"Visit Kerala one of 50 must see destination" dsantosh's Profile

The National Geographic Traveler, which once made Kerala the cynosure of all eyes in the world travel circuit by describing it as one of the 50 paradises in the world in the April issue. crwww.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/tw/0104/kerala.html
For More Information
Kerala Department of Tourism: www.keralatourism.org
Popular Ayurvedic Treatment Centres:Kerala has very popular health resorts, which besides providing the treatment also offer an enjoyable holiday.
The ultimate Ayurvedic treatment details can be obtained at: www.aryavaidyasala.com%C
Ayurveda Treatment in Kerala
Dr. Franklin's Panchakarma Institute and Research Centre
Chowara P.O.Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala, India, Pin-695501
Tel:+91-471-2480870,2267974,2268071
Fax:+91-471-2267670, Tel/Fax:2480870
e-mil:franklin@dr-franklin.com
drfranklin@eth.net
web site:www.dr-franklin.com
Taj Aurvedic Center - http://www.tajhotels.com/ayurveda/ayurveda.htm
Somatheeram - http://www.somatheeram.com/
Manaltheeram- www.manaltheeram.com
Coconut Bay beach resort, Mulloor P.O, Vizhinjam , Thiruvananthapuram
91-471-2480566, 2480668, 2484566 fax: 91-471- 2343349
cocobay@satyam.net.in
The Travancore Heritage Chowara PO, Trivandrum, Kerala, India 695501
Tel: 91-471-2267828/2267829/2267830/2287831/2267832 Fax: 91-471-2267201
Email: travancoreheritage@vsnl.net
www.thetravancoreheritage.com
M/s. Ashtamudi Resorts. Malibhagom, Chavara South, Kollam - 691584.
91-476-2882288,
Marari Beach resort : http://www.casinogroup.com/marari_innerpage2.htm
Nagarjuna Ayurvedic Centre : http://www.nagarjun.com/html/home.htm
Coconut Lagoon Ayurvedic Centre : www.casinogroup.com
Santhigiri Ayurveda & Siddha Vaidya Sala, Koliyacode P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695 607. Kerala, INDIA. Tel : 91-471-419683, 419056 Fax : 91-471-419076
E-mail : sgiri@md3.vsnl.net.in
Sreedhari Arya Vaidyasala (P) Ltd. Narasimha Vilasom Buildings South
Gate of Secretariat Trivandrum - 695 001 Tel: 91 - 471 - 320304
Sree Sankara Ayurveda Vaidyasala: http://www.sreesankara.com/ssav.htm
Sri Dhanwantari Matam : http://www.dhanwantarimatam.com
Devaki Ayurvedic Foundation: www.devakiayurvedic.com
Triveni Nursing home: http://www.triveninursinghome.com
Other Useful sites
http://www.timeanddate.com
Travel related information:
Travel agents association of India : http://www.taainet.com/search_members.php3
Kerala Government web site : http://www.kerala.gov.in/index.htm
Official web site of the ministry of tourism Government of India : http://www.tourismofindia.com

