Travel Information

Languages: Malayalam & English
Currency: Indian Rupee (INR)
Local Time: GMT +5:30 hrs
Flight Time: 12 hrs

With its amazing weather, sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, Kerala, on the southern tip of India, could make for the holiday for a lifetime.

However, there’s much more to Kerala too, with cultural sights to see and exotic backwaters to explore, where particular highlights include the mountains at Thekkady and the lakes of Periyar National Park.

However, with over 600km of coastline, the beaches are the big draw for holidaymakers coming to Kerala.

Sat on the Arabian Sea, the coastal town of Kovalam is one of the most popular destinations, where you’ll find the busy Lighthouse Beach, which is lined with restaurants and cafés.

Although if you’d rather get away from it all and find a beach with as few people as possible, your best bet would be to head to the north of the region.

If you do want to get away from the beach and do some exploring, head out on a boat tour of the backwaters, where you’ll get a glimpse at local village life, as well as the many tea, coffee and spice plantations.

Whether you’d rather relax by the beach or go exploring the area’s natural beauty or rich cultural heritage, or maybe a bit of both, you’ll find it all in Kerala.

When to Go

You’ll want to avoid visiting Kerala is the monsoon season, which peaks from June to August, with torrential downpours which often lead to flooding.

At the other end of the scale, the dry season of December to January is one of the busiest times of the year, so you’ll probably want to aim somewhere in the middle, ideally just after the monsoon season has finished.

The weather is generally hot all year round, with temperatures peaking at around 35°C between February and May, although you can never rule out the odd shower.

Events for Your Diary

Nehru Trophy Boat Race: The state of Kerala hosts many traditional boat races in the backwaters, but the Nehru, hosted on the second Saturday of August is the most prestigious. Thousands of spectators line the shores of Punnamada Lake to see up to a hundred towers battle it out for the trophy.

Onam: The area’s biggest cultural celebration is Onam, which is a ten day-long celebration of the age of the mythical King Mahabali, during which time various traditional arts are performed, homes are decorated with flowers and lots of fancy meals are prepared.

Things to Know About

Currency: Indian Rupee (INR)
Capital City: Thiruvananthapuram
Language: Malayalam & English
Key Phrase to Learn: Ni I?gli? sansarikkumea? (Do you speak English?)
Time Difference: Kerala is 5.5 hours ahead of the UK
Average Flight Time: 12 hrs
International Phone Code: +91
Emergency Services Number: 108
Public Holidays: Mannam Jayanthi (January 2), Republic Day (January 26), Maha Shivrati (March 4), Birthday of Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti (April 14), Vishu (April 15), Maundy Thursday (April 18), Good Friday (April 19), Easter Day (April 21), May Day (May 1), Idul Fitr (June 5), Karkkadaka Vavu (July 31), Id-ul-Ad’ha (August 11), Independence Day (August 15), Janmashtami (August 23), Ayankali Jayanthi (August 28), Onam (September 9-13), Sree Narayana Guru Samadhi (September 21), Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi (October 2), Mahanavami (October 7), Dussehra (October 8), Deepavali (October 27), Milad-i-Sherif (November 9), Christmas Day (December 25)
Link to FCO Travel Advice: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india