Kerala Travel guide
- Kerala Airports
- Currency
- Local transportation
- Best time to visit
- Health precautions
- Communications
- Std codes
Kerala Airports
Trivandrum International Airport
The most important airport of Kerala is the Trivandrum International Airport, which is the doorway for tourists to Kerala. It is located at a distance of 4 Kilometers (approximately) from the main city of Trivandrum (locally known as Thiruvananthapuram). All major domestic as well as international flights operate here. The foreign countries linked to Kerala directly through international flights are Kuwait, Singapore, Maldives, Colombo, Sharjah, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Jeddah and Dubai. Kerala is linked with the rest of the country through direct domestic flights from the Indian cities of Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Kozhikode and Bangalore.
Cochin/Kochi International Airport
The Cochin airport at Ernakulam is yet another airport that caters to both domestic as well as international flights. It is relatively new airport that is built in traditional Kerala architecture but in stainless steel and glass! International flights operate from countries like Vienna, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Kuwait, Sharjah and Dhahran. Domestic flights operate from cities of Agatti, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, New Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Trichy, Trivandrum and Calicut.
Calicut Airport
The Calicut airport is located in the Malapurram district in Calicut. This airport caters to only domestic flights in India. The airport is located at a distance of 26 Kilometers (approximately) from the Calicut railway station. This airport has one of its kind "lead-in lighting" system. This system is designed to lead the aircraft to the proximity of threshold of the runway by a group of lights preceding one after the other thus directing the aircraft near the runway during emergencies like bad weather, emergency landing, etc Currency of KeralaThe currency of Kerala is Indian Rupee. It is available in denominations of Re.1, Rs.2, Rs.5, Rs.10, Rs.20, Rs.50, Rs.100, Rs.500 and Rs.1000. A rupee is further divided into 100 paise. Paise is available in 50p. Local Transportation in KeralaThere is absolutely no dearth of local transport in Kerala. You will have no problems in finding the most affordable and readily available means of transportation in Kerala round the clock. You can easily hire a vehicle and go around sight seeing the places. The roads in Kerala are also well built and traffic is not as maddening as it is in bigger cities. In Kerala, local transport can be availed to go to nearby towns and villages also. Read on further to have a general idea about the local transport in Kerala.
Taxis/Cabs
One can find taxis and cabs all over Kerala. You can either hire a taxi by contacting a reliable travel agent or you can ask the hotel you are staying in to arrange a cab for you. Not only taxis, one can also hire a self-driven vehicle and go around the city.
Auto Rickshaws
Auto rickshaws are available all over Kerala without any problem. Known as "autos" locally, these vehicles are very helpful in going from one place to another. They usually charge by the meter, else you can fix a rate before climbing in the auto. A bit of bargaining is allowed.
Buses
The bus service in Kerala is pretty good. Most places are connected through local buses plying from one place to another. These buses are maintained by Kerala Transport Corporation. Apart from that, private owners also have buses that cater to the need of tourists.
Railways
Despite varied geographical features that include hills, backwaters and cliffs, Kerala has a decent service of railways. The total length covered by the railways is around 1050 kilometers. The railways connect important towns and cities with each other.
Airways
Kerala has three major airports namely, Trivandrum, Cochin and Calicut airport. The first two airports also cater to international flights, while the third one is a domestic airport. These three airports are located in strategic locations around the state so that they ca be reached easily.
Boats and Ships
Since Kerala is blessed with a long coastline, boats and ships have been used a means of local transport since old times. That tradition is still kept alive. Even today you will find people using boats to move from place to place on the coast as well as the backwaters
Trivandrum International Airport
The most important airport of Kerala is the Trivandrum International Airport, which is the doorway for tourists to Kerala. It is located at a distance of 4 Kilometers (approximately) from the main city of Trivandrum (locally known as Thiruvananthapuram). All major domestic as well as international flights operate here. The foreign countries linked to Kerala directly through international flights are Kuwait, Singapore, Maldives, Colombo, Sharjah, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Jeddah and Dubai. Kerala is linked with the rest of the country through direct domestic flights from the Indian cities of Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Kozhikode and Bangalore.
Cochin/Kochi International Airport
The Cochin airport at Ernakulam is yet another airport that caters to both domestic as well as international flights. It is relatively new airport that is built in traditional Kerala architecture but in stainless steel and glass! International flights operate from countries like Vienna, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Kuwait, Sharjah and Dhahran. Domestic flights operate from cities of Agatti, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, New Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Trichy, Trivandrum and Calicut.
Calicut Airport
The Calicut airport is located in the Malapurram district in Calicut. This airport caters to only domestic flights in India. The airport is located at a distance of 26 Kilometers (approximately) from the Calicut railway station. This airport has one of its kind "lead-in lighting" system. This system is designed to lead the aircraft to the proximity of threshold of the runway by a group of lights preceding one after the other thus directing the aircraft near the runway during emergencies like bad weather, emergency landing, etc Currency of KeralaThe currency of Kerala is Indian Rupee. It is available in denominations of Re.1, Rs.2, Rs.5, Rs.10, Rs.20, Rs.50, Rs.100, Rs.500 and Rs.1000. A rupee is further divided into 100 paise. Paise is available in 50p. Local Transportation in KeralaThere is absolutely no dearth of local transport in Kerala. You will have no problems in finding the most affordable and readily available means of transportation in Kerala round the clock. You can easily hire a vehicle and go around sight seeing the places. The roads in Kerala are also well built and traffic is not as maddening as it is in bigger cities. In Kerala, local transport can be availed to go to nearby towns and villages also. Read on further to have a general idea about the local transport in Kerala.
