Emerald backwaters, golden beaches and hilltop havens: Northern Kerala is India’s tranquil gem

There's a reason that Kerala is called 'God's Own Country'.

Brimming with tropical backwaters, waterfall-bound jungle, and a 600 km stretch of palm-fringed coastline, this Indian state is a biodiverse paradise. 

But to really appreciate Kerala, you need to head into the more untouched and unseen areas.

You’ll find opportunities to interact with local people as they go about their daily lives, whether that's on a sprawling coffee plantation or in one of the lesser-known backwaters. 

"It's not only about seeing the natural beauty of Kerala. Just imagine a traveller from Europe coming here, staying in a homestay, living with a family, having food prepared at home, and seeing the culture. With these experiences, you are creating stories, not only seeing the places," says Sikha Surendran, director of Kerala Tourism.

If you want to see Kerala differently, you might need more than the average two-week holiday so that you can move beyond where most travellers head to, as Surendran explains. “[Most visitors] usually focus on the centre, then go to the south.” Yet, she says, “the northernmost part of Kerala is pristine". 

For a unique experience on the biodiverse backwaters, head to the popular Vembanad Lake in Kottayam, where you can stay in a local village and take a scenic boat trip into the narrow, calm channels and watch the fisher people quietly working. Or take a ride out on Ashtamudi Lake on one of the famous traditional houseboats with their pretty thatched roofs and wooden hulls. 

And, rather than go to the popular backwaters found in Alleppy, why not instead explore the central Bekal coastline, where palm-fringed emerald coves of Kappil Beach and its backwaters await you, which lie just 7 kms north of the small town of