Seniors Discover Kerala

The Week, March 28, 2014 p. 30 noted that Kerala is a highly recommended place for senior tourists to visit. Hindus, Muslims, Christians and even some Jains peacefully co-exist. It’s “a busy juxtaposition of towers, minarets, and spires that sit cheek by jowl in every city, town and village.”

Nature at its best, Kerala India is known as a tropical paradise of waving palms and wide sandy beaches. Kerala Tourism offers beaches, palm fringed backwaters, murky hills, lush green forests, beautiful houseboats and inimitable wildlife and perfect climate.

Kettuvallams or houseboats are the boats of Kerala which were originally used for the purpose of transporting food grains from one part of the state to another, chiefly rice and they are everywhere.

Keralas is a narrow strip of coastal territory that slopes down the Western Ghats in a cascade of lush green vegetation, and reaches to the Arabian sea. The name Kerala is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning “the land added on” (with reference to its mythological origin). The natives are called Keralites and the economy is mainly dominated by agriculture.

Kerala Tourism can fill you in on many of the specifics that make this area special. It is networked by 44 rivers and Kerala enjoys unique geographical features that have made it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Asia. Senior visitors find that it is clean, very clean.

Kerala is India’s most advanced society, with hundred percent literacy. And with world-class health care systems, Kerala has India’s lowest infant mortality and highest life expectancy rates.

Seniors Find Food-Lover’s Paradise

For the gourmets among you, Kerala is every food-lover’s paradise. Kerala cuisine offers a multitude of dishes, ranging from the traditional sadya to seafood delicacies. It also a “tea heaven” and the Tea Garden is the #1 site to take in.

Both vegetarians and non-vegetarians have a wide variety of dishes to choose from. Lonely Planet notes that “this is where India slips down into second gear, stops to smell the roses” and folks talk to strangers.

Rejuvenation programs through Ayurveda (alternative, natural medicine) are popular in Kerala; the cool June and mid-October monsoon seasons are considered ideal for healing therapies.

Consider visiting Chottanikkara Bhagavathy Temple,  one of the oldest temples in and around Cochin that rates #2 for visitor favorite sites. Pilgrims across south India are frequent visitors to this magnificent temple.

I recently discovered a great new search engine called DuckDuckGo. Input Kerala and wow…you will be amazed at all the many references to the area.

So put Kerala on your travel bucket list and enjoy this part of India.  jeb