Taxis/Cabs
One can find taxis and cabs all over Kerala. You can either hire a taxi by contacting a reliable travel agent or you can ask the hotel you are staying in to arrange a cab for you. Not only taxis, one can also hire a self-driven vehicle and go around the city.
Auto Rickshaws
Auto rickshaws are available all over Kerala without any problem. Known as "autos" locally, these vehicles are very helpful in going from one place to another. They usually charge by the meter, else you can fix a rate before climbing in the auto. A bit of bargaining is allowed.
Buses
The bus service in Kerala is pretty good. Most places are connected through local buses plying from one place to another. These buses are maintained by Kerala Transport Corporation. Apart from that, private owners also have buses that cater to the need of tourists.
Railways
Despite varied geographical features that include hills, backwaters and cliffs, Kerala has a decent service of railways. The total length covered by the railways is around 1050 kilometers. The railways connect important towns and cities with each other.
Airways
Kerala has three major airports namely, Trivandrum, Cochin and Calicut airport. The first two airports also cater to international flights, while the third one is a domestic airport. These three airports are located in strategic locations around the state so that they ca be reached easily.
Boats and Ships
Since Kerala is blessed with a long coastline, boats and ships have been used a means of local transport since old times. That tradition is still kept alive. Even today you will find people using boats to move from place to place on the coast as well as the backwaters
Best time to visit
Kerala experiences pleasant weather throughout the year. It is a paradise for tourists. If you were thinking about the ideal time to visit Kerala, then the best time to visit Kerala would be in the months of October to March. These months are usually the peak season for Kerala visit. Though this period is age old, now Kerala is thronged with tourists all year around. Usually people used to avoid June and July due to heavy monsoons. But now, coming to Kerala during monsoons is considered as an experience in itself. Monsoons are also an ideal time to go for nice and warm massages. The whole atmosphere looks like it has been cleaned spic and span. There is not a speck of dust in the air. The trees look lush green and the hills can't look less mystified. It seems as if entire Kerala has been dipped in water and taken out. Health precautions
Communications
Internet
Kerala realizes the importance of high-speed communication through Internet. Almost every one in the state is well versed with Internet. There are many Internet cafes in Kerala that provide facilities of surfing the net at minimal costs. You will find atleast one Internet café on every major road in Kerala.
Telephones
Kerala has telephone facilities all through the state. Even the remotest village will have a phone booth that provides local calls, trunk calls as well as international calls. Cell phones are also easily available in Kerala. You can always buy a mobile and get a local number from any good shop in Kerala.
Fax
Most shops offer fax facilities along with calling facilities. You can avail this facility at very nominal charges. Fax facilities are available all through Kerala on roadside shops.
Postal Services
The total number of post offices in Kerala are almost 5000! Every remote village, town and district has postal services. People till date take pride in writing letters and communicating with their dear ones than depending on Internet and emails
Kerala experiences pleasant weather throughout the year. It is a paradise for tourists. If you were thinking about the ideal time to visit Kerala, then the best time to visit Kerala would be in the months of October to March. These months are usually the peak season for Kerala visit. Though this period is age old, now Kerala is thronged with tourists all year around. Usually people used to avoid June and July due to heavy monsoons. But now, coming to Kerala during monsoons is considered as an experience in itself. Monsoons are also an ideal time to go for nice and warm massages. The whole atmosphere looks like it has been cleaned spic and span. There is not a speck of dust in the air. The trees look lush green and the hills can't look less mystified. It seems as if entire Kerala has been dipped in water and taken out. Health precautions
- Avoid purchasing any illegal stuff and invite unnecessary trouble. In case of any doubts, contact the nearest police station.
- Avoid eating cut fruits and raw salad from outside. Do not accept food from strangers in trains and while traveling. Eat from a recognized restaurant.
- Do not drink water from roadside. Always carry bottled water. While buying bottled mineral water, check if the seal is intact and check for any leaks in the bottle.
- In case of a serious illness, visit a doctor as soon as possible. Do not drag along illness or injuries and attend to it at the earliest.
Communications
Internet
Kerala realizes the importance of high-speed communication through Internet. Almost every one in the state is well versed with Internet. There are many Internet cafes in Kerala that provide facilities of surfing the net at minimal costs. You will find atleast one Internet café on every major road in Kerala.
Telephones
Kerala has telephone facilities all through the state. Even the remotest village will have a phone booth that provides local calls, trunk calls as well as international calls. Cell phones are also easily available in Kerala. You can always buy a mobile and get a local number from any good shop in Kerala.
Fax
Most shops offer fax facilities along with calling facilities. You can avail this facility at very nominal charges. Fax facilities are available all through Kerala on roadside shops.
Postal Services
The total number of post offices in Kerala are almost 5000! Every remote village, town and district has postal services. People till date take pride in writing letters and communicating with their dear ones than depending on Internet and emails
