There are a lot of people traveling to India these days. Some are ex-pats looking to reconnect with the homeland. Others are a vast range of tourists and adventures with a host of ideas of what would be the perfect Indian getaway. Whatever your motivation, you probably want to know where the action is. I'm here to tell you.
As far as I'm concerned, there's no doubt about it: the place to be in India these days is Kerala. Forget about all the cliches of Katmandu and Goa; there's yesterday destination. Unless you actually want to be a trophy of irony, forget all about them. Sure, Mumbai and Delhi certainly have their appeal. But, let's be honest, there is an intensity, a weight of sheer human presence, in those cities, which just isn't everyone's cup of chai.
If you're looking for an India stay that provides the best of what the country has to offer, at a relaxed pace, surrounded by natural beauty and vibrant culture, for you, the current time in India is Kerala time! Located in a long stretch at the south-western corner of the country (if you can picture Chile in South America, you can roughly picture where Kerala is in India), it has everything you could want for a vacation or extended stay.
If you think I'm exaggerating, check out these great features:
Let's start with Kochi. It's sometimes still called Cochin on older maps. But, by whatever name, the commercial center of Kerala is as happening as it is beautiful. It sits engagingly at the crossroads of some of Kerala's famous backwaters. The town spreads out over the northern end of a peninsula, several islands and the corresponding mainland. Kochi's ubiquitous ferries ply the waterways of the city's exquisite natural harbor. Personal experience allows me to testify that dolphins sometimes swim so close to the low slung ferries that you can, without exaggeration, simply reach over and pet them, right there in the water. It's a memory that has stuck with me my whole life.
The built environment also nicely complements the natural setting. Kochi has a history of diverse colonization, including a century and a half under the Portuguese. Whatever you think of colonialism in principle, this rich experience of cultural crossroads has left the city with a pretty amazing architectural legacy.
Don't get lulled into complacency by the idyllic natural and architectural beauty, though. Kochi can rock its way into your heart, too. Its thriving nightlife provides an impressive spectrum of fine restaurants, offering up culinary delights from all over India. International food options are also well represented. Following a night out for dinner, you can kick back in any of a diverse number of cafes (south Indian coffee is great!), or if looking for something more energetic, there are a good assortment of discos and pubs to party on into the wee hours.
And when you feel you're big city maxed-out, don't despair, Kerala has only begun to reveal its treasures. If you still, though, want some adventure that keeps you on the move, the splendid Kerala backwaters may be just your thing. Composed of lagoons and lakes that run parallel to what, in a more prosaic time, was called the Malabar Coast, they are connected into a vast backwater network through a great number of canals and rivers.
While there is so much to explore here we'll quickly mention just two options. The center of all this is the Alappuzha (still sometime referred to as Alleppey) district. The main town of the backwaters, it is sometimes called the Venice of the East because of all the canals running through the town. It was one of the great trading centers of the area and remains a vibrant and fascinating location to visit.
The other really popular backwater adventure is to book passage on one of the kettuvallams, or Kerala houseboats. About 2000 of these kettuvallams make their way through the Kerala backwaters. Originally built to be grain barges, the kettuvallams have since been converted into what might be best described as floating cottages. Their thatched roofs enclose a comfy sleeping area and usually a Western style inboard toilet. Part of the boat is converted into an outdoor deck, perfect for viewing the scenery, watching the sunset and eating the Kerala-style meals prepared by the crew.
But, if even that's too much action for you, and all you really want to do is lounge on a beach and sip a refreshing drink, while soaking in the sun and the sound of the waves, Kerala has you covered still. Indeed, there are plenty of spots for this, but we'll tell you about just one absolute gem that you must see. Varkala is a chill-out heaven. But, despite its laid back paradise profile, unlike most other such spots along the Malabar Coast, it has not been overrun by Western hippies and rave kids.
The lush tropical coastline and exquisite beach is punctuated by the geologically unique cliffs around which the seaside village is located. There is a series of small shops - stretching over a kilometer - that run along the top edge of the cliffs. There are so many lovely places to simultaneously feed the palate, the eyes and the soul, that this is a location that has to be seen to be believed. (To get some fleeting sense of the delights, check out the video at our post: The Current Time in India is Varkala Time!)
And, if you're such a hard sell that even paradise itself isn't enough to move you, Varkala offers the additional perk of a 2000 year old temple, which is an important Vaishnavaite shrine. It is too a hotbed of Ayurvedic medicine. Heck, it even has an Ayurvedic hospital. What more could you want?
Getting to Kerala isn't too difficult: international flights fly into Kochi and the Kerala capital city of Thiruvananthapuram (which, incidentally, is about 32 miles, or 50 km from Varkala). However, and this is only for the real keeners, I admit, but if you can spare the time, why not really make an adventure of it? Fly instead into the even better served Mumbai airport. Then, after the must-stop-in to visit Bollywood, get yourself onto the wonderful Konkan railway for the trip down the Malabar Coast. Back in the 70s, when I first came to India, this railway didn't exist and, except for a brief time during which there was a boat between then-Bombay and Goa, the trip down the west coast was a real hardship. The new railway is a great boon to travel and a beautiful ride.
However you choose to get there, though, just get there. Nothing lasts forever. And Kerala is in all its glory. The current time in India is, indeed, Kerala time!
