30. INDIA IV - Kerala & Tamil Nadu

The 2 visited states in this post

The last stage of our 6 month India journey was the two most Southern states of the country: Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Whenever we asked people all over India about places to visit, Kerala has always been among their recommendations and we were excited to check if all the hype was justified. We spent 5 weeks in Kerala and 3 weeks in Tamil Nadu.

Kerala is known as "God's own Country" in India and is especially famous for its backwaters, spices, coconuts and the highest literacy in India. It's also an interesting mix of all big religions and you will find plenty of churches, temples, mosques and even synagogues all next to each other. Our itinerary there started in a tiny village called Velloor where we based ourselves on a river and had a 2-week travel break since we were very exhausted from the last months of traveling. The calm tropical village was perfect to relax, write, read, work and try the local cuisine the entire day.

Our next steps in Kerala were Kochi with its islands & giant port and Alappuzha (Alleppey), from where we explored the heartland of the extensive backwater system. The huge maze of rivers and canals there is amazing and experiencing the village life on the water from a boat is a highlight of every India trip.

Christmas we spent in Varkala, a coastal town with nice beaches just next to impressive cliffs. The capital of Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram was our last stop in the state. There we had a great stay with Sarang and Srijita and really liked the city a lot more than Kochi.

Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Pondicherry were our last states in India. Tamil Nadu is most famous for its colorful temple towers, Southern cuisine and movies. Madurai, a city of huge cultural and historical importance with a beautiful temple was our first step in the state. It's always heartbreaking to see Elephants captured and abused for religious ceremonies. I already learned a lot about Tamil culture in the North of Sri Lanka but seeing Tamil Nadu was obviously something different.

In Kodaikanal, a hill station 2,200 m above sea level we had some good hikes and froze our asses off. The pine forests and vegetation were completely different than anything else we have seen before in India. After a week there we were happy to come back to hot climate and visit Puducherry, a union territory with strong French influence. A really interesting mix of East and West within the old quarters of the city.

The last stop of our India adventure was Chennai, 4th biggest city with around 8 million people and Tamil Nadu's heart. The city lacks big sights but has a vibrant atmosphere with plenty of good food, great infrastructure and good people we met. To sleep in the former embassy of Turkey was amazing as well

The entire 6 months India trip was just a rollercoaster ride. It had plenty of ups and downs that I will never forget for sure. Plenty of lessons I learned for life, people I will miss & people I want to forget forever and delicious cuisine that easily made it into my top 3 cuisines so far. Some people say that you either hate or love India. I can't confirm it, for me it's really a mix of both and after spending half a year in that country it's still impossible for me to tell whether I like India or not. One thing is for sure: Everyone who visits India will have adventures and impressions, that you can only experience in this country. I am no spiritual person by any means but one thing is really true: India will change you as a person.

If you dare, come to visit and travel through this insane country and all efforts and downsides will be rewarded as well.

India I: West Bengal, Delhi & Rajasthan
India II: Madhya Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh
India III: Maharashtra, Goa & Karnataka

4 Highlights:
- Exploring the backwaters of Kerala

- Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai

- Unwinding for 2 weeks in a small village in Kerala

- Breathing fresh clean air in the hill station of Kodaikanal