Kerala, Asia's best travel destination

Kerala Tourism got a boost when the million-plus readers of the acclaimed travel portal, SmartTravelAsia.com, placed the state as the best Asian holiday destination ahead of Bali, Phuket and the Maldives in a poll conducted over 3 months across Asia (India, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and the Middle East), Europe and North America.

The only other Indian destinations to be listed in the top 10 were Rajasthan and Goa - at eighth and 10th spot respectively.

Wake up to the world's best breakfast



Kerala's spread of morning dishes - vellayappam, Uppuma, iddli, puttu, masala dosa and appams have been rated the best breakfast in the world by Travel & Leisure magazine. A must-try is the crisp lacy appam served with meat/vegetable stew.

Walk-through paddy fields


Here's a completely different walking experience. Venture in to the very heart of the paddy fields, on narrow dykes. Don't lose yourself in the dazzling green around you, as you'll have to watch out for the slushy water passages that run through your mud path.


Take a swig of toddy



Ask your tour guide to arrange for fresh madhura kallu (sweet toddy extracted from the coconut palm) and have it the Kerala way with exotic karimeen pollichathu (baked fresh water fish) or spicy pickles.