Kerala കേരളം

A boat in Kuttanad, in the Kerala backwaters


Kerala കേരളം) is a state of India located on the southwestern coast of the Indian subcondinent. The coast where Kerala is located is known as the Malabar coast. The state covers 38,863 sq km (15,005 sq mi) and has a population of 33.4 million people. The capital of Kerala is Thiruvananthapuram.

Krishnapuram Palace, Kerala

Cities in Kerala

Kerala is today an increasingly popular travel destination in southern India. Visitors come to kerala to explore its backwaters and to experience its famed Ayurvedic treatments. The majority of the population are of Malayali descent. As such, the official language of Kerala is Malayalam, with Tamil, Tulu, Kannada and Hindi also spoken. The state has a population density which is three times that of India as a whole, but its population growth is today India's lowest.

Kerala has developed its culture, particularly in the area of performing arts. Among the artform of Kerala include the koodiyattom, the kathakali, the Kerala natanam, the Kaliyattam, the koothu, the mohiniaattam, Theyyam, and others. The koodiyattam has found recognition from UNESCO as an intangible heritage of humanity. Kathakali and Mohiniattam are recognized as among the classical dances of India.

The economy of Kerala is based on tourism, agriculture and fishing. Among the crops grown in the state include coconut, tea, coffee, rubber, cashews and spices. Traditional industries employ around a million people. They include handicrafts and handlooms. Tourism today has become one of the major industries in Kerala. In addition, a substantial number of Kerala's workforce is employed in foreign countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Their remittences acount for a fifth of Kerala's gross state domestic product (GSDP).

Kochi Chinese fishing net, Kerala


Kerala is located between the Lakshadweep Sea and the Western Ghats. The state is long and narrow, about 590 km (370 mi) in length but only from 35 km (22 mi) to 120 km (75 mi) in width. The eastern part of Kerala has high mountains rising to about 1,500 m (4,920 ft). The tallest peak in Kerala is Anamudi, at 2,695 m (8,130 ft). The western coastal areas of Kerala has a lace of interconnecting canals, known as the Kerala Backwaters. Lake Vembanad, the biggest lake in the state, is located here.

Kerala experiences the wet and maritime tropical climate. The average temperature is quite uniform at around 26°C in the coastal areas. The state occasionally expereince torrential downpoursm especially during the southwest summer monsoon, as well as droughts.

How to go to Kerala

There are three international airports in Kerala, namely the Thiruvananthapuram Airport (TRV), Cochin Airport (COK) and Kozhikode Airport (CCJ). In addition to domestic destinations, most of the international flights connect Kerala with destinations in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

Athirapally waterfalls, Kerala

Main Sights in Kerala

Districts of Kerala

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

Map of Roads in Penang

Looking for information on Penang? Use this Map of Roads in Penang to zoom in on information about Penang, brought to you road by road.

About this website

Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.