Kerala is probably the greenest place one will ever come across. It is one of the ten paradises in the world. The coconut palms, the red tiled houses, the innumerable lakes and beaches make long lasting impressions to any visitor. Kerala 's colourful festivals and its various types of dances, martial arts and wildlife sanctuaries are the other attractions. Ayurveda, the 3000 year old system of natural medicine (recognised by WHO as a system of alternative medicine), is becoming very popular with the tourists visiting Kerala The people of Kerala form a well educated and mature society. The state is blessed with 100 % literacy, world class health care system, highest physical quality of life in India, lowest infant mortality rate, etc. Keralites are popularly called "Malayalees" for the language they speak (malayalam). The women mostly dress themselves in those wonderful six meters of silk or cotton called "Sari ". The more convenient dresses like the "Churidahr" and the western fashion styles are more popular among the younger generation. The wear trousers and shirts like the rest of the world. However, you should'nt be surprised if you find them dressed in the traditional "Mundu" at home. In the rural areas, "Mundu" is the more popular among the younger form of dressing. The other very interesting thing about the Malayalee male is his moustache. Almost 95% of the "men of age" sport one.

Beaches
Beaches are the most important tourist attraction in Kerala. Though Kovalam is the most popular beach in Kerala, there are many other beaches, which are almost as good. The long coastline lined with the swaying coconut palms, dotted with an occasional fishing hamlet is fast developing into one of the world’s best string of beaches

Wild Life
Kerala is covered by 30% forests. The jungles of Kerala are famous for the elephants and tigers besides other animals like sambar deer and wild buffalos. The major tourist activities that can be undertaken in the wild life parks are wild life tours, elephant rides, stays at jungle lodges, tree houses, fishing camps etc. Guides are available in the Periyar wild life sanctuary for treks in the forest. The Parambikulam forest authorities organise wild life tours in the park. Wild life & Bird Sancturaries : 1. Periyar Wild Life sancturay 2. Eravikulam National Park 3. Kumaarakom Bird Santuary 4. Nelliampathy 5. Muthanga Wild Life Santuary 6. Thattekkad Bird Santuary 7. Myladampara 8. Nagarhole (Karnataka)

Backwaters
Backwaters are unique to Kerala over the last couple of years there has been an unprecedented tourist interest. The backwaters are essentially inland lakes connected by a network of canals. The backwaters stretch to almost 1900 km whereas Kerala’s coastline is only 700 km. Kumarakonm between Alleppey and Kottayam is a prominent bird sanctuary-playing host to the water duck, cuckoos, siberian storks among other exotic birds. The area is a popular tourist destination. The other interesting area in the backwaters is the Kuttanad region; the rice bowl of the year the land is flooded. The area is probably the only place in the world where farming is done below sea level. The Kollam Alleppey backwagers trip is a tourist favourite. This slow journey by boat takes almost seven hours. You get to see village life at close quarters besides the farming and fishing activities.

Location - South western tip of India
Area - 38,863 sq km
Population - 29,011,237 census 1991
Density of population - 749 per sq km
Capital - Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Language - Malayalam, English
Climate - Tropical Monsoon
Summer = February – May (temp. 24- 33 degrees Celsius)
Monsoon =June - September (temp.22-28 degrees Celsius)
Winter =October–January (temp. 22- 32 degrees Celsius)
Tourist Season - September – May
Currency - Indian Rupee