Travel In & Around Kerala

Kerala is in south India and it is always referred to as "God's Own Country" for its well-preserved exquisiteness. This coastal region has a striking destination for one and all— whether and its exotic beach, mountains, adventure, wildlife, heritage or culture all you are attracted in. The speed of life is very sluggish and makes the destination a perfect destination for a leisurely holiday. Don't overlook these top destinations to visit in Kerala.

Fort Kochi

This place in Kerala is popular as the "Gateway to Kerala", Kochi is a captivating city that's had a diverse influence. Arabs, British, Dutch, Chinese, and Portuguese have all already left their footstep there. The structural design and historical sites in Fort Kochi draw most of the travellers to the area. If you have kids, consider carrying them to Wonderla Amusement Park in Kochi too. There are also lots of luxury and budget hotels and accommodations for all budgets.

Kerala Backwaters

One of the most soothing and peaceful things you can do in Kerala is to board a houseboat with the palm-scattered Kerala canals, well-known as the backwaters. Freshly prepared Indian food and cooled beer (purchase your own and bring it on the vessel) make the experience more and more pleasurable. You can also spend the night out in the middle of a lake. Just spend a few nights at a hotel or resort next to the backwaters s well. For an unmatched experience, don't forget to see a sunset from Kakkathuruthu Island on the Vembanad lagoon. Many Backwaters journeys begin from Alleppey.

Marari Beach

If you're following an easily reachable and tranquil beach break in Kerala, charming Marari is just around 30 minutes north of Alleppey. This peaceful fishing village has a long draw out of the emergent beach and a wide range of accommodations, from luxury resorts to easy homestays.

Periyar National Park

Periyar National Park is situated in the Thekkady district of Kerala and is one of the most well-liked national parks in southern India. Like many other national parks in India, it remains open throughout the year, though throughout the monsoon season. Periyar is popular for its wild elephants, and takes 30-minute elephant rides via the tropical rain forest are offered. Safaris are used by boat, with the lake being specifically fascinating at sundown. Visitors can also participate in an outstanding range of eco-tourism activities there.

Munnar

If you really love tea, then go to Munnar anytime! The adjoining area is famous for its expansive tea plantations. You can look at tea being picked and processed, and try fresh tea direct from the gardens. Also, travel around a tea museum. The area is hallowed with the natural magnificence of twisting lanes, foggy hills, and forests full of striking plants and wildlife. Adventure aficionados can hike to Anamudi, the utmost peak in south India, discover Eravikulam National Park, or go mountaineering and paragliding. Munnar offers a varied array of accommodations, enclosed by nature.

Varkala

The surroundings of Varkala beach are remarkable enough to take your gasp away, with a long windy stretch of rock face and views that widen over the Arabian Sea. A smooth causeway runs along the length of the rock face, surrounded by coconut palms, charming shops, beach shacks, hotels, Yoga centres and Ayurveda Treatment centres and guesthouses. Snuggled at the foot of the rock face is a long stretch of uncontaminated beach, moved by steps leading down from the rock face top. It's not astounding that Varkala is one of India's top beaches.

Wayanad

Wayanad is a magnificent green hilly state that widens along the Western Ghats. It has a perfect deal of picturesque attraction. Plentiful coconut palms, dense forests, paddy fields, and towering peaks form the scenery. Due to the nature of its scenic landscape, the area also has lots more to offer adventure enthusiasts. Many prominent attractions comprise climbing Chembra Peak and Meenmutty Falls, discovering old Jain shrines, trekking to Edakkal Caves, and wildlife destinations at Muthanga and Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuaries. Another major attraction of Wayanad is the lots of pleasant homestays in the area. Glenora is also one of them.

Kannur

One of the top-notch destinations to get down the flattened track in India, the Kannur region of northern Kerala offers a perfect combination of isolated beaches and culture in the form of mystifying veiled spirit-possession theyyam rituals (October until May) and handloom interlacing. Muzhappilangad Drive-In Beach is also situated in Kannur. You can drive along its huge stretch of sand! And, just relax at one of the economical beach house accommodations, and enjoy the tranquillity.

Kovalam

Kerala's most sought-after beach, Kovalam, is easily situated about 40 minutes southeast of the capital town Trivandrum and is controlled by a unique lighthouse. It was tossed onto the tourist map in the early 1970s when lots of hippies joined it, as they followed the Hippie Trail to Ceylon (now called Sri Lanka). Kovalam absolutely won't attract everyone because its major beach is surrounded by a thickly crowded row of hotels and gets busy, though there are quieter pockets in destinations.

