File 15-kerala-loc-sid6 Book South India & Kerala 6 Initial Mapping Date Road AndrewS May 2011 Scale All key roads labelled? Hierarchy Date Title Hydro Chapter 15-kerala Editor Cxns Spot colours removed? Hierarchy Nthpt Masking in Illustrator done? Symbols Author MC Cxns Date Book Inset/enlargement correct? Off map Notes dest'ns Border A1 Key n/a Author Cxns Date Basefile India 11 Final Ed Cxns Date KEY FORMAT SETTINGS New References Number of Rows (Lines) Editor Check Date MC Check Date Column Widths and Margins MC/CC Signoff Date ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Kerala Includes ¨ Why Go? Thiruvananthapuram A sliver of a coastal state in India’s deep south, Kerala is (Trivandrum) ....... 264 shaped by its layered landscape: almost 600km of glori- Kovalam ............270 ous Arabian Sea coast and beaches; a languid network of Varkala .............274 glistening backwaters; and the spice- and tea-covered hills Kollam (Quilon) .....278 of the Western Ghats. Just setting foot on this swathe of soul-quenching, palm-shaded green will slow your sub- Alappuzha (Alleppey) .......... 282 continental stride to a blissed-out amble. Kerala is a world away from the frenzy of elsewhere, as if India had passed Munnar ............ 294 through the Looking Glass and become an altogether more Kochi (Cochin) ..... 298 laid-back place. Kannur & Around ... 320 Besides its famous backwaters, elegant houseboats, Lakshadweep ...... 323 ayurvedic treatments and delicately spiced, taste- bud-tingling cuisine, Kerala is home to wild elephants, ex- otic birds and the odd tiger, while vibrant traditions such as Kathakali plays, temple festivals and snake-boat races Best Wildlife- frequently bring even the smallest villages to life. It’s hard to Watching deny Kerala’s liberal use of the slogan ‘God’s Own Country’. ¨ Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (p317) ¨ Periyar Wildlife When to Go Sanctuary (p290) Thiruvananthapuram ¨ Thattekkad Bird °C/°F Te mp Rainfall inches/mm Sanctuary (p297) 40/104 32/800 ¨ Parambikulam Wildlife 24/600 20/68 Sanctuary (p298) 16/400 0/32 8/200 Best Homestays -20/-4 0 ¨ Green Woods J FDM A M J J A S O N Bethlehem (p303) Dec–Feb Perfect Apr Kathakali at Aug–Oct End ¨ Varnam Homestay (p318) beach and back- Kottayam and of the monsoon ¨ Tranquil (p319) water weather. Kollam festivals, period: Onam Ernakulathappan and the elephant festival, snake- ¨ Graceful Homestay (p267) Utsavam festival procession in boat races. ¨ Reds Residency (p303) in Kochi. Thrissur. 263 Mangalore Krishnaraja Bengaluru (15km) Sagar (Bangalore) Kasaragod (25km) Mandya Bekal Madikeri Kanhangad Nileshwar Wayanad W Mysore ES Wildlife TE Sanctuary RN KARNATAKA Iritty (Tholpetty) G KERALA Kannur Nagu H A (Cannanore) Wayanad T 17 Wayanad S Thalasseri Wildlife Mahé (Pondicherry) Sultanbatheri Sanctuary Kalpetta (Muthanga) Bhavani HIG Udhagamandalam Sagar (Ooty) Kappad Bhavani hl Beach Purakkatri Nilambur Lakshadweep Mettupalayam IG (220km) Kozhikode Road 47 Calicut Puducherryht (Calicut) Airport Silent Valley (350km) National Park Malappuram S Attappadi Coimbatore Shoranur TAMIL Ponnani Palakkad 47 Pollachi NADU Guruvayur Parambikulam Thrissur Wildlife (Trichur) Chinnar 17 Sanctuary Wildlife Cochin Marayoor Sanctuary International Thattekkad Bird Airport Sanctuary Anamudi Eravikulam Vypeen (2695m) National Park A R A B I A N Island Aluva Ernakulam Muvattupula W S E A Munnar E Periyar 49 Kochi Tripunithura R S iver T (Cochin) 47 Kumarakom Pala E Idukki R Bird Sanctuary N Ettumanur Kumarakom Kumily Periyar Vembanad Lake 49 Lake G Alappuzha Kottayam Periyar H Wildlife A (Alleppey) T Tiruvilla Sabarimala Sanctuary S Chengannur Harippad Ac ha Kayamkulam Riv n kovil er Amrithapuri Kottarakara Ashtamudi Lake Shencottah 7 Kollam (Quilon) Ponmudi 47 Tirunelveli Varkala 7A Anjengo Agastya Malai (1869m) Thiruvananthapuram Neyyar Dam (Trivandrum) Lion Safari Park 050 km Kovalam 025 miles Poovar Padmanabhapuram Palace Kerala Highlights 1 Cruising in a houseboat or of Varkala (p274) or having 6 Experience a performance punted canoe through slippery some laid-back beach fun in of Kathakali (p309) or the backwaters (p288) from Kovalam (p270) martial arts kalarippayat Alappuzha, Kollam or Kottayam 4 Bedding down in a remote (p309) in Kochi 2 Spotting wild elephants resort and trekking through 7 Calling in for a cuddle at at Wayanad (p317) amid emerald tea plantations around the ashram (p281) of ‘The mountain scenery and epic Munnar (p294) Hugging Mother’in Amrithapuri forest treks 5 Feeling the history and 8 Exploring unspoilt beaches 3 Watching days slip away relaxing in a homestay in calm and theyyam rituals at Kannur at the clifftop beach resort Fort Cochin (p298) (p320) and Bekal (p322) .