In April 2018, I was lucky enough to spend a week in this exotic, tropical part of India exploring all it has to offer and visiting a wide selection of hotels, sights and attractions. Hot weather (and hot food), colourful, vibrant, chaotic driving, wildlife, diverse culture, interesting history, tropical thunderstorms and lovely people with warm smiles are descriptions that spring to mind when thinking of Kerala, often described locally as “God’s own Country”.

Ranging from the cooler forested heights of the Western Ghats to the houseboats on the famed Backwaters, beaches and the historic city of Cochin, and interspersed with a range of wildlife parks, Kerala certainly has variety. It feels so completely different to the North of India in so many ways that it could almost be a different country. With friendly people, great food, plenty of decent hotels, good airports and a surprisingly good road network, Kerala is well worth considering for a holiday to India.