Trivandrum

The major attraction for Hindus who go to Trivandrum is the 16th-century Padmanabhaswamy shrine, committed to Lord Vishnu and constructed by rulers of the kingdom of Travancore. A great deal of prosperity has been concealed in the shrine, making it the most affluent temple in the world. Some of the resources were freshly discovered but the major vault continues unexplored. Unluckily, if you're not Hindu, you won't be authorized to visit the temple until you state you believe in Hinduism. Trivandrum also has some attractive museums and galleries, and this is a place of classical heritage buildings. These comprise the Napier Museum, Natural History Museum and Sri Chitra Art Gallery in the museum complex, and Kuthiramalika Palace Museum outside the Padmanabhaswamy shrine.

Sargaalaya Crafts Village

With the inventiveness of the Kerala state government, Sargaalaya won a National Tourism Award for Best Rural Tourism Project in 2016. This tourist township was developed in the pretty village of Iringal, in Kerala's Kozhikode region, to offer a great platform for endowed artisans to show their talented craftsmanship. Travellers can look at the artisans in action and purchase their wares. The Sargaalaya Iringal International Crafts Festival occurs there every year from the third week of December to the first week of January. It's south India's major handcraft fair, with around 400 artisans coming here from all around the world.

These are vibrant destinations that you can travel to in and around Kerala.

TRAVEL AND VISA

Travelling to India to be trained in Yoga is very exciting. The enthusiasm to study and discover yoga is a truly a great experience on the sacred planet. The hallowed earth of India offers many great opportunities to yoga lovers to improve the level of their health and enjoy a hale and hearty lifestyle.

Furthermore to yoga, there are many medical treatments such as Ayurveda and spa treatments that draw thousands of travellers to visit and explore yoga. The international day of yoga welcomes many people from all over the world. With the growing fame of yoga, the Indian government has shown a rule that foreign persons can apply for e-visa not only for entertainment reasons but also for temporary yoga courses.

The Eligibility Criteria for Visa

The people who want to discover yoga can apply for an “e-Visa. The visa is suitable for an exact duration of time. The travellers should not buy tickets until their entire visas and passports are cleared of your ownership. All visas are applicable from the date of issue not from the date of your access to India. The many popular is the tourist visa, which works for six months. Foreign people who want to learn yoga for above six months can apply for a tourist visa.  The e-visa service has been increased to 166 countries and 5 Indian ports. 

Who Needs Visa to Travel to India?

All people who are travelling to India, with children apart from Nepalese and Bhutanese nationals, need a visa to travel to India.  Before applying for a visa, it is the better option to get in touch with your yoga center and know all the information about the type of visa that is all right for them.

Tourists Visa

If you want to play travelling to India for a short period, i.e., six months or less, then you will require a tourist’s Visa. This visa is only applicable for tourism reasons. The holders of tourist visas are not entitled to any employment within India. It is based on the number of people travelling to India for yoga courses the tourist visa is categorized into two parts

 Single Entry: – This is a visa aimed at single travellers who can visit India for up to 6 months. The tourists need to go away to India once the duration is ended. They must have to apply for a new visa to come back to India.

Multiple Entry: – With different entries, the tourists can go away from India and re-enter India without getting a new visa. The extended period that travellers can stay in India at one time is six months.

Fees for e-visa

The cost of an e-visa for a country varies from place to place. The bank dealings are 2.5% which is charged moreover on applicable e-visa costs. The fee must be given at least 4 days before the predictable travel. In case of stoppage, the application will not be processed.      

The Airports where e-visa holders can visit India

There are around 28 airports in the country from where the e-via holders can come into India. The list of Indian airports is given below:-

Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Calicut, Chennai, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gaya, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Portblair, Pune, Tiruchirapalli, Trivandrum, Varanasi & Vishakhapatnam) and 5 selected seaports (i.e. Cochin, Goa Mangalore, Mumbai and Chennai).

But if you are coming to Kerela for a Yoga retreat so, here are four major airports available and they are:

There are three functioning international airports in Kerala, situated in the major cities of the state. These are perfectly connected with the rest of the countries all over the world. Furthermore, these Kerala Airports are appropriately located as far as the connectivity of tourist attractions in the city is concerned.
 

Cochin Airport

Cochin Airport is a major and largest airport in Kerala available with 3 terminals serviceable for both domestic and international flights. The third terminal (T3) opened in March 2017 is almost 2.5 times more than the other two terminals of the airport. The airport also deals with one cargo terminal.

The international flights hook up you to some of the most popular attractions such as Abu Dhabi, Colombo, Kuala Lumpur, Muscat, Singapore, and Riyadh. A person can board domestic flights from Cochin airport to get to several other Indian states i.e. Jaipur, Pune Hyderabad, and Visakhapatnam.

