On a trip, people usually visit the main attractions of the state. In this way, they only get to see the outer beauty of that place. But, to experience the essence of a destination, you have to do much more than that. Ways to Enjoy your Kerala Trip.

So, people who are planning to visit Kerala can experience it in two ways. Either they can only visit the top attractions and admire the outer beauty of the state. Or they can experience Kerala to the fullest by understanding the culture and lifestyle of Keralites along with visiting beautiful tourist attractions.

We know that not everyone would go for the second option. But, people who are very passionate about traveling and understanding everything about a novel place would choose the second option for sure.

So, if you are one of these people, then you are in the right place. Yes, here we will tell you the ways through which you can enjoy your Kerala trip like a locality. Let’s see how you can make this Kerala trip more meaningful:

Travel in Public Vehicles:

Traveling in public vehicles like buses will give you great cultural exposure and also help in saving your money. Tourists who book cabs for transporting can never see this side of Kerala. Besides, the charges of buses are very low as compared to cabs.

eKerala tourism provides a fun experience because you will get to search for the route, the bus which you should take and the stop on which you have to de-board if you will travel via public transport.

Take a bus in Kochi to meet people of various cultural groups. Have a chat with them as you wait for your stop to arrive.

Eat Proper Keralan Meal:

You should try the cuisine of Kerala on your Kerala trip. Yes, some restaurants also serve other cuisines like North Indian, Chinese or international. But, you can eat all that in your town as well.

So, relishing the tasty and authentic meal of Kerala should be on your list if you wish to experience the place like a local. You can find various vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian Malayalee dishes in any city of Kerala.

The food is very different here, and it is quite heavy as well. Try Sadya which is an enormous vegetarian platter served on plantain leaves. If you are non-veg, then you can also eat scrumptious Keralan dishes made of seafood, beef, lamb, etc.

Buy and Wear Traditional Keralan Attire:

You may have packed loads of light clothes for exploring the destination without any problem. But, trying traditional wear of Kerala will be a unique experience. We are not asking you to wear a lungi or a mundu on each day of your trip.

But, you can try traditional wear for once. Go to the nearby markets and buy a traditional Keralan saree, suit, kurta or lungi. Select a day when you could wear it while exploring the city. For example, if you are going to visit some temple in Kerala, then you can wear a dress made up of Kasavu Mundu on that visit.

This dress is considered auspicious, and you will look amazing in your trip photos as you pose outside the temple in traditional attire!

Spend a Day in a Keralan Village:

Kerala is a very nature-friendly state, and you will find many clean and green villages here. Tourists usually never bother to see the rural lifestyle of a place. But, spending time in a random village actually helps in unwinding your mind by providing soothing vibes.

So, pick up a village of Kerala and go to explore it. You can also book village tours to enjoy this experience. Your perspective about Kerala will change after seeing life at villages. How these villagers live harmoniously with nature without much development happily is a worth experiencing thing.

You can also participate in their daily activities like canoeing in mangrove forests, fishing and crab farming. You would love the experience of eating a village-style meal and learning a few new Malayalam words there.

Indulge in the Festivities of Kerala:

Everyone loves festivals, and you get to see various new celebrations while visiting a new place. So, you should not only limit yourself to tourist destinations but also become a part of the festivities of Kerala.

Prepare for the main festivals like locals, dress up like them and perform all the rituals like they are doing to indulge in their festivities. The main festivals of Kerala are Onam, Theyyam, Thrissur Pooram, Kerala Boat Festival, and Maha Shivratri.

Onam is the biggest of all festivals which continues for 10 days. You can also watch the famous snake boat race during this festival. The cultural dances of Theyyam festivals are also worth watching.

Watch a Kathakali Performance:

To understand the culture of Kerala, you should witness the local art and folk dances as well. Kathakali is the most famous traditional dance of Kerala which you should surely see. This dance is unique as the dress up, the make-up and huge headgears of dancers look out of the world

Everything is so vibrant in this performance. You will surely be impressed by the skills of dancers. The way they portray various expressions and the way they carry these heavy ornaments while dancing is truly commendable.

You can see these Kathakali performances in any state of Kerala. However, to see the best version of it, visit Varkala Culture Centre.

Watch a Malayalam Movie:

You will find many theatres which show Malayalam movies in Kerala. Mostly, people of Kerala are big fans of movies, and the film industry releases several Malayalam movies every year. So, you can see one for a change.

Conclusion

If you don’t know Malayalam, even then you can enjoy these movies. You can find some Malayalee movies translated in Hindi on a few cinemas. Otherwise, you can also see a Malayalam movie with subtitles. So, you should try it.