From winning the title of the cleanest state of India to being the hub for Ayurveda, Literacy, Temples, and more, Kerala is simply evolving to be one of the must-visit destinations in India. For a better experience, our dear traveller Naman is all ready to take you on the most exciting trip to Kerala through his lenses so that the next time you can view it with yours. So let’s begin exploring life in Kerala. 

Let’s gear up for the best

Naman, a 22-year-old travel content creator from Siliguri (North Bengal) grabbed an opportunity to volunteer with goSTOPS and explore the unexplored. During his stay in Kerala, he collected millions of stories turning every detailed page of Kerala. In this section of the story, he’s going to share memorable experiences that he lived. So, let’s go backpacking to Kerala. Here we come! 

He calls his trip a destined fate and quite a magical and transformational one. During his visit to Kerala, he was completely stunned by the literacy rate, the physiography, varieties of food, helpful nature of the locals, and more. 

Exploring unmissable KERALA – Day 01

Kerala holds an impressive number of backwaters, beaches, and forest safaris which are very famous for the elephants. The Alleppey in Kerala is popularly known as the Venice of the east. 

Day 1 in Kerala for Naman was all about travelling and resting. He landed in Kochi, taking a metro from the airport to Ernakulam. On reaching the spot he took some time to rest. 

Ernakulam – Alleppey

After fueling up for day 02, Naman took a bus from Ernakulam to Alleppey, which was a 3-night trip. The overall budget for Alleppey was INR 2,000/-. He stayed at the goSTOPS hostel where the average charge for the stay starts from INR 400/- per night. 

When in Alleppey, Naman suggests trying local food items, especially SADYA and TODEY (a famous local drink made out of palm tree sap). Throughout the trip, some of his best moments were at goStops and he suggests staying here as it has a list of things to do and explore. Some of them are:- 

After exploring these magnificent spaces, if you still wish to explore more and save then Naman suggests taking a government-operated ferry to enjoy backwater rides which start at just INR 16/- per ticket. Also, to give your trip a dreamy touch you can visit Kainakary HouseBoat Terminal through one of the backwater rides (shikara, government ferry, or Canoeing) during sunset time. 

Alleppey – Munnar 

Moving forward, he headed to explore the mighty mountains, and tea plantations, in Munnar To reach the destination he took a bus from Alleppey to Munnar which cost him INR 230/- per head. 

Munnar was a 3 Days 2 Nights trip that cost him around INR 3,000/-. After reaching Munnar, he took an auto to the hostel, Tentgram Suryanelli, where your per day stay cost comes to around INR 850/- per person. Naman brings a lot of exciting activities to indulge yourself in when at Munnar. A few of them are:- 

• KOLUKKUMALAI (sunrise jeep ride – INR 300/- per person)
• Munnar sightseeing (Jeep: INR 700 – 1000/-)
• You can also request Zip Lining & Kayaking at an additional cost. (The hostel can get that arranged for you) 

Munnar – Vagamon 

After having the best time, he then headed to witness the magic of Vagamon. It is a 3 hours and 20 minutes road trip from Munnar. Naman decided to mark his stay here for 3 days and 2 nights which led to an estimated cost of about INR 3,000/-. 

Vagamon – Varkala 

The next trip was from Vagamon to Varkala. The distance between the two is about 4 hours and 30 minutes through roadways. For 4 days and 3 nights here, one could expect to incur a cost of about INR 3,000/-. 

Naman advises considering staying at The Lost Hostel or Zostel. There are several fun activities that one can indulge in. A few of them are as follows:- 

• Surfing (A must activity to indulge in) 
• Sunset watching from the cliff
• Black Sand Beach 
• Munroe Island (The queen of backwaters channel)

Varkala – Kollam 

Naman states that the experiences lived here feel as good and refreshing as in Goa. Now that you’ve explored the exhilarating Varkala, it’s time to go to Kollam. To reach there he took a train from Varkala to Kollam for INR 180/- per person. It takes just 30 minutes from Varkala to reach Kollam. 

He stayed there for about 1 night and 2 days, which comes to a calculated budget of INR 3,000/-. Experiencing the houseboat and ayurvedic spa in the backwaters of Kollam is a must to have experience here. Naman says, witnessing this particular magic can be slightly costly but it’s worth it by all means. 

Kollam – Kochi 

Now that Naman covered some major popular and worthy locations of Kerala, it is now time to head back to Kochi. It is at a distance of 2 hours and 30 minutes from Kollam. When travelling by bus it should cost you somewhere around INR 500/-, says Naman.

Staying at Kochi for 3 days and 2 nights can make you incur a cost of INR 3,000/-. One can stay at the goSTOPS hostel which would cost around INR 400/- per person, mentions Naman. 

Talking about the breathtaking experiences you can have here, the below-mentioned activities are a total stunner. 

• Explore the colourful lanes and heritage of Kochi
• Use Bike Cycles to explore Kochi (starts at 20/-)
• Also dropping by Athirapally waterfall can be a soulfully refreshing and exotic experience. One should not be missing to drop by when in Kerala, says Naman. 

Shouting out loud – THE UNKNOWN KERALA 

If you’re planning to fly to Kerala, Naman advises planning between November to February. Another suggestion that he stresses is being prepared for extreme war with the mosquitoes. You are going to encounter them in very huge numbers. So, you better walk down here prepared, says Naman. 

The state is usually safe and sound for travellers to walk and explore but in some places, a little precaution is always necessary. Naman states that going out after 10 pm can sometimes get risky. Thus, it’s better to avoid outings at such times. Other than that the place is friendly and captivating. So, respond to the call of God’s own country and backpack to Kerala right away. 

Overview of the Journey:- 

Trip:- Kochi – Ernakulam – Alleppey – Munnar – Vagamon – Varkala – Kollam – Kochi 

Estimated Budget:- INR 16,000-17,000/- (15 Days, Per Person, Touring the entire Kerala, including food & accommodation)

For more photos and videos, check out his Instagram page @brissyboy._.

And for more such unique and authentic stories stay tuned and follow us on our Instagram handle @indiachalk. And let us know in the comment section below, your exciting travel experiences.

Keep Travelling! Keep Exploring!