Kerala
Southwestern Indian state
Kerala is a state in southwestern India, stretching along the Malabar Coast between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
Known for its tropical landscape of palm-lined beaches, backwaters, and spice plantations, it has historically been a center of trade in pepper, cardamom, and other spices.
Kerala has India's highest literacy rate and a distinctive political history of elected communist governments.
We spent two weeks exploring Kerala's backwaters by houseboat.
Seasonal tropical wind pattern
- coconutHard-shelled tropical drupe
- bananaCurved tropical fruit
- tapiocaCassava-derived starch
- jackfruitLarge spiny tropical fruit
rainforest · palm · humidity · paddy · laterite · biodiversity · elephants · mangroves
Aromatic seed pod spice
- cinnamonAromatic bark spice
- clovesDried flower-bud spice
- nutmegAromatic seed spice
- maceBludgeon with flanged head
ginger · turmeric · vanilla · plantations · aroma · harvest · peppercorns
Watercraft serving as home
Southwest Indian coastline
- beachesSandy coastal areas
- fishingCatching aquatic creatures
- shorelineLand-water boundary
- seafoodMarine creatures as cuisine
lighthouse · cliffs · surfing · watersports · prawns · maritime · coves · sunset
Elevated towns for cooler climate
- rubberElastic polymer from trees
- waterfallsVertical river descents
- lushRichly abundant in growth
- greeneryCollective plant life
monsoon
Seasonal tropical wind pattern
jackfruit · rainforest · palm · humidity · paddy · laterite · biodiversity · elephants · mangroves · wetlands
cardamom
Aromatic seed pod spice
mace · ginger · turmeric · vanilla · plantations · aroma · harvest · peppercorns
houseboat
Watercraft serving as home
Malabar
Southwest Indian coastline
seafood · lighthouse · cliffs · surfing · watersports · prawns · maritime · coves · sunset · tidal
hill-stations
Elevated towns for cooler climate
- rubberElastic polymer from trees
- waterfallsVertical river descents
- lushRichly abundant in growth
folklore
Inherited cultural narratives
- KeralaCochin, Malabar, backwaters, coconut oil, Ayurveda
- South AsiaIndia, Indian states, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Hindustan
- ProvincesBritish Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Formosa, Nova Scotia
- Asian coastsTokyo Bay, Phuket, Bali, Goa, Da Nang
- South Asia travelIndia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh
- South Asian divisionsprovinces, states, territories, divisions, districts