Kerala Holidays- Beaches, Backwaters, Hills and Ayurveda

Kerala, a coastal state at the south-western tip of India, is gaining more fans each year. This state is so blessed by nature that it is often called ‘God’s Own Country’. The state has an area of approx. 38800 sq.km . out of which approx. 1900 sq.km. are wetlands and approx. 9400 sq.km . area is covered by forests. The state has numerous rivers, water bodies and a network of waterways which interconnect many of its villages. The state has a 580 km. coastal line.

Given the above, the state is well known for its Beaches, Backwaters and Hills. The natural beauty is even more enjoyable because of long periods of favorable climate. Add to this the ever-smiling, mostly literate population of the state with a long history of hospitality establishments and you have an environment so wonderfully conducive to Tourism that the visitors just can’t have enough of it. Kerala Holiday packages in India are therefore a regular offering by Tour operators. The state offers holidays for all budgets starting from home-stays to the top of the line Luxury-Premium properties. Though most of Kerala Resorts are on Beach sites, the ones on hills and in Coffee and Spice plantations have their own set of dedicated and regular patrons.

The state administration is very aware of the winner that they have at hand and no stone is left unturned to highlight the wonders of Kerala. One such wonder is Kerala Ayurveda, the over 5000 year old system of holistic medicine which in modern world is well accepted as Alternative Medicine (when spoken in context of Allopathic medicine). Ayurveda means science of life and touches all aspects, namely- the physical, mental and spiritual. The following of this wonderful system of preventive and curative healthcare is growing steadily again after it was first introduced to the western world many decades back. The domestic population is also once again realizing the safety of no after-effects feature of this very effective system. With many universities teaching this system of medicine internationally and the over 2200 registered Ayurvedic hospitals tending to the needs of visitors; the world is now very well aware of the Kerala Ayurveda India offers.

So , the four pillars of Tourism in Kerala have been recognised as Beaches, Backwaters, Hills and Ayurveda. Ayurveda resorts Kerala has are known world over for the treatments offered for general well-being as well as for curative and cosmetic procedures. Integrated with Yoga and meditation, the Ayurvedic procedures work wonders and that is why the world is literally re-discovering this science of life. It is due to all the above reasons that the average duration of stay for a foreign tourist in Kerala is 16.1 days. Average duration of stay for domestic tourists is 6.8 days. Out of over 10 million tourists that Kerala received last year, over 8,00,000 were foreigners from Britain, France and Russia.