissur Archeological Museum.

Also, ascertain about the operational hours of the tourist places and their entry fees.

Activities to do. :

Houseboat cruise in Alleppey backwaters.
Witness the cultural art forms as well as traditional martial art forms of Kerala.
Tour to tea / coffee/ spice plantation. You can even purchase spices and tea leaves at affordable rates.
Embrace ayurveda therapy or treatment.
Chilling by the beach sides.
Explore wildlife.
Indulge into adventure activities like paragliding, hiking, trekking, mountain climbing, water sports, etc.
Admire the famous boat races or any festival of Kerala.

Get the permits.

You need to get permits to enter the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Get an advance booking so that you don't have to compromise with your plan at the last minute?

Plan your budget.

Having a clear picture of your budget is an important aspect. Planning a Kerala trip during the winters which is the peak season, will require a high budget. Whereas, in summers and monsoons you will get exciting discounts on hotels so that you can reduce your budget margin. Food, lodging, transportation, shopping and medicinal requirements should be the necessary part of your budget plan.

Connect to a tour operator.

If you do not have the time or don’t want to stress yourself with the perfect itinerary along with the task of finding suitable hotels to stay, then contact a tour operator and discuss thoroughly about your duration of vacations and about their provisions and regulations.

Conduct prior reservations.

Conduct your train reservations or flight bookings beforehand whether you are going at peak season or off season. Last minute bookings might not assure your seat confirmation.

Check the weather condition.

December to March remains the most pleasant time to visit Kerala, during the winters. However, if you are planning a Kerala trip in the monsoon or the summers then stay updated with the weather predictions before reaching Kerala.

Know about the language.

Malayalam is the official and most spoken language of Kerala. Apart from Malayalam, English is known by many. Therefore, if you don't speak Malayali then English will be your mode of communication.

A note on clothes.

Pack your clothes according to the season you are visiting Kerala. Carry cotton clothing during the summers and monsoons and woollen clothes for the winters. Even if you are visiting the hill stations of Kerala other than winters, it's better to carry woollen clothes. Try to dress up modestly and avoid revealing clothes, especially at the beaches.

Select vehicle for Kerala tour.

If you are travelling Kerala all by yourself then after reaching your hotel get in contact with a chauffeured car for your entire tour. Choose a car based on the number of people travelling together and also make sure whether it has space for keeping luggage.