16 Best Tourist Places in Kerala

Enclosing peace, Kerala is an attractive place in South India that one should always keep on their travel bucket list. Kerala is one place where you can find amazing backwaters and houseboats, green carpets of tea estates, scenic hill stations, and the outstanding beach of the Arabian Sea. Kerala includes numerous tourist destinations where you can fall in love with nature again.

Districts like Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad, and Kasargod are some attractive places in North Kerala. Kozhikode has a great beach and Wayanad has a hill station where you can spend your weekends.

Tourism in Kerala isn't only about its scenic natural beauty but its tradition that is embellished with folk dance, festivals, flavorful cuisine, medicinal uses, art and craft, and literature. Kerala will surely impress you with all the surprise it owe. Once you see it, you believe it and will revisit again.

The state is filled with beaches like Alleppy, Kovalam, Varkala, and Marari where you can get yourself some high beachy vibes. Apart from these pristine beaches, Alleppey and Kumarakov backwater give you best experience of staying in houseboat.

Below are some famous tourist destinations in Kerala to visit.

1. Munnar

Munnar is a hill station located at an altitude of 5000 to 8000 feet on a hill famous as Kannan Devi Hill. Munnar is one of the famous tourist place you can visit in Kerala as it will give you breezy hilly feel even in the south of India. Munnar is typically famous among newly wedded couples for honeymoon tours. Munnar is situated 120 km away from Kochi and 284 km away from Trivandrum. It is also known as Switzerland of South India as it gives you the resembling beauty as Swiss. Munnar include some best places such as Echo point, Kundala Lake, national park, Mattupetty Dam, Devikulam, Nyayamkad waterfall, Pothamethu viewpoint, and many more places. It is a perfect place to spare your weekend from your busiest schedule. It also serve best place from trekkers and camping lovers. It is like paradise for adventure freaks.

Munnar is also famous for tea harvesting as it has one of the best tea estate. Due to which the place is filled with green scenery. Munnar has the one place where Neelakurunji flowers (Stronbilanthes kunthiana) bloom once in every 12 years. They are vibrant blue colored flowers for which lot of tourist come to see. It is also the main reason of attraction in Munnar tourism. The place is also famous for the cultivation of Indian spice varieties like clove, cardamom, vanilla, pepper, cinnamon, coffee, tea, ginger, garlic and nutmeg.

2. Silent Valley

The Silent Valley National Park is known as beautiful entrance to the rainforest regions in Kerala. The region is distributed across 23,752 km, this huge park is habitat for various types of animals. It has feature of echoing where you can heard magnificent voices of different animals which radiates mysterious interest of visitors. The trees planted in the park are estimated to be more than 50 million years old. This place is where you can connect with the mother nature and embrace the beauty of natural existence.

3. Kollam

It was earlier known as Quilon as it was a backwater district. Kollam is a place where you can visit in summers to enjoy the beachy holidays. It is situated 71 kilometers away from Trivandrum. Earlier, Kollam was a place where all the import export of spices from all over the world takes place. Even today the city is ravishing as it was earlier with some beautiful places like Kollam beach, Ashtamudi beach and many more such places.

4. Wayanad

Wayanad plateau is known for its scenic mountain, forests and hills. They have their own traditional culture represented by its people. The place is filled with amazing tourist destinations like adventurous trekking trials of Chembra hills surrounded with green valleys and River Kabini, Muthanga wildlife, Kuruva Island, Chethalayam waterfalls, and Soochipara waterfalls and Meenmutty waterfalls. These waterfall are indeed a great place to visit. If you are planning to go Kerala, do add this place in your bucket list.

5. Eravikulam National Park

This national park is distributed across the region of Western ghats, Eravikulam National Park is among the top places to spend your time in Kerala. It is referred as a national park which got established in 1978, it serves as home to most of the endangered wild species like Nilgiri Tahr along with Nilgiri marten, Nilgiri langur, Ruddy mongoose and elephants which act as host for other animals. Inside park, there are several places to visit such as Anamudi peak, Lakkom Waterfall, Echo point, Atukkad waterfalls.

6. Fort Kochi

Fort Kochi is region along the Malabar Coast that represents the colorful combination of French, Dutch and Portuguese cultural history. It is not a fort but a beautiful place that connects different cultural antiquity. It is also very popular place in Kerala to visit. There is that iconic Chinese fishing net that may not be catching the fish but the people attention. You can visit the St. Francis church where Vasco da Gama was cremated.

