Kerala Cuisine

Feasting on Kerala Cuisine

One part of traveling that I always look forward to is trying the local food. In my Kerala Blog Express Season 4 trip, I was able to enjoy the cuisine of Kerala, India.  A blend of spice and sauces filled my palate for the 15 days that we traversed this southwestern Indian state. The one …

Hotels in Kerala

10 Beautiful Hotels in Kerala

Traversing the length of the Indian state of Kerala for 15 days during our Kerala Blog Express Season 4 was quite a feat. To see all the beauty of this state that is regarded as “God’s Own Country” in such a short span of time was a challenge, especially for one who is taking her …

Trivandrum

Train to Trivandrum

From Kerala’s northernmost district of Kasaragod (READ Kannur and Kasaragod: Of Forts and History) we traversed the whole length of the state of Kerala, India for a 14-hour train ride to the southwestern tip of the country, Thiruvananthapuram, commonly referred to as Trivandrum. This is Kerala’s capital and biggest city. The Kerala Blog Express Season 4 …

Kerala Blog Express Season 4

Kannur & Kasaragod: Of Forts and History

Heading up to the tip of the state of Kerala in India, our Kerala Blog Express Season 4 brought us to the northernmost districts of Kannur and Kasaragod. Coming from the mountainous district of Wayanad (READ Wayanad: Highland Adventure) at the  Western Ghats, it was a refreshing change of scenery as we went towards the …

Thrissur Kerala Blog Express

Thrissur: Art, Heritage and Culture

Cultural performances, heritage tours, and shadow puppet plays. Thrissur is the cultural hub of Kerala, India; our sixth destination during our Kerala Blog Express Season 4. After our Munnar adventures in the upland (READ: Munnar: Chilling in the Mountains), we went back for a day at Kochi before we headed northward to Thrissur. Our heritage …

Kerala Blog Express

Thekkady and Kumily: A Blend of Wild and Spice

A white blanket of fog covers the surroundings, like clouds floating over still, quiet waters. Filling the landscape are uneven and leafless black tree trunks protruding from the water, while great cormorants (one of the bird species found in the area) are perched on their branches. We made our way slowly through the lake, avoiding …

Village Life in Kumarakom

Kumarakom: Life in a Kerala Village

The kids were intently watching our group — mostly foreigners — wandering in one of the backyards in their village. One shyly peeked through the plants and smiled as I eyed her. This was one of the scenes when we went for a responsible tourism visit in a local community in Kumarakom. It is located at …

Alappuzha: A Night In A Houseboat

The calm waters along the canals that open to a lake, the lovely birds flying over us, the picturesque coconut trees and other greens that fill the landscape, and the smiles and waves from the people at the river banks as we sailed through. These are the scenes we saw in Alappuzha, often called Alleppey …

Kerala Blog Express

First-time in Kochi: My Intro To India

Kochi, the city where I spent my first few days during the Kerala Blog Express Season 4, was my initiation to India. The movies that were set in this country and the stories I have heard of this place somehow provided me with a picture of what was to come, something that would overwhelm my …

Kerala Blog Express

First-time in Kerala: God’s Own Country

Kerala Blog Express Season 4, The Trip of A Lifetime, Kicks Off The past weeks, I was mostly on the road, riding a colorful bus that was shared with 28 other bloggers from across the globe, along with the organizers and crew behind this trip. This is the 4th season of Kerala Blog Express. After …