You may teleport to Kerala by visualising swaying palm trees, breaking surf, coffee plantations, hill getaways, silent backwaters, rice farms, and stunning national parks that are home to a variety of species.
A journey to Kerala, one of India’s more well-known states, may be packed with a lot of activities. The South Indian state of Kerala, sometimes known as “God’s Own Country,” has a lot to offer, including palm-fringed beaches, ayurvedic resorts, yoga studios, hill towns, and tea plantations in the Western Ghats mountains. Then there are the Kerala Backwaters, which, despite their challenges with congestion, nonetheless offer a tranquil setting for any experience in Kerala – when done well.
We have compiled our suggestions for travelling mindfully in Kerala so that you may make the most of your stay there. The best eco-friendly hotels, homestays, community tourism initiatives, wildlife projects, independently owned eateries, and much more can be found right here!
Kerala’s ecotourism
The beauty of Kerala is no longer a mystery, and with its increased popularity have come large numbers of tourists, both from India and abroad. This influx of people has created issues for Kerala’s wildlife, environment, and locals, including pollution, overdevelopment, a lack of local empowerment, and a loss of tourism-related economic benefits.
Water and other local resources have been depleted, disturbing the delicate balance of plant and animals. In Alleppey, where taking a houseboat trip is high on so many people’s lists of things to do, sights of crammed houseboats, islands of floating plastic, and squalor on top of pitch-black water are common.
The good news is that visiting Kerala may be done in a way that avoids the tourist traps and heavily visited areas while also supporting projects that benefit the locals and the community. We have you covered for the best environmentally friendly travel in Kerala.
Before we get started, a word regarding Kerala’s use of the term “Ecotourism” (and the rest of India). Unfortunately, ecotourism is not always used and is only associated with destinations that adhere to the values of responsible travel (ie. giving back to local communities, being environmentally sensitive and protecting local people and cultures).
Too busy or pressed for time to make your own travel plans? Numerous local tour operators are available to assist, including eKeralaTourism, which offers many of Kerala’s highlights or may create custom itineraries.
Munnar
Despite being one of Kerala’s top attractions, we only managed to pass through its beautiful gardens there as part of our Kerala itinerary. The main attraction here is tea, of course, and the majority of visitors come to take in the atmosphere and appreciate being surrounded by the beauty of the tea gardens.
The Munnar Tea Country Resort has adopted sustainable practises and is working to lessen its environmental impact, making it a sustainable lodging option.
Periyar and Thekkady Tiger Reserves
One of the pleasures of our trip to Kerala was going interior and climbing the Western Ghats, Kerala’s mountains. Our bus ride, albeit bumpy, offered breathtaking views as it wound past hills, tea farms, and around multiple hairpin curves. Many people travel to Thekkady to witness Kerala’s wildlife because of Periyar National Park, also often very optimistically referred to as Periyar Tiger Reserve. Simply put, it’s an opportunity to escape the hot, muggy air of the coast and backwaters.
Activities in Periyar and Thekkady
Exploring Periyar – Kerala’s Western Ghats are one of India’s largest wildlife refuges, and Periyar National Park is a popular tourist attraction where visitors come to witness wild elephants, leopards, tigers, and other animals. The national park can be explored in a variety of ways, but during our visit to Periyar, we discovered that some were much more delightful than others. While the lake cruise resembled a trip to Disney World, we enjoyed exploring the park in the early morning mist with our local guide (Periyar is one of the few parks you may walk into), and we really enjoyed our stay at Spice Village in Thekkady, Kerala’s most environmentally friendly hotel.Best Forest stay in kerala.
Learn more about the various tribal communities that call the area around Periyar home, including the Mannan, Paliyan, and Malapandaram tribes. These groups frequently lead drastically different lifestyles from “mainstream” society, and as a result, they are occasionally marginalised. They possess unmatched expertise of the forest regions and are currently gaining from Periyar-related tourism through a number of ecotourism projects. By going on a walk or a trip with one of the village guides, or by travelling to the Tribal Heritage Museum in Thekkady, you may show your support for the people who have historically relied on the forest.
Seeing Animals – Although we enjoyed our trip to Thekkady and our time there, if seeing wildlife is your main reason for going, you could be let down. Many animals hide deep in the forest because of the crowds. We can’t really blame them, though. See our page here for all the details on visiting Thekkady and Periyar.
Where to Stay in Periyar and Thekkady
It goes without saying that our stay at the lovely and extremely environmentally friendly Spice Village Resort was the highlight of our time in Thekkady. The resort is powered by a solar plant the size of a football field, has its own water filtration and bottling facility, a paper recycling operation (all paper used in the hotel is recycled), multiple types of compost, biogas, and the list goes on. It’s no wonder this resort has won awards for its environmental and community initiatives. It’s also a lovely spot to unwind because the cottages are well-spaced out and situated among serene gardens, where black monkeys and birds gently snooze above. The cottages are built to resemble a typical spice village.