7. Palakkad

Palakkad is known as Granary of the state as it is blessed with nature. It got its name from the wide availability of Pala or Palmyra trees. It is land of charming beauty at the bottom of Western Ghats. The place has some amazing spots to visit like the picturesque Kava viewpoint, Malampuzha dam and the famous 250 year old Palakkad fort. It is holy place with the presence of Kalapathy heritage village, temple complex and Thiruvalathur Randy Murthy temple.

8. Athirapilly Waterfalls

Athirapilly waterfalls is referred as the largest waterfall of Kerala which is also famous for "the great fall in Bahubali". All premium tour packages in Kerala include the Bahubali fall in their plan. It is among the most visited place in Kerala. The waterfall connects through the dense forest of Vazhachal and end up meeting the Arabian Sea waters. The local area around the waterfall has small wildlife species making it one of the alluring places in Kerala.

9. Vembanand Lake

Vembanand Lake is called as the heart of Kerala's backwaters and the largest lake in India. It is a beautiful escape from busy city buzz, it is often included in tour packages of Kerala. You can rent houseboat and make your stay there to enjoy one of most peaceful serene board riding experience. On the occasion of Onam, the lake gets a different zeal that happen with fierce boat race competition. If you are visiting Kerala during that time, do not miss the boat race competition and surely it will give you immense exciting experience.

10. Mattupetty Dam

Mattupetty Dam is known for perfect picnic spot to spend your weekends with your family. It is among the top places in Kerala. It is surrounded by greenery of Munnar, The dam draws most of the tourist's attention. Mattupetty Dam provides facility of motorboats and paddle boat at the shore to explore the beauty of lake. The nearby place of Mattupetty lake is among the top visited tourist's attention that attracts visitors with its Misty allure.

11. Edakkal Caves

Edakkal Caves are beauty that represents the Neolithic era which reminds you of great historic past. Its infrastructure which is built by a large one stone crack takes you to relish history. The wall of caves represent the greatness of some extremely talented legends. The spectacular carvings of these legends that have been made in 6000 BC. It is also major stay place that is included in your package of Kerala. The Edakkal Caves are one of the best places to visit in Kerala.

12. Banasura Sagar Dam, Wayanad

It is situated at high altitude of 3200 feet in the cloudy top of Banasura Sagar Dam in Wayanad is one hell of a place to visit in Kerala. We know not every person is intrigued by dam but this one gives you beautiful glimpse of Kerala, India. It is the largest dam in India and the second largest dam in Asia. The Banasura Dam is made of huge stack of stones and rocks. The place provides you the earthen feeling of island during monsoon season and also famous for calming picnic spot to spend with your family enjoying every bit of nature filled with the sound of gushing water and bird chirp.

13. Cherai Beach, Kochi

It is a beach where you can spot Dolphins. Isn't it amazing? I find it worth a place to visit. However, it is not one of the most popular beaches in Kerala. Although it is known for its breathtaking view of the backwaters combining with sea where you can spot the line of merging. The seashore is filled with beautiful seashell spread on white golden sand. The hydrophilic which mean water lovers found it perfect for swimming, sunbath, walk barefooted, cycling fishing or boating with the locals.

14. Vagamon

This place will blow your mind. Have you heard of Kerala being mentioned in a list for place to go for advanture activities in India. But if I tell you that's a lie. Although it is not highly popular place which made it being an underrated place to go in Kerala. If you are someone who loves to stay away from buzzing city. The place will surely make you calmness and mental peace that every other person needs right now. Vagamon is the best sneak away place as the temperature does not exceed 25 degree mark which gives a pleasant weather. It is often known as Mini Munnar without tourism.

15. Gavi

Gavi is a small town situated in Pathanamthitta district which is not highly explored in Kerala for tourism. It may sound weird to say village as tourist place but it is prominent destination of toursim in Kerala. The place is perfect for nature and wildlife lovers. Obviously it comes under a part of Periyar Tiger Reserve which is also famous place in Kerala. The village being a part of already famous destination makes it even more popular. Here, you see elephants, deer, sambar, tigers, bears, Indian Gaurs, and Nilgiri martens. Also this place offers the facility of boat ride exploration in Gavi lakes or Kochumpampa and trekking, spice gardens, cardamom manufacturing industry and bird watching viewpoint.

16. Parambikulam Tiger Reserve

Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is covered with large wetland region enclosing thick dense forests and marshy lakes. The place has broad range of wildlife animals. This tiger reserve is one of the India's known habitat of Royal Bengal Tiger. Although this huge place has become very popular for wildlife safari place through boat ride. However, this is not regular place for tourist as it is home for many animals. Trekking through these dark forests is a task for only skilled enthusiasts. The place is all maintained to its perfection and perfect to explore if you are in Kerala. Do add this place in your bucket list.