Want to travel to Kerala - suggestions?

Hi,
I am currently staying in Bangalore from May to August for work. On the weekends, I am hoping to see more of India. One thing I would love to do is go to Kerala. From my understanding, these months will be Monsoon time. I would love to go on a houseboat or ferry and see some of the water while I'm there.

Does anyone have any suggestions for must-see places? Suggestions for houseboat operators? Best way to get there from Bangalore?

I'm hoping it is still possible to travel during the monsoons, is there a month during May- August where this trip would be best?

Thanks!

hi JeninIndia,

As you are willing for Kerala, houseboat and 'see some of the water', I can suggest Alleppy for you.

Bangalore to Alleppy is easily doable by overnight train... there are three - Trivandram Exp, Kochuveli Exp (tri weekly- the best of three) and Trivandrum Exp.

In Alleppy you can book houseboat to stay and go upto Kumarakom.. there are different type of packages. From Kumarakom go to Kottayam (10km) and take your return train to Bengaluru- there are three also and the best is Bangalore Exp (daily- 16:25-06:55).

If you can manage time, you can visit Thekkady (125km from Kumarakom), it's wildlife, boat-safari...

OR if, you want to take a break from 'seeing water and water', go to Munnar (125km)- the hilly beauty, a must-see place- I must say.


Early June will be ok.

The drive from Bangalore to Ernakulam is spectacular and thereafter one is in Gods Own country!

Each day is new with a combination of Sunshine, Rain, Winswept beaches, heavenly mountains! its ideal....i cannot describe it in as many words

Monsoon usually starts around the 1st of June. So, there are still a good 10 days to experience Kerala before the rain starts. In the mountains (Western Ghats) the rain is sometimes delayed by a couple of weeks making this a feasible destination even in the first couple of weeks of June.

The rains should continue well into July, and in the lowlands this usually means flooding and some degree of chaos.

There are overnight luxury buses from Bangalore (even sleeper buses) to Thekkady/Kumily in the mountains (one-way ticket around RS 600), and there are trains to Kochi. For houseboats you should head for Alappuzha (e.g. overnight train to Kochi + taxi, train or bus).

Thanks for your replies, I'll let you know how it goes if I am able to do a trip out to Kerala.

Jen

You could also visit Vagamon and Thekkady too

Another option is the train from Bangalore to Kottayam, see erail.in and take the local ferry from there to Alleppey, it is a nice trip of a few hours.
We also did the one day backwater trip with the KTDC starting in Kochi, also very good.

I suggest you to visit Kerala on summer if you planning to go on ' House boats '. In monsoon it is going to be heavy rain in Kerala, especially in June and July..September is the best option for houseboats

Once Kerala was Gods’ own country. But today it is the land of devils , lunatic politicians, moral Police and land mafias. If you are in trouble you will not even get the support of good Police. Recently Kerala govt published the 533 criminals in the police force. This includes the police officers from bottom to top of the hierarchy. You may not be able to enjoy your beach volley because there may be hidden cameras to capture the snaps of the naked parts of your body. Kerala changed a lot in its old divine paradise version to a new hell version.

The Criminals - Politicians - Bureaucrats nexus was always there in Kerala. And the whole of India. It is at administrative level and will not be directed at innocent tourists usually.
South India is very friendly towards tourists.
But keep in mind please ...When you search Kerala on net, Alleppey, Kumarakom, Kovalam, Varkala, Munnar comes fast. This may be due to high commercialization. But There are a lot of more beautiful destinations throughout Kerala. If you can travel criss cross, your trip will be more memorable. Keralatourism.org is a govt maintained website. Please have a look at other destinations too. If you are willing, use public transport systems more. See life.