Must to do things in Kerala, India

1. Elephant splash at Thekaddy, Periyar Kerala. Elephant ride, shower, bathing is one of the most interesting things to do in Thekady, Kerala, India. Thekkady Elephant Safari is near the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. This activity has been completed under a supervision of mahot and all the elephants here are well trained. Interestingly all female elephants are engaged in this activity as they are very calm as compare to male ones. First activity is an elephant ride, for that you have to wait for 10-15 min, depending upon the queue. one can ride on elephant's back from a mounting station. There is a seat placed on elephant back, made up of tight cushion and covered with plastics sheet. That also included iron rods which will provide you support during the ride.

Riding on the heavy weighted creature was a completely difference experience, as the elephant moves we got goose bumps all over our body. At the end of the ride we have taken some pictures with elephant, we were amazed to see the sweet interaction between mahot and elephant, he says something and elephant raise her snout for photo session. Second activity was elephant shower, in this you can sit on top of elephant and elephant will drench you with clean water. I must say this activity is completely filled with Chills, thrills and spills.

After that, now its time to please elephant, by giving her a bathing session. cleaning brushes are being provided by staff, a giant elephant will lie down next to you and you have rub her back, head, ears, feets and splash water. Replenish their healthy appetite with some fruits and you can get a chance to pet them and hug them and have a photo session with them. It was the best part... not to be missed.

Also if you had planned to visit Munnar and Thekkady both, that i would suggest to do this activity instead of the elephant park in Munnar.

Timings for Elephant ride is from 9 am to 6 pm.

Fee: INR 1000/- per person for Ride, shower and bathing.

Total activity time: 1 hour

2. Nestled in lap of nature, Stay in a tree house.

When you are in Kerala, ditch the luxury hotel and spend the night high in the treetops and feel the uninterrupted connect with nature. your morning will be fabulous, when you wake up the the chirping of the birds rather than snoozing alarm clock. Imagine a peaceful place where nobody can find you and you are secretly watching the nature at its best.

Not only this, staying in tree house also allow you to treat your eyes to the stunning views of nature. A foggy morning, with a cup of tea/coffee in your hand, witness sunrise by hand in hand with your loved one. Experience a perfect blend of thrill, excitement, serenity and much more by planning to stay in tree house at Vandiperiyar, 15 km away fromThekaddy. There are other nature activities to enjoy nearby, too, like kayaking in Periyar river.

Price range INR 3000-10000/-

3. Go for backwater shikara ride, Alleppey

Perfect way to explore backwaters, Alleppey is famous for its beautiful backwaters with criss-cross canals, green paddy fields. We preferred to choose the shikara ride instead of staying in houseboat because Shikara boats can navigate through narrow canals taking you into the heart of the city, where you can enjoy the absolute gorgeousness of the nature and also get chance to see the simple life of rural villagers, whose lives and livelihoods are dependent on these waters.

These Shikara, are smaller as houseboats in size with a seating capacity of four to fifteen. Shkirara boats have a deck, bed to lie down, comfortable reclining chairs made up of wood and bamboo, boat is covered with a roof while all four sides are open which allow the gentle backwater breeze in. Spectacular sceneric location.

Ticket counter : Finishing Point Road, near Oxygen (Haveli) Resort, Thathampally, Alappuzha Hourly charges for shikara ride: INR 800-1000/-

4. Go traditional.The culture and traditions of kerala are exhibited in the sarees of the state, which cant be witnessed anywhere else. The typical kerala saree is hand woven and it is 100% unbleached cotton. It is known for its fineness of count in weaving.

Get traditional attire of kerala, Dhoti locally called Mundu for men and Sari for women. Specialty of this attire is that, It has a border called Kara which can be of any colour, mostly golden. Kara renders a style to the Mundu by displaying it on the left or right side of the person. Kara can be embroidered or decorated with ornaments for special occasions. Mundu can be turned into a half skirt kind of a thing by tucking the lower end into the waist.

Generally, kerala traditional dress is white or off white in color. It depicts purity and elegance. Initially, we have not planned to go traditional this but suddenly the thought came into our mind, we stopped our car at a clothing center and mention our requirement to storekeeper and here we are. This seems simple but we had lots of fun by doing this. Also received lots of compliments from local unknown peoples. We were very grateful to the store staff, who helped us to wear Dhoti and sari and arranged traditional "Tilak".

