Northern Kerala
Wayanad's ethereal 345-sq-km sanctuary is accessible only by two-hour jeep safari (₹680), on which you might spot langurs, chital deer, sambar, peacocks,…
Must-see attractions in Kerala
Kochi (Cochin)
Originally built in 1568, Mattancherry's synagogue was partially destroyed by the Portuguese in 1662, and rebuilt two years later when the Dutch took…
Kochi (Cochin)
Mattancherry Palace was a generous gift presented to the Raja of Kochi, Veera Kerala Varma (1537–65), as a gesture of goodwill by the Portuguese in 1555…
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Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Occupying a handsome 120-year-old heritage building within the Kerala Tourism complex, this intelligently presented museum traces Kerala's history and…
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Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Housed in an 1880 wooden building designed by Robert Chisholm (a British architect whose Fair Isle–style version of the Keralite vernacular shows his…
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Matha Amrithanandamayi Mission
Kerala
The incongruously salmon-pink Matha Amrithanandamayi Mission, 30km northwest of Kollam, is the famous ashram of one of India’s few female gurus,…
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Kerala
This reserve on the 5-hectare site of a former rubber plantation on Vembanad Lake is the haunt of a variety of domestic and migratory birds. October to…
Kochi (Cochin)
The unofficial emblems of Kerala’s backwaters, and perhaps the most photographed, are the half-dozen giant cantilevered Chinese fishing nets on Fort…
Kochi (Cochin)
Created in Kerala style from ancient temples and beautiful old houses collected by its owner, an antique dealer, the family-run folklore museum houses a…
Northern Kerala
Thought to be one of the oldest temples on the subcontinent, Thirunelly Temple huddles beneath the Brahmagiri Hills 15km southwest of Tholpetty. Non…
Kochi (Cochin)
Around 13km east of Ernakulam, this impressive 49-building palace complex was formerly the residence of the Kochi royal family. It now houses the…
Northern Kerala
These remote hilltop 'caves' – more accurately a small series of caverns – are celebrated for the ancient collection of petroglyphs in their top chamber,…
Kannur
One of the earliest Portuguese settlements in India (constructed with permission from Kannur's rulers), the 1505 St Angelo Fort looms tall on a promontory…
Northern Kerala
In the village of Ambalavayal, 12km southwest from Sultanbatheri near the Edakkal Caves, this small but fascinating museum exhibits tools, weapons,…
Kochi (Cochin)
The heritage of one of India’s earliest Catholic communities – including vestments, silver processional crosses, altarpieces from the Kochi diocese and…
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Kerala
Encompassing 644 sq km of glorious Western Ghats terrain and wildlife, nestled behind three dams in a valley at altitudes of 300m to 1440m, Parambikulam…
Northern Kerala
The huge laterite-brick Bekal Fort, built between 1645 and 1660, is the largest in Kerala and sits on Bekal’s rocky headland with fine views. It passed…
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Kerala
A serene 25-sq-km park in the foothills of the Western Ghats, cut through by two rivers and two streams, Thattekkad shelters around 300 fluttering species…
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Muthanga)
Northern Kerala
The location of the eastern entry gate to Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, accessible by two-hour jeep safari only.
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Kerala
Rising to 1868m at Agasthya Peak and surrounding an idyllic lake created by the 1964 Neyyar Dam, 30km east of Trivandrum, this 128-sq-km sanctuary has a…
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Kerala
This 90-sq-km sanctuary, 50km northeast of Munnar, protects deer, leopards, elephants, gaur, langurs and endangered, Nilgiri tahr and grizzled giant…
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Kerala
Around 11km north of Munnar, Eravikulam's 97 sq km of grasslands and shola conceal the world's largest population of endangered, but almost tame, Nilgiri…
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Varkala
Fringed by colourful fishers' houses, 12km southeast of Varkala, this laterite-and-concrete fort was built by the British East India Company in 1695…
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Kerala
Two kilometres south of Kayamkulam (35km north of Kollam), this restored mid-18th-century palace is one of the finest remaining examples of royal Keralan…
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Varkala
Varkala is a temple town and the Janardhana Temple, dedicated to Vishnu, is the main event – with its roots dating back to the 13th century, this…
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Kochi (Cochin)
Constructed in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan friars, this is believed to be India’s oldest European-built church. The faded-yellow edifice that stands…
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St Mary’s Syrian Knanaya Church
Kerala
Perched on a low-lying riverside hill 2km northwest of central Kottayam, this bright-white church was founded in 1550 by Syrian Knanaya Christians (the…
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Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Overlooking the Shri Padmanabhaswamy Temple tank, the opulent 18th-century palace of the Travancore maharajas is a classically Keralan world of…
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Kannur
The coastal town of Thalasseri (formerly Tellicherry), 20km southeast of Kannur, was a major cardamom and pepper export hub under the British East India…
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Varkala
About 8km north of Varkala, this long, beautiful and (so far) undeveloped stretch of golden sand is also the beginning of a mini network of backwaters. A…
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Kerala
Built by the Portuguese, 2km northwest of central Kottayam, the elegant 1579 Cheriapally (Little Church) fuses European baroque architecture with Keralan…
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Kochi (Cochin)
Opposite the parade ground, this beautiful restored bungalow is all that remains of three 17th-century Dutch-era houses built using materials from…
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Alappuzha (Alleppey)
In a grand building fronted by Greco-Roman columns, this intriguing museum houses a priceless, astonishing collection of crystal, porcelain, South Indian…
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Ponnumthuruthu (Golden) Island
Varkala
Around 10km south of Varkala, this acacia-filled island in the middle of a backwater lake conceals a Shiva-Parvati Hindu temple also known as the Golden…
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Kerala
The Shiva temple at Ettumanur, 12km north of Kottayam, has inscriptions dating from 1542, but parts of the building may be even older. It's noted for its…
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Kochi (Cochin)
The pioneer of Fort Cochin’s art revival, Kashi displays changing exhibitions of local artists in a creatively restored Dutch heritage house, attached to…
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Kerala
Around 5km northeast of North Paravur, this beautifully restored synagogue is one of Kerala's most ancient, established in 1420 (though rebuilt in 1614…
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Kozhikode (Calicut)
Around 2km southwest of Mananchira Sq, this 650-year-old mosque is an attractive (mostly) wooden four-storey building supported by impressive wooden…
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Munnar
One of several working local tea factories open to the public, Lockhart dates from 1879 and sits 10km southeast of Munnar. Guided factory tours explain…
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Kannur
Housed in part of the royal palace of the Arakkal family, a powerful Kannur dynasty with its roots dating to the 12th century, this harbourfront museum…
