Travel Guide

Kerala is strategically located right in the middle of the travel trade corridor connecting Europe to the Pacific Rim, at the southwestern tip of India. Sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and the forested western ghat mountains, the state of Kerala is blessed with unique geographical and cultural features. Kerala's overpowering tropical greenery with forty one rivers and countless waterways, fed by two annual monsoons, intoxicates every visitor. Kerala is 5 1/2 hours ahead of GMT, 4 1/2 hours behind Australian Eastern Standard Time and 10 1/2 hours ahead of American Eastern Standard Time.

  • Area : 38,863 sq km.
  • Capital : Thiruvananthapuram

    Weather - Temperature
  • Summer : 35 Deg. C (Max) - 22.5 Deg. C (Min)
  • Winter : 28 Deg.C (Max) - 27 Deg.C (Min)
  • Monsoon : 23 Deg.C (Max) - 20 Deg.C (Min)

    Season : October - March

    Clothing : Cotton casuals will be ideal. Woollens could come in handy in the hill station.

    Languages : Malayalam is the State language. But most of the people are fluent in English. Some also understand French and German.

    Currency, Credit Cards : The Rupee is the Indian Currency. 100 paise make a Rupee. The Rupee comes in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. A wide range of credit cards are accepted in Kerala. (The American Dollar is approx 45 INR.).

    Literacy rate : 100% (approx.)

    Kerala is well connected by:

    Air : Kerala has three international airports at Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Cochin. Kerala is approximately 60 minutes by direct flight from Colombo and Maldives; about 4 hours away from Dubai, Dhahran and Doha; and about 9 hours away from Europe.

    Rail : Excellent network with direct connections to all the major tourist spots and cities in India. Kerala is connected with Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Secunderabad, Tirupati, Bangalore etc.

    Road : Kerala is connected by good motorable roads with all the major towns in India via the National Highways NH 4A, NH 17, NH 17A, NH 47, NH 49 etc.

    Transport in Kerala

    Surface Transport - Vehicles : Luxury, Semi-luxury coaches and tourist taxis can be hired. Taxes of other States, Toll Tax, Parking Fees, Airport Entry Fee, Ferry Charges, etc., will be charged extra. If vehicle is hired or retained before 8.00 hrs. and after 20.00 hrs, night halt charges will be applicable.

    Taxis : Tourist taxis are also available throughout Kerala. Yellow-top taxis are available in some cities.

    Self drive / Chauffeur driven car rental : The facility of renting a car with or without chauffeur for intra or inter city drive is available.

    Autorickshaws : Available at selected stands in the major towns.

    Local Bus Services : These are operated by Kerala Transport Corporation and Private Operators at regular intervals, connecting most places in Kerala.

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