Basic sari : INR 1250-1500/-

Dhoti: INR 850-1000/-

5. Shirodhara, healing science.

Shirodhara. image source : Google

Shirodhara massage is a classic Ayurvedic therapy, which includes gently pouring of warm herbal oil on the forehead in a continuous stream. The name comes from the Sanskrit words shiro (head) and dhara (flow). We have decided to switch off our mobile phones and to rejuvenate. Its benefits extend beyond the feelings of relaxation. it reduces stress, improves sleep, reduce anxiety, awakens intuition, improves concentration, nourishes hairs and scalp. Shirodhara stimulates Marma’s or Vital Points in the head and improves circulation. The warm oils used for Shirodhara also cause vasodilatation of all the channels and thereby improve the blood circulation of brain. All the therapists are well-trained and experienced who perform the Shirodhara Treatment skilfully.

Package range : INR 2500-10,000/-

6. Try authentic kerala food

There are variety of mouthwatering dishes, but we have tried few like Puttu and Kadala Curry, Appam with Stew, Idiyappam, Malabar Parota, Thattu dosa with Chutney, Payasam, Banana halwa, kerala spiked buttermilk, banana chips. Lets have some details of our favorite ones.

Idiyappam

Idiyappam, we had in breakfast. It is like noodles, made of rice flour, water and salt. Numerous strands of vermicelli are entwined together to make this version of an appam. This Kerala dish can be paired with sambhar, nariyal chutany or any curry. Its light healthy and tasty.

Sadhya

Another is, traditional authentic Kerala meal, Sadhya. It is served with rice and 12-20 dishes in a fresh plantain leaf/plate along with side dishes like papad, pickle etc.

Maala buttermilk

Approximately 15 km before Alleppy, on the road side these is a masala buttermilk junction. They provide buttermilk with soda, ginger, garlic, currey leaves, black pepper, mint etc. It taste awesome. Well i have made plans to try at home as well. Another is coconut toddy is an exotic drink prepared from tender coconut in Kerala. It is of two kinds- sour and sweet (around 8% alcohol content) and it is similar to the North Indian drink 'bhang'.

7. KFDC Flower garden, Munnar It is a botanical garden with green house full of rare flowers also known as munnar rose garden. The total area covered under this garden was approx 2 acres of land which includes variety of plants, including spices, crops like cardamom and vanilla different kind of flowers. Its beautifully managed and have lots of variety. The heart-warming blossoms and colourful flowers make the place more beautiful and you feel so fresh and relaxed here within few minutes. A must visit place for garden lovers and photographers. Washroom facility is available here and no extra charges for camera.It is located around 5 kms from Munnar town towards metupatty dam.

Entry fee: 150 for two

Timings : 10am to 6pm

8. Buy lottery ticket

you may think it's wired, but yes when in Kerala buy a lottery ticket. I have seen proper shops and stalls selling these lottery later on after some en-query i came to know that these are Kerala state lottery's authorized by govt. I was surprised to know that Kerala added another feather to its cap in 1967, when a lottery department was setup for the first time in India. It is a major source of non-tax revenue for the state, at the same time providing a stable income source for the many people. Lottery results can be checked online after 3:30 PM everyday at www.kerala.gov.in and www.keralalotteries.in. we have brought a ticket of INR 50/- and the highest price for the day was 1 Cr and lowest was INR 100/- but hard luck we didn't get anything.

9. Tea plantation walk, at Munar A refreshing, energizing walk, soaking in sights & aroma with your family and friends in tea state, and get clicked in the lush green mountains carpeted with well manicured tea plantations, will definitely make your day.

Plantation walk

Timings: 2 slots 8am and 5pm

Duration : 2 hoursPrior to visit, online booking is recommended.

10. Visit Lockhart tea FactoryLockhart tea Factory is situated 10km southeast of Munnar. The

Tea tasting zone

Factory here was constructed in 1936. Factory tour can also booked online specially if you are planning to have an tea tasting session. Guided factory tours explain modern tea processing from picking to export and provide handful of knowledge about orthodox tea processing and the operations that go into the making of black tea, green tea, and white tea. Really now i cam to know the difference clearly. It was very informative factory tour.

There's also a small museum and behind the Museum there was a Watch Tower also. Entry charges : INR 200 per person

Tea tasting : INR 200 per person

Photography inside the factory is not allowed.