India Tourism » Kerala Travel

KERALA – WHERE THE CLOUDS DESCEND
Kerala in the monsoons is a sight to behold, it is sheer peetry, it is food for your soul, it is heaven on earth, and it will make you fall in love all over again.

It is the sort of moment that makes us add one more gem to our most treasured suitcase of memories. The clouds are thick and generous. A satin drizzle falls steadily, washing everything that has already been washed to untamed, fecund beauty. The hill road dips and falls then rise defiantly But suddenly there is no road. There is a waterfall. It’s an exultant tumble of splashes that crashes down a dizzying cliff mountainside. Should we turn back? Of course not. in Kerala for the monsoons, except the occasional of course.

Which makes it even more perfect for a When we drive through that waterfall, the deafeningly on the roof of the vehicle, the become a cascade and it looks like Ms forgotten to turn off a rather large tap Kerala in the monsoons is just like this. It tingly. It creates a just-bom world and then it with the finest of touches, in a way no man can, but would want to, particularly on the journey of their lives.

Moment of Magic
But catch your breath quickly for this painting, done up almost entirely in translucent greens and greys, which is inhabited by different landscapes, each no less a blessing than the one before. Soon enough, a meadow appears to the left; a sweeping slant, somehow making it even more undulating than it is thanks to the mist drifting over it in soft whispers. The van pulls over and stops quietly, as if the hum of the engine has been extinguished by the rain.

The driver has seen them first. It is a moment of speechlessness, and it deserves that reverence. A herd of wild elephants shifts imperceptibly, flanking its young, contemplative yet watchful of the intrusion, even if afar. This is their Eden and where is the need to leave just yet? When they do turn, it is as if being spun around in slow motion by a message that needs no sound and nudging the little ones onwards, disappear into clouds that walk the earth with them. Here is confirmation that life is good. Hands find loved ones and pull closer, not so much for warmth from the cool, water-laced wind but for that flash of perfect understanding, of wanting to share something priceless. It must be said that Kerala in the monsoons is spiritual and sensual and everything in between.

What makes the Kerala monsoons so right for a romantic interlude is its innate mystery. It carpets every nook and crevice with wild foliage, makes every blade of grass greener and every splash of water more effervescent, it streaks the sky with heavenly rainbows and sudden rays of sunlight, and then, as if to prove some magical point, cloaks all of that in the deepest shades of blue-grey. This bestows such a stunning effect of privacy that it cannot be had for money, only love.

Tourists visit, gods reside.
Kerala is the Indian state most visited by tourists, both Indian and international. Its global reputation is intact after decades because of its dedication to sustainable development. But even its record-breaking popularity is held at bay by the monsoons, which can lend a deliciously reclusive air to everything. So you can hold hands and walk down a long stretch of beach or road, and the only other travellers on it would also feel it belongs entirely to them. The air is moist and nippy, the clouds float with silent gravity, and when the rain falls, as it does nearly all the time, it mutes all sounds outside the periphery of its gentle rhythm. If the idea of spending a honeymoon on an island all by yourself holds appeal, Kerala bestows that exact feeling, minus its ambient desolation.

In the monsoon, it is the rain god who owns this country, and he is exceedingly munificent. India’s Western Ghats, one of the world’s greatest bio-diversity hotspots, stretch continuously for 1,600 km from Kerala, located in the country’s south-western tip, to Gujarat in its north, broken only by the 30 km-wide Palakkad Gap, also Kerala.

Looming tallest in Kerala, the Western Ghats successfully hold back the gloriously abundant south-west monsoons that visit the country from June to September every year, nurturing the rainforests of Wayanad, Idukki and Palakkad; adding to the exuberance of waterfalls from Tholpetty to Thekkady; giving succour to a teeming wildlife—of which the Indian elephant is a dearly-loved mascot—in the sanctuaries of Parambikulam, Chimmony, Eravikulam, Chinnar and Periyar; feeding great reservoirs of fresh water like the 200-sq-km Vembanad Lake, designated a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention; and nourishing no less than 43 rivers. If advent of monsoons gives Kerala a new, more romantic dimension every year, it also takes credit for shaping the state’s destiny as one of the most fecund places

Getting there
Jet Airways has regular flights to different cities in Kerala from gross the country and the Middle East.

Accommodation
A variety of accommodation options ranging from the ubiquitous five-stars and budget guest houses, to romantic -houseboats and home-stays—is available all over the state.