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State in southwestern India
Photo: Wesley Olson, CC BY-SA 1.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Kerala, officially Keralam (Malayalam: കേരളം Kēraḷaṁ, keh-ruh-lluhm), is known as a tropical paradise of waving palms and wide, sandy beaches. The South Indian state is also known as God's own Country. It is a strip of coastal territory that slopes down the Western Ghats in a cascade of lush, green vegetation and reaches the Arabian Sea. Kerala borders the states of Tamil Nadu to the east and Karnataka to the north. It is also known for its backwaters, mountains, coconuts, spices and art forms like Kathakali and Mohini Attam.
Famous for its history, spices, textiles, beaches, rainforests
The central part of Kerala with cities like Kochi, Palakkad and Thrissur
Kerala's backwaters, and the land of churches, latex and literacy
Known for its mountains and hill stations, and plantations of spices, tea and coffee
Home to the capital city and various monuments, famous beaches, large temples, churches, and sporting events
By train
Indian Railways operates several trains to, from and within Kerala. Trains into Kerala start from neighbouring states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
By bus
Inter-state private and government buses operate between neighbouring states. Usually, the journey is performed at night to escape the heat of the day.
By road
Kerala is well connected by national highways:
By boat
Kochi is a major cruise port and a large international cruise terminal is under construction. Once completed, regular cruises will operate from Kochi.
By train
Trains are good for long-distance travel within the state. Most trains are long-distance trains with stops at many of Kerala's stations.
By car
Roads remain the primary mode of transport. The primary roads are NH 47, NH 49, NH 17 and NH 212 and are all National Highways.
By bus
There two kinds of state-owned KSRTC buses: KSRTC (Kerala) and KSRTC (Karnataka) from the neighboring state, which buses drive into Kerala.
By taxi
Taxis are a good but expensive way to cover short distances. Negotiate the price before entering a taxi. Ambassador and Indica Taxis are the most common services.
By auto-rickshaw
Auto-rickshaws, also called autos, are a convenient mode of transport for short-distance travel. By law the auto driver must start a meter for every journey. However, at times this law is ignored.
By ferry
Kerala's rivers, backwaters and lagoons making travel by ferry an effective service. In some places, ferries are more popular and easier than road transport.
By plane
Helicopter and air-taxi services are available between Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. These services connect the two major metros with District Headquarters and are expensive.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Coimbatore · International · CJB
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