Kerala Country side

Airline Information (Domestic)
Indian Airlines - http://indian-airlines.nic.in
Jet Airways- www.jetairways.com
Sahara Airlines- www.airsahara.net
Indian Railways- www.indianrail.gov.in
Air Deccan- www.airdeccan.net
Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (owned by the Government of Kerala): http://www.ksrtc.org
Bangalore Transport: www.bmtcinfo.com/english_index.htm
Kerala Police: www.keralapolice.org
Archeological survey of India: http://asi.nic.in/heritage.html
Government of Kerala Web site: www.kerala.gov.in
Weather: weather.noaa.gov/weather/IN_cc.html
The Hotel Directory in India: www.fhraindia.com
Trivandrum
Weather in Trivandrum - http://www.weather.123india.com/kerala/trivandrum.html
Travel guide - http://www.wordtravels.com/Travelguide/Countries/India/Regions/Kerala http://travel.indiamart.com/travelagents/trivandrum.html
Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple, Trivandrum - www.tvmlive.com/city/padmanabha
Kovalam-
Cochin: www.cochin.org
Tourism information. - www.ernakulam.com
History of St. Francis Church Fortkochi - http://www.kagw.com/students/stfrancischurch
Perumbavoor - www.perumbavoor.com
Kochi International Airport - http://www.cochinairport.com
The Jews of Cochin - http://www.kashrus.org/asian/cochin.html http://www.amyisrael.co.il/asia/india
City and Port Guide - http://www.cochin.com
Local government web sites of different states in India
Andhra tourism: www.aptourism.com
Arunachal Pradesh: http://arunachalpradesh.nic.in
Assam tourism: www.assamtourism.org
Bihar Tourism: http://bihar.nic.in/Depts/Tourism/Tourism.htm
Chattisgarh tourism: http://cgtourism.nic.in
Goa Tourism: www.goa-tourism.com
Gujarat Tourism: http://www.gujarattourism.com
Haryana Tourism: http://htc.nic.in
Himachal Tourism : http://www.himachaltourism.nic.in/welcome.htm
Jammu & Kashmir Tourism: http://www.jktourism.org/spring.htm
Jharkand stateTourism: http://jharkhand.nic.in/tourism/tour.htm
Karnatka tourism: http://kstdc.nic.in
Kerala Tourism: www.keralatourism.org and www.ktdc.com
Madhya Pradesh tourism : http://www.mptourism.com
Mahrashtra : http://www.meadev.nic.in/tourism/states/man/overview.htm
Manipur : http://www.meadev.nic.in/tourism/states/man/overview.htm
Meghalaya Tourism: http://www.meghalayatourism.com
Mizoram tourism : http://www.meadev.nic.in/tourism/states/miz/overview.htm
Nagaland tourism : http://www.nagalandtourism.com
Orissa Tourism: http://www.orissatourism.gov.in/main.asp
Punjab tourism: http://punjabgovt.nic.in/tourism/Tour.htm
Pondicherry : http://pondicherry.nic.in
Rajasthan tourism- http://www.rajasthantourism.gov.in/
Sikkim Tourism : http://sikkim.nic.in/sws/sikk_tour.htm
Tamil Nadu tourism: www.tamilnadutourism.org
Tripura Tourism : http://tripura.nic.in/ttourism1.htm
Uttaranchal tourism: http://www.uttaranchaltourism.gov.in/index.html
Uttar pradesh Tourism : www.up-tourism.com
West Bengal tourism : http://www.westbengaltourism.com
Other areas :
Andaman Nicobar islands: http://tourism.andaman.nic.in
Dadra and Nagar Haveli tourism : http://www.meadev.nic.in/states/dnh/dnh.htm
Himalayan railway: http://www.dhrs.org/home.htm

country side in backwaters

Backwaters in Kerala is a network of 1500 Kms of canals and the 38 rivers and 5 big lakes extending from one end of Kerala to the other. Kerala coast has a network of lagoons, lakes, canals, estuaries and deltas rivers that flow into the Arabian Sea. Around 900 Kms of waterway is navigable Kerala also has 600km long coastline of beautiful beaches. The backwaters are unique to Kerala.
Cruising by boat along the Backwaters is one of the highlights of Kerala. The largest backwater stretch in Kerala is the Vembanad Lake & the Ashtamudi Lake (literally, having eight arms), which covers a major portion of Kollam district is the gateway to the Backwaters.
The best circuits for backwater cruise is as under:

 Alleppey Round- Cruise through Punnamada lake, Vembanad lake and narrow canals. Visit paddy fields below sea level etc.
 Alleppey ? Thottappally -Cruise through Punnamada lake and Paliathuruthy river, Kainakary Village, beach etc
 Alleppey ? Kumarakom- Cruise through Punnamada lake, Vembanadu lake and and Kumarakom bird sanctuary
 Alleppey ? Alumkadave- Cruise through Punnamada lake, Vattakkayal, Paliathuruthy river and Thottappally , Kayamkulam, paddy fields, teashops, beaches villages and coir making villages
 The other main backwater areas of Thiruvananthapuram are Thiruvallam and Veli.
 The eight-hour trip between Kollam and Alappuzha is the longest backwater cruise in Kerala.
 Alappuzha is also famous for its boat races during Onam festival.

One can see the the braeth taking natural beauty and the country life during these journeys in the backwaters. One can also see the skilled-fishermen launching their cockshell boats. Large flotillas of ducks waddling down to the water from thatched houses on the banks and the aimless cattle grazing in lush pastureland, where white lotuses lie here and there in small, low-lying pools.

Little on the boats:
In the ancient days, the main cargo transportation was through backwaters by 'Kettuvalloms'. Kettuvalloms means, boat made with wooden planks joined and stitched together with coconut ropes and painted with cashew nut oil inside and fish oil outside.
In this boat food is prepared on an earthen stove, fuelled by coconut shells, at the stern of the Kettuvalloms. One can watch the food made in the boat.

Houseboats are designed for comfortable cruise and overnight stay. The boat has one / two bath attached double bedrooms with modern comforts, a living cum dining room, sundeck and a kitchen. The boat has solar lamps and fans. The Houseboats are of premium category
In the one bedroom boat the living cum dining room is bigger in size. This boat can accommodate two persons.
The two-bedroom boat also has a living cum dining room. This boat can accommodate four persons.
The meals are prepared on board by personal cook and fish preparations using white prawns, pearl spotted fish, crabs and mussels. The meals normally for an overnight stay include lunch, evening coffee or tea with snacks, dinner and breakfast.
The staff in the boat will assist you in all aspects during your trip.

