20 More Things to Add to Your Kerala Bucket List
If you've crossed off the items from the previous bucket list and still have a hankering for more – perhaps this list can quell all those lost hopes and desires.
Read on for more things you can partake of, while in Kerala.
Read on for more things you can partake of, while in Kerala.
- Take a Bullock Cart Ride: You haven't experienced the true idyllic taste of Kerala if you haven't taken a slow and jaunty ride aboard a bullock cart. These rides are aplenty in villages and you can avail of them in your next Kerala tour.
- Bask in Tribal Cultures: With over 48 indigenous tribal communities in Kerala alone, immersing yourself in the wondrous and awe-inspiring local culture will surely make the most out of your evening.
- Visit Mata's Ashram in Kollam: Mata Amritanandamayi's ashram in Vallikkavu in Kollam is a motherly paradise for all, irrespective of caste, creed, religion and sex. Visit her tranquil ashram to bask in her divine love.
- Take a Ferry to Marine Drive: One can choose to walk around the Marine drive in Fort Kochi, munching on street food and take in the sea, but the real sight is gazing at the Marine Drive promenade from the sea. It is best done with a fun-filled ferry ride from the sea.
- Stay a Night in a Tree House: It has been a personal dream to live in the lap of nature. However, to live atop a tree house high above the ground makes for a different experience altogether.
- Visit the Beemapalli Mosque: This pristine mosque enshrines the deity of a saint who was said to have healed hundreds with her mystical powers. The mosque of Beema Devi is near Trivandrum on your way to Shanghumugham Beach.
- Crocodile Watching at Neyyam: Can there be anything more exciting than having a pool of predators laze around in the same space as you? Yes – with the Crocodile Rehabilitation and research Centre at Neyyam, you can do just that! What a picnic spot, it would be!
- See the Cheena Valla: The Chinese fishing nets along the Kerala backwaters are a sight on their own. The way it is cast and drawn back in can make for a set of truly remarkable photographs – think about it!
- Bird Watching at Mangalavanom: While touring Kochi, take a break to watch the myriad birds at Mangalavanom. Situated next to the high court of Kerala, a trip down here will complete a serene afternoon in the wilderness.
- Pray at the Guruvayoor Temple: The Guruvayoor Sri Krishna temple near Thrissur attracts hundreds of ardent devotees each year. If not for the pull of faith, simply visit to admire the architecture and the feel of the place.
- Watch a Kathakali Performance: With elaborate costume and arduously painted faces retelling the epics, the traditional Kathakali dance is worth a mention on this list. Make sure you carry your camera to the performance venue. Some memorable clicks are bound to come by.
- Take Home Coconut Tree Products: When in Kerala, it is impossible to leave without some souvenirs. With so many coconut trees around, it is quite inevitable to find souvenirs crafted out of anything else. Coir mats, masks fashioned out shells, cups and holders made by hand are perfect gifts for relatives back home.
- Buy Earthen Kerala Pots: Have you noticed how Kerala cuisine, when served in these earthen pots smell and taste richer than in any other serve-ware? So make sure you buy a couple of pots and pans to recreate this rich taste back home.
- Visit One Waterfall at Least: Waterfalls in Kerala are aplenty. Athirapally, Vazhachal, Thommankuth, Palaruvi, Thushagiri and Cheeyappara are all beautiful and breath-taking to behold. One look can calm your senses and exhilarate you at the same time. So why miss this chance?
- Drink Some Tender Coconut Water: Only here in Kerala, will you find the finest and the tenderest coconut, whose water is almost sweet with essential nutrients and minerals. Take that, mineral water!
- Visit the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple: In God's own country, it is quite natural to have every nook and cranny bursting with local religion, inspiring architecture and simply one's faith in the divine. The Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a shining example of the same, attracting hundreds of devotees from across the nation to pray to Lord Vishnu and appreciate the lulling calm of the atmosphere.
- Experience an Aromatic Spice Garden Tour: The land of spices is here to bewitch your senses with its wondrous variety and what better way to acquaint yourself of this than a spice tour? With huge plantations cultivating cardamom, cloves and peppers, you will be educated and turned to a believer of the divine spice Gods that exist!
- Atone for Your Sins at Papanasam Beach: With the legends of sin-cleansing rife in this famous Varkala beach, it doesn't harm you to try! Either way, the sheer beauty and tranquillity is sure to bring you peace!
- Learn about History in Eddakkal Caves: The insides are adorned with cave paintings and rich depictions of early life! Besides spelunking in a cave has its own benefits!
- Witness the Backwaters in the Rains: The backwaters of Kerala being beautiful in their own right, take on further beauty in the monsoons. With the pouring rain, the region comes alive in a dance of harmony, charm and bliss. It is a sight worth waiting for!
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