As far as I'm concerned, there's no doubt about it: the place to be in India these days is Kerala. Forget about all the cliches of Katmandu and Goa; there's yesterday destination. Unless you actually want to be a trophy of irony, forget all about them. Sure, Mumbai and Delhi certainly have their appeal. But, let's be honest, there is an intensity, a weight of sheer human presence, in those cities, which just isn't everyone's cup of chai.
If you're looking for an India stay that provides the best of what the country has to offer, at a relaxed pace, surrounded by natural beauty and vibrant culture, for you, the current time in India is Kerala time! Located in a long stretch at the south-western corner of the country (if you can picture Chile in South America, you can roughly picture where Kerala is in India), it has everything you could want for a vacation or extended stay.
If you think I'm exaggerating, check out these great features:
Let's start with Kochi. It's sometimes still called Cochin on older maps. But, by whatever name, the commercial center of Kerala is as happening as it is beautiful. It sits engagingly at the crossroads of some of Kerala's famous backwaters. The town spreads out over the northern end of a peninsula, several islands and the corresponding mainland. Kochi's ubiquitous ferries ply the waterways of the city's exquisite natural harbor. Personal experience allows me to testify that dolphins sometimes swim so close to the low slung ferries that you can, without exaggeration, simply reach over and pet them, right there in the water. It's a memory that has stuck with me my whole life.
The built environment also nicely complements the natural setting. Kochi has a history of diverse colonization, including a century and a half under the Portuguese. Whatever you think of colonialism in principle, this rich experience of cultural crossroads has left the city with a pretty amazing architectural legacy.
Don't get lulled into complacency by the idyllic natural and architectural beauty, though. Kochi can rock its way into your heart, too. Its thriving nightlife provides an impressive spectrum of fine restaurants, offering up culinary delights from all over India. International food options are also well represented. Following a night out for dinner, you can kick back in any of a diverse number of cafes (south Indian coffee is great!), or if looking for something more energetic, there are a good assortment of discos and pubs to party on into the wee hours.
And when you feel you're big city maxed-out, don't despair, Kerala has only begun to reveal its treasures. If you still, though, want some adventure that keeps you on the move, the splendid Kerala backwaters may be just your thing. Composed of lagoons and lakes that run parallel to what, in a more prosaic time, was called the Malabar Coast, they are connected into a vast backwater network through a great number of canals and rivers.
While there is so much to explore here we'll quickly mention just two options. The center of all this is the Alappuzha (still sometime referred to as Alleppey) district. The main town of the backwaters, it is sometimes called the Venice of the East because of all the canals running through the town. It was one of the great trading centers of the area and remains a vibrant and fascinating location to visit.
The other really popular backwater adventure is to book passage on one of the kettuvallams, or Kerala houseboats. About 2000 of these kettuvallams make their way through the Kerala backwaters. Originally built to be grain barges, the kettuvallams have since been converted into what might be best described as floating cottages. Their thatched roofs enclose a comfy sleeping area and usually a Western style inboard toilet. Part of the boat is converted into an outdoor deck, perfect for viewing the scenery, watching the sunset and eating the Kerala-style meals prepared by the crew.
But, if even that's too much action for you, and all you really want to do is lounge on a beach and sip a refreshing drink, while soaking in the sun and the sound of the waves, Kerala has you covered still. Indeed, there are plenty of spots for this, but we'll tell you about just one absolute gem that you must see. Varkala is a chill-out heaven. But, despite its laid back paradise profile, unlike most other such spots along the Malabar Coast, it has not been overrun by Western hippies and rave kids.
The lush tropical coastline and exquisite beach is punctuated by the geologically unique cliffs around which the seaside village is located. There is a series of small shops - stretching over a kilometer - that run along the top edge of the cliffs. There are so many lovely places to simultaneously feed the palate, the eyes and the soul, that this is a location that has to be seen to be believed. (To get some fleeting sense of the delights, check out the video at our post: The Current Time in India is Varkala Time!)
And, if you're such a hard sell that even paradise itself isn't enough to move you, Varkala offers the additional perk of a 2000 year old temple, which is an important Vaishnavaite shrine. It is too a hotbed of Ayurvedic medicine. Heck, it even has an Ayurvedic hospital. What more could you want?
Getting to Kerala isn't too difficult: international flights fly into Kochi and the Kerala capital city of Thiruvananthapuram (which, incidentally, is about 32 miles, or 50 km from Varkala). However, and this is only for the real keeners, I admit, but if you can spare the time, why not really make an adventure of it? Fly instead into the even better served Mumbai airport. Then, after the must-stop-in to visit Bollywood, get yourself onto the wonderful Konkan railway for the trip down the Malabar Coast. Back in the 70s, when I first came to India, this railway didn't exist and, except for a brief time during which there was a boat between then-Bombay and Goa, the trip down the west coast was a real hardship. The new railway is a great boon to travel and a beautiful ride.
However you choose to get there, though, just get there. Nothing lasts forever. And Kerala is in all its glory. The current time in India is, indeed, Kerala time!
About the Author:
To keep up on The Current Time in India, in every sense of the word, check out our website . Mitchell Jones is one of the best travel journalists on India and other destinations. If you're considering a vacation in India, don't miss his piece on CDC Travel Vaccines for India .
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