I assure you that you will have the most memorable holidays

Paddy fields of Kerla

Reserve bank of India ( apex bank ): http://www.rbi.org.in

Banks: www.bankersindia.com

Indian Banks? Association: www.indianbanksassociation.org

Banks in Kerala

Banks of the region where you can do the transactions when you are here:

Kerala based Banks

Catholic Syrian Bank: www.casybank.com

Dhanalakshmi Bank: www.dhanbank.com
Federal Bank: www.federal-bank.com
The South Indian Bank: www.southindianbank.com

Government of India owned banks

State Bank of India: www.statebankofindia.com
State Bank of Travancore: http://statebankoftravancore.com/home45.htm
State Bank of Mysore: www.mysorebank.com
State Bank of Saurashtra: www.sbsbank.com
State Bank of India Bikaner and Jaipur: www.sbbjbank.com
Allahabad Bank: www.allahabadbank.com
Bank of Baroda: www.bankofbaroda.com
Bharat Overseas Bank Ltd. : www.bharatoverseasbank.com
Canara Bank: www.canbankindia.com
Indian Bank: www.indian-bank.com
Indian Overseas Bank: www.iob.com
Oriental Bank of Commerce: www.obcindia.com
Punjab National Bank: www.pnbindia.com
Syndicate Bank: www.syndicatebank.com
Union Bank of India: www.unionbankofindia.com
CorporationBank: www.corpbank.com
UCO Bank: www.ucobank.com
Vijaya Bank: www.vijayabank.com

Private Banks
Bank of Madura : http://www.bankofmadura.com
Corporation Bank: www.corpbank.com
Dena Bank: www.denabank.com
Global Trust Bank: www.globaltrustbank.com

New Generation Banks of India
HDFC Bank: www.hdfcbank.com
ICICI Bank : www.icicibank.com
IndusInd Bank LTD: www.indusind.com
UTI Bank: www.utibank.com
Vysya Bank: www.vysbank.com

Foreign Banks
ABN AMRO Bank: www.abnamro.com
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank: www.adcbindia.com
ANZ Grindlays Bank: http://www.anz.com/india
Citibank India: http://www.online.citibank.co.in/portal/citi_home_center.jsp
HSBC: www.hsbc.co.in

BNP- www.bnpparibas.co.in
Bank of Ceylon: www.bankofceylon.net/boc
Bank of America: www.bankofamerica.com
Standard Chartered Bank: www.standardchartered.com
TAIB bank EC: http://www.taib.com
Chinatrustbank: www.chinatrustindia.com

Hotels (contd)
Mahindra Resorts: www.clubmahindra.com
Mermaid INN- www.milmermaid.com
Abad Hotels: www.abadhotels.com
Woods Manor Cochin: www.thewoodsmanor.com
Pankaj Hotel: www.pankajhotel.com
Coconutbay: www.cocobay.com
Ashtamudi Resorts:
Residency tower: www.residecytower.com
Aquaserene Resort: http://www.aquasereneindia.com
KTDC Hotels: www.ktdc.com
Uday Samudra: www.udaysamudra.com
Airlines operating to Kerala airports from foreign destinations are as under:
Air India (www.airindia.com)
Indian Airlines
http://indian-airlines.nic.in
Sri Lankan Airways: www.srilankan.lk
Oman Air www.oman-air.com
Emirates www.emirates.com
Qatar Airways www.qatarairways.com
Kuwait Airways
www.kuwait-airways.com
Saudi Arabian www.saudiairlines.com
Silk Air/Singapore Airlines- www.silkair.net or www.singaporeair.com
Gulf Air/Gulftraveller www.gulftraveller.com or www.gulfairco.com
Other modes of reachingKerala:
Otherwise to get into Kerala is come straight to the gateway points of India , like Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad or Delhi and use the air, road or rail transport to reach Kerala. These points are connected by the worlds biggest airlines. One can start the Indian trip by coming straight to Kerala or land anywhere in India and come down by any means.
The best time to Visit Kerala is from September to May

Forests of Kerala

Official we site of the Government of Kerala : www.kerala.gov.in

Law and Order Kerala State Police: www.keralapolice.org

Commissioner of Police, Thiruvananthapuram: www.trivandrumcitypolice.com
Art & Culture
Kerala Kalamandalam: www.kalamandalam.com

Handicrafts of Kerala : www.keralahandicrafts.com

Travel agents of India: www.indian-travel-agents.com
Major Tour operators in Kerala:
Air Travel Enterprises India limited: www.atetravel.com
Great India Tour Company: www.gitctours.com
Great India Holidays: www.greatindia-holidays.com
Kerala Travels: www.keralatraveller.com

Tour operators of India
SITA world travel: www.sitatours.com
Thomas Cook: www.thomascook.co.in
More members can be found at: http://www.taainet.com/search_members.php3