Trivandrum International Airport

This airport is situated rarely 7 km from the city center, Trivandrum International Airport is one of the busiest airports in India. It is a leading gateway for travellers to Middle Eastern and South-Eastern countries such as Dubai, Oman, Singapore, Sharjah, Bahrain, Mahe, and Colombo. This is one of the top airports in Kerala and it also offers a pilot training center. This international airport serves 2 terminals and has a traveller handling capability of around 1.95 million every year. However, Terminal 1 manages all the domestic flights, Terminal 2 handles all the international flights.

Calicut International Airport

This is also popular Kozhikode Airport or Karipur Airport, this air terminal stands the third for being the busiest airport in Kerala and stands as the 7th best international airport in the nation. Situated around 28 km from Kozhikode city center, this is one of the top international airports in Kerala with advanced facilities. The airport is well-connected to many foreign locations such as Kuwait, Doha, Muscat, Bahrain, Dubai, and more. Calicut International Airport serves two terminals and is the main base for Air India Express.

Kannur International Airport

This posh airport is designed to offer supreme connectivity for Keralites, travellers and avid travellers. The airport runs domestic flights to major Indian cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Thiruvananthapuram.

Standards Requirements of Tourist's Visa

The Indian embassy in our state has approached with the rules and regulations that you must obey while you are applying for a visa.

The requirements are given below:-

  • Need a valid passport with six months of validity if you want to visit India.
  • Passport size photos.
  • Fully Done Application form.
  • Proof of Residency    
  • Application Charges
  • A birth certificate.

However, the procedure of a visa is quite complicated, if you have a clear idea about the types of visas, then it becomes very simple for you to choose the correct visa as per your itinerary. Go to India and discover the magic of yoga with the dutiful yoga teachers to provide peace in your life.


Prevention and Remedial of Jet Lag

Air travel entails journeying in different time zones which may result in jet lag. If you want to travel from India to the United States possibility is that you can feel jet-lagged. The fact of jetlag happens when we battle 'our biological clock'. Our body requires proper rest at certain times and crossing diverse time zones might cause a break in our 'normal resting model.
Jet lag causes tiredness, dehydration and awkwardness, and comes with a lack of attention and inspiration, particularly for activities that need cognitive skills such as reading, discussing a business deal, or reporting to do work.

 

As per different studies, you need one day per one hour of time zone crossed to recover normal beat and energy levels. For instance, five-hour time dissimilarity means you need five days to get well.

Why Does Jet Lag Occur?

Crossing time zones is the main reason for jet lag. The more time your body takes to change in your sleep-wake cycle, the more you are affected.

  • Travel illness and travel strain can make your jet lag poorer. If you are worried or stuck on a flight you may take some time to recuperate from jetlag.
  • Drinking coffee, tea and alcoholic drinks in-flight can also poorly impact the jet lag.
  • Continue seated for a long while may lead to too much fatigue and annoyance. This will also affect jet lag signs.
  • Other aspects that might affect you are unequal bowel movements, airline food and boredom from the prolonged travel.


Tips to avoid jet lag

The following tips will assist you to stay away from jet lag and enjoy prolonged flights.

  • Drink more water. Avoid coffee, alcohol, juice, and other drinks.
  • Sleep throughout your common sleeping time. You can use blankets, pillows, and earplugs. If you are going on a midnight flight, try to sleep as quickly as possible so that your sleep-wake cycle continues unaffected.
  • Place yourself in a relaxing sleeping stance.
  • Consume calmly.

Other steps to avoid jet lag

There is a certain shot solution for stopping jet lag. The following steps will assist you to travel happily. Jet lag often varies the problem led by travel-related anxiety.

  • Draw near your sleep before the flight.
  • Take a daylight flight.
  • Once aboard, fix your watch to match the destination time.
  • Sleeping medications are not the right option. They can encourage an exhausted state and make you more prone to growing blood clots in your legs. However, these medications work perfectly for some people. Talk to a doctor to take the correct medication, if needed.
  • Draw out your legs and walk around as long as possible. Try to clean up in stopovers. Take care of lounge services and restrooms rather than you taking flight.
  • Once you arrive at your destination begin eating and sleeping as per the new timetable.

To stop jet lag you should sleep during the normal sleeping hours of the destination you are flying to. Melatonin assists you in sleeping at the exact time at the right place. A small dose (0.1 to 0.5 mg) assists many people in sleep.


Kerala's famous Varkala beach and Yogic and Ayurvedic hub

Varkala beach is an amalgamation of Nature’s beauty which has been enticing travellers’ attention to the god’s own Country. Situated in southern Kerala at the north boundary of Trivandrum District, this beach is gifted with natural wonders. Growing demand for tourism and increasing business opportunities transformed the Varkala village into a greatly preferred place in Kerala. Tons of tourists are drawn each year to go to this fabulous piece of exquisiteness.

