Tucked away in the South West corner of India, Kerala is a narrow strip of land between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountains. The name means 'land of coconuts,' and palms still shade almost the entire state from the tropical sun. The tropical landscape is criss-crossed by dozens of rivers and countless waterways and visitors can spend idle days riding small ferries through the backwater lagoons and see village life close-up in this, India's most populous state.

Kerala has some of India's best coastal resorts, among the finest is the much photographed Kovalam, which many argue has the best beach in the country. Here visitors can take in Kerala's rich cultural and artistic life and enjoy the best vegetarian cuisine on the planet.

When the rest of India gets too hot to handle, Karala is soothing and rejuvenating, whether you stick to the lowlands or head for the hills, passing through scenery dotted with churches and temples, past spice, tea, coffee and rubber plantations, enjoying natural forests with wildlife reserves filled with elephants.

Compared to the rest of India Kerala is short on monumental sights to see; the drawing card here, though, is the natural beauty. The countryside undulates westward from the mountains offering vistas of rich green valleys. Rivers glide across the plains towards the sea, creating attractions like the Athirampally Falls, ending in a linked chain of lagoons where the silence of the still waters is broken only by boats and canoes, and seagulls and cranes.