Introduction to kerala traditions

The god who made Kerala, according to a popular Malayali saying, had a green thumb. Indeed, India's most verdant state -- rated by National Geographic Traveler as one of the world's 50 must-see destinations -- is a paradisiacal landscape of palm-lined beaches, steamy jungles, plantation-covered hills, and tropical rivers and lakes. Visitors come here primarily to unwind and indulge; this is, after all, where succumbing to a therapeutic Ayurvedic massage is as mandatory as idling away an afternoon aboard a slowly drifting kettuvallam, or sipping coconut water under a tropical sun before taking in a wonderfully ritualized Kathakali dance. Eastward, the spice-scented Cardamom Hills and wild elephants of Periyar beckon, while a short flight west takes you to the little-known but sublime tropical reefs of the Lakshadweep islands. All of which make Kerala not just a must-see on your India itinerary, but a major destination in its own right.

Many of thee traditional homes have been bought and reassembled at top-notch resorts like Coconut Lagoon and Surya Samudra, a practice vilified as exploitative by Kerala native Arundhati Roy in her Booker Prize-winning The God of Small Things. Others applaud their preservation. For visitors, a stay in these tharavadu cottages is one of the most charming aspects of a trip to Kerala.

If you're interested in ancient history and grand temples, you should include a visit to neighboring Tamil Nadu or Karnataka, but if all you need is rejuvenation, head straight for Fort Cochin, then south to cruise the backwaters and wash up on some of the world's most beautiful beaches. "God's Own Country" is one tourist slogan that really does deliver.