Those of you, who are willingly waiting for a location which can offer a tranquil holiday with some athletic adventures float, you should never skip out on your chance to visit this destination. Widening all over the Arabian sea, this destination has an amazing experience to offer you. It is linked to some of the magnificent beaches all over the Arabian sea, which keeps nature's attractiveness active, these include Papanasam beach, Black beach, Odayam beach and Kappil beach.

The stunning hill crag structure along the exotic beaches of Varkala is the only one of its types in complete south India. Hill cliff is one of the major tourist destinations of Varkala along with its seashores.

A charming View from the Hill cliff perspective will gust your mind, and you’ll drop yourself into the tranquillity of nature. Hill cliff offers extra beauty to its beaches and assists in the nonstop flow of stable wind to support sports adventures sports such as parasailing, and windsurfing.

Exotic beaches in Varkala offer a stunning life experience that will last everlasting in your life. It offers sunbathing with one of the most passionate beach sunsets. High tides and Sturdy wind flow provide great opportunities for some adventurous seashore water sports. You can enjoy quite the whole thing a beach needs to offer.

Nightlife on its beaches is faded. However, it offers quite every enjoyment, it doesn’t let alcohol in its neighbouring. As Varkala has well-known Historical remains such as Janardhana Swami Temple, and many more.

Travelling across its villages, and walking under the palm trees will assist you to divulge some of its artistic backgrounds. The local theatre offers more visions of its culture, be sure you never overlook to visit once. Varkala beach offers a wide array of exploring opportunities for every type of tourist, opt for yours and go to spend some unforgettable experiences on its beaches.

Best time to visit:

Between the heavy rainfall of the Monsoon and the scorching sunshine of summer, there is a time between late November and March. This time has the great experience of Varkala beach, with a temperature array of around 30 degrees Celsius. You can enjoy the Dry and scorching weather day by day between late November and March.

Things to do at Varkala beach:

Sightseeing - 
A striking beach with close-by sightseeing destinations has always been a top priority to a traveller. Varkala beach is a location where you can enjoy different sightseeing along with beaches. What exactly starts from naturally combined exquisiteness to the man-made wonders it has all.

Sunbathing - Sunbathing is one of the most preferred things to do on the beach. Varkala beach offers an exceptional experience of sunbathing with its spectacular landscape and encouraging weather. A feeling of relaxation and harmony always comes with only a 5 minutes sunbath on its seashore.

Windsurfing - for those of you who are a keen lover of Windsurfing, here is the destination for you. With the long waves of 2 to 5 feet, you can enjoy remarkable windsurfing at this place. The lengthy stretches of rock face configuration assist to maintain the stable flow of winds over the sea.

Parasailing – Pruning through the winds and cruising over the ocean is what makes this sport a striking one. With the nonstop flow of wind, parasailing at its seaside is a well-known tourist spot. Every year loads of tourists in the world go to this destination just to get an ideal parasailing experience.

Sunset - Setting on the beach, watching the late sun with the wonderful merged colours is the experience you never would like to overlook for your whole life.

Ayurvedic - Varkala is famous for its Ayurvedic Treatments, Ayurveda Courses and Retreats. Ayurveda is a method of healing against your diseases in the form of self-discovery. It teaches you to uphold a state in which your mind, body and soul communicate with each other to flawlessly work together, and assist you to experience the feeling of self-aware, wellness and ecstasy.

Yoga Courses - Yoga has initiated its expedition from its source country India. Now it has extended all over the world for the happiness of individuals. It doesn’t only assist to treat several diseases, but daily yoga helps to preserve the body in a great condition. Hence, the line "Prevention is better than treatment" can be accomplished by maintaining a great schedule of Yoga every day. Varkala offers a wide range of Yoga Teacher Training centres and Best Yoga Retreats, some of which are handled by eminent people in the yoga field. You can learn many more innovative things with these yoga treatment centres.

Meditation - Yoga assists to sanitize and maintain better health, and meditation aids to boost your mental strength. Meditation assists you to treat your mental pain, Decrease Stress, improve a bad mood, enhancing Concentration and divulge creativity to its best. Learning a meditation step from these centres will assist you to live a contented peaceful life. You should try meditation while spending time at this place.

Art / Creative Workshop - Art and creative workshop are one of the great ways to spend some spare time knowing the value of life. Visit the art workshops after you spend your wonderful beach time. Also, roam around these workshops to study here, who knows you might end up exploring a new chapter of life.

Traditional dance performance in Local theatre every day - Varkala also comes to a well-known destination in its involvement in Kerala tradition. Traditional dance is done by some of the brilliant local people in the Varkala Culture Centre. You can also learn many more about Kerala's tradition with these glances at traditional dance performances like Kathakali dance.