Discover Kerala

From the mountains of Munnar to the backwaters of Alleppey

After Meghalaya, the journey continued south and the next major stop was Kerala. Once again, the environment changed completely. After all the mountains, valleys and green landscapes of northeast India, I had now arrived in a part of the country that felt warmer, more humid and almost even greener. Kerala had a completely different rhythm and as soon as I arrived, I felt the pace beginning to slow down.

The first thing I really noticed was the landscape. Kerala is incredibly green and it almost feels like there are palm trees, plants and water everywhere. I enjoyed simply travelling around and looking out of the window. The roads passed through small communities, houses, rice fields and huge amounts of greenery. It was not always the destination itself that was the best part, but the journey there.

One of the places I had especially been looking forward to was Munnar. As I travelled up into the mountains, the climate changed again and it became cooler and much more comfortable. After the heat in many other places during the journey, it was almost a relief to reach the mountains. The air felt fresher and the views became better the higher I went.

Munnar is mainly known for its enormous tea plantations, and that was also what impressed me the most. The green tea bushes covered the hills and followed the landscape as far as you could see. I had seen pictures of Munnar before arriving, but it was still completely different to actually stand there myself.

I spent a lot of time travelling around the tea plantations. The roads wound through the mountains and almost every time I went around a corner, a new view appeared. I stopped several times just to take pictures and try to capture how large the landscape actually was.

What I liked most about Munnar was that it did not feel like a place where you needed to rush. You could walk around the tea plantations, have a coffee or chai and then continue exploring the area. It was a very relaxing contrast to the more intense cities I had visited earlier during the journey.

I also enjoyed the small villages and areas around Munnar. When you travelled a little outside the most visited places, it became even quieter. You could see people working in the area while everyday life continued as normal. These were the moments I appreciated the most because the journey felt less touristy.

Another thing that made Kerala special was the wildlife. Elephants are a major part of Kerala's nature and culture, and I had really hoped to see them during the journey. Seeing an elephant up close in a natural environment is a completely different feeling from simply seeing them in pictures or at a zoo.

It was impressive to see just how large the animals actually are when you stand at a distance and watch them. At the same time, it was also a reminder that you should give animals their space. I think it is much more enjoyable to see elephants in a way where you can observe them without disturbing them or forcing any kind of experience.

After Munnar, I continued towards Alleppey, and there the landscape changed once again. The mountains disappeared and were replaced by water, palm trees and the famous backwaters that Kerala is known for. It almost felt like arriving in a completely different part of the country.

Taking a boat through the backwaters became without a doubt one of my favourite experiences in Kerala. The pace was extremely calm. The boat slowly moved through the canals while I could sit and look at houses, palm trees, small piers and people living their everyday lives along the water.

It was the ordinary life around me that I found most interesting. It was not just beautiful nature. You could see people washing, working, transporting things and travelling around by boat. Children would sometimes stand by the water and wave as the boat passed. It made the boat trip feel much more personal than an ordinary sightseeing tour.

Alleppey was also a place where I could really relax. After all the buses, trains, roads and long journeys earlier in the trip, it was nice to simply sit down and let time pass. On the boat, I really did not need to do anything. I could just look out over the water and enjoy the surroundings.

Food was also a major part of the Kerala experience. I ate several different local dishes and especially enjoyed all the flavours and spices. Rice, curry, fresh vegetables, different types of fish and other local dishes appeared quite often. I particularly liked eating at smaller local restaurants where the food felt simple and genuine.

One of the best things about Kerala was that the food did not have to be expensive to be really good. After a long day outside, I could sit down at a simple restaurant, order something local and get a really good meal without having to think too much about the price.

The heat was something I had to get used to, though. Especially around Alleppey, it could become very hot and humid. I quickly noticed that it was better to do more during the morning and afternoon and then take things easier during the hottest hours of the day.

I also enjoyed the evenings in Kerala. As the sun began to set, the temperature became a little more comfortable and it was nice to simply walk around, find something to eat or sit somewhere and watch people. After a few days, I had really started to get into the slower pace.

What made Kerala so good for me was the variety. In Munnar, I had the mountains and tea plantations. In Alleppey, I had the water and backwaters. In between there were small villages, palm trees, restaurants, temples and a slower everyday life. It felt like I got to see several completely different sides of the same part of India.

I also think Kerala was a good place to simply take a break from travelling itself. When you travel for a long time, it is easy to constantly think about the next bus, the next hotel and the next destination. Here, I could instead take a few days and simply enjoy the place.

The elephants also became one of the memories I will take with me from Kerala. There is something special about seeing such a large animal moving through the green landscape. I think experiences like that become even better when you can see the animals in a respectful way and allow them to simply be animals rather than turning them into a tourist attraction.

After a few days in Kerala, I felt that I had really experienced the change I needed after the earlier parts of the journey. Munnar gave me the mountains and the calm, while Alleppey gave me the water and the slow days on the backwaters. It became a very good combination.

When it was finally time to leave Kerala, it almost felt a little sad. I had become comfortable with the slower pace and really enjoyed not having to rush. But the journey continued and the next stop would be something completely different again.

From Kerala's green landscapes, tea plantations and backwaters, I would now continue towards Jaipur. Once again, the journey would completely change its environment, which was actually what I liked most about travelling through India. One day you are sitting on a boat surrounded by palm trees and the next day you are in a completely different part of the country.