Kerala is truly Human By Nature, here’s why!
As a solo female traveller, Kerala has always been one of my favourite destinations in India because of its kind and generous people. From walking around the zig-zag tea plantations of Munnar to the devout experience at The Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Trivandrum, from the colonial lanes of Kochi, to the unlimited aromatic massages at the Ayurvedic Centres, from sumptuous Sadya meals to the dense rubber plantation of Palakkad, all my experiences in Kerala have been nothing less than sublime. The consistent highlights of these amazing experiences have always been the heart-warming conversation with the humans of Kerala. Before I tell you more about these experiences, I urge you to watch this incredible Human by Nature video.
Kerala and its people have played an instrumental role in my transition from a tourist to a traveller. From strictly following the “to-do list” in Munnar to randomly sauntering around the streets of Kochi looking for stories, I have come a long way. While I went through a complete innate transformation, the people of Kerala have remained just the same. There was no change in their generosity and helpful demeanour.
November 2016, Munnar
My first tryst with Kerala was with the popular tea plantation in Munnar. I distinctly remember clinging on to the window seat, inhaling the aroma of the tea leaves and watching the dense tea plantation with my eyes wide open as if it was a live miracle. Maybe it was, it isn’t God’s Own Country for no reason. After doing all the touristy things we reached a place called Srishti.
Srishti is a welfare centre in Munnar which is managed and run by Tata Tea. It comes under Tata Global Beverages’ Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Srishti aims at providing a quality life to the families of tea pluckers in Munnar and also helps them in shaping the future of their differently-abled children. The tea pluckers are paid on a daily basis and needless to say, they don’t earn a generous amount. Srishti runs various projects which aim at securing a good future for these kids. The projects which define Srishti are Development Activities in Rehabilitations (DARE), Aranaya, Athulya and Strawberry Preserve Making Unit.
So far I have seen humans of Kerala welcoming tourists and travellers with open arms but to see them equally concerned for their own people was a delightful discovery.
December 2017, Trivandrum
By now travelling meant so much more than just stringently following the “things to do” list. On a whim, I planned an elaborate solo affair with the southern part of the country. It was my first time solo in South India and needless to say I was treading carefully. Unlike other places in India, humans of Kerala are more receptive of solo female travellers. Being solo wasn’t something that amazed them, they didn’t look at me with raised eyebrows and didn’t bombard me with the same set of questions. This might not sound like a big deal but trust me it is.
I entered through the massive doors of the Padmanabhaswamy temple and my inquisitive eyes started scanning the architecture of the temple.
While I was curiously observing everything around me because old habits die hard, an elderly uncle thought I was lost. He came to me and politely offered his help. While I would have figured out everything eventually his help accelerated the process. I took the darshan tickets and got in the queue like everyone else. To my surprise that elderly uncle was also in the same queue. He passed a smile when he saw me joining the queue. He was a little ahead of me and it took some cajoling but eventually, I managed to stand just behind him.
The queue was moving at snail’s pace and during that time uncle regaled me with all the mysterious stories around the temple. We didn’t know each other’s name, we didn’t understand each other’s language but in his broken English he conveyed everything that was required to keep the conversation going. Even today, every time I recommend people to visit Padmanabhaswamy Temple, I involuntarily end up telling the same stories that uncle told me.
April 2018, Kochi
My impromptu plan of solo tripping in Kochi was full of revelation, not just about the place but also about its people. I booked a homestay in Fort Kochi and got onto the next available flight to Kochi. The homestay owner helped me in planning everything. He also helped me in booking the backwater ride and Kathakali live dance performance tickets. I had already paid him for the stay he really didn’t have to help me with anything but not just he helped me he went over and above with his caring gestures. Every night he used to call me to check if I have reached back safely. It gives you a sense of comfort and belonging.
A walk in a quaint lane of Fort Kochi will compel you to think about how graciously Kochi embraces and restores the diversity of different histories. Kochi is not just a place but also a huge source of inspiration for a lot of creative writers. The visual appeal, the confluence of histories and mix lineage of Kochi is highly capable of churning out quaint stories with strange characters. After one long tiring day of walking in and around Fort Kochi, I entered the Kashi Art Café for dinner.
Experiencing humanity in Kochi
April is a hot month and by the time the sun went down my migraine had slyly crept in. I decided to quickly grab a bite, go to the homestay, eat medicine and retire for the day. All my planning went for a toss when the migraine shot up instantly. I couldn’t sit there and was in no condition to finish the meal. By the time things got worse, the food had already arrived. I asked the staff to make it a takeaway. The waiter noticed my discomfort and checked on me. I assured everything was fine and rushed outside.
To my surprise, there were no autos running at that time. I sat outside with my head down. The waiter came outside and I told him the whole story. He offered to drop me to the homestay. I told him, your work will suffer, he just said: “mam, the boss will understand”. He dropped me to the homestay and somehow that horrible night passed. Next day I went again and thanked the waiter properly.
Kochi was special for many reasons.
On one side I took my maiden backwater ride and saw the famous Kathakali live dance performance, ate at Kashi Art café and saw the sunset at Vypin beach with Chinese Fishing net backdrop and on the other side met some amazing human beings. Be it the boat rower, the Kathakali dancers, the staff of Kashi Art café, the fishermen at the Chinese nets, the antique sellers at Jew Town or the auto driver bhaiya who I hired most of the times, each one of them has been a part of my story in some or the other way. Kochi was unforgettable not just because of its cultural and historical diversity but also because of its big-hearted humans.
December 2018, Palakkad
Palakkad in Kerala is a hidden gem and is far away from prying eyes of the tourists. I had zero expectations from Palakkad but I was surprised to bits to see the natural beauty of Palakkad. We were visiting my husband’s acquaintance and I tagged along because who would miss the opportunity to explore an offbeat destination in Kerala.
Shaju, my husband’s friend left no stone unturned in showing the wilderness of Palakkad. We drove in and around dense thickets and numerous natural water bodies. He ensured that we witness the famous rubber plantation of Palakkad. The highlight of our time there was drinking fresh toddy (a coveted beverage of Kerala) out of a conventional mug. If it wasn’t for Shaju I don’t think we would have made it to the small shack in the wilderness of Palakkad and devoured that fresh toddy. Palakkad earlier was just a name for me, but it has now become an experience, that is accompanied by stories and memories.
Every time we look back at our time in Palakkad, we cannot help but remember Shaju and his excitement to show us everything that Palakkad had to offer. If not for Shaju I wonder if our experience would have been the same? I highly doubt that.
These are just a few stories that I have mentioned, but trust me there are plenty more in my repertoire. I have holidayed in Kerala and I have healed in Kerala, but I can’t say the same for any other destination. For me, Kerala has always been a balanced mix of its humans and everything else. Have you been to Kerala? Do you find it Human by nature too?
This post was made possible by Kerala Tourism. Opinions as always, are my own.
Well written article. The surprising thing for me was to find Palakkad mentioned as i have rarely seen that district mentioned in kerala travelogues.
It will be great if you can mention the places you visited in Palakkad. would like to visit if possible in future. I do understand that you enjoyed it thanks to efforts of Shaju.
Extremely informative! We also curate travel blogs to help our fellow travelers gain the best experience of their life.
This is an amazing blog about to travel