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C J Punnathara

The summer is here and Kerala has everything to offer, from city tourism, backwaters and beaches to wildlife, and most importantly, at heavy discounts.

The Aqua Lagoon at Taj Garden Retreat, Kumarakom.

By March-end Kerala settles down to a humid, sultry and sticky weather but that is hardly excuse for the hospitality industry to sit back and take a break as the peak season of September-March comes to a close. On the contrary Kerala hoteliers are now busy bringing out fresh starched linen and new menu cards. Hotels have sufficient business to keep them busy, though the hustle and bustle of the peak season is absent.

"There is no lean period in Kerala, just the peak season and the green season," says George Dominic, Executive Director, Casino Group of Hotels. The green period is when dark menacing clouds loom over the tree-tops bringing in torrents of rain. Early June is when the monsoon breaks over Kerala, signalling the beginning of a green treat. This is the time when `God's own Country' erupts into a riot of green. Streams and rivers swell, breaching paddy fields, which become rich fishing ground for children. Thatched huts cling precariously to dry land. The water laps at the doorsteps of many a thallavad (ancestral Kerala homes) even as the incessant rains bounce off red-tiled roofs. Children enjoy the break from the sweltering heat and celebrate by wading into streams, laughing, fishing and simply rejoicing.

This is also the season of the domestic tourist. The timing is just perfect. When the North Indian plains are baked brick brown under the searing heat of the June-July sun, the rain gods visit Kerala. And monsoon is also the time for ayurveda, relaxation and rejuvenation therapies. It is a period when tariffs become more affordable and the upper and middle class Indian tourists are out there hunting for bargain offers.

And the Kerala hospitality industry has many a bargain to offer. In fact, Kerala has two distinct and dissimilar packages on offer, the summer and monsoon packages. The summer package is a celebration of the sea and the surf. Starting in April, the major chains bring in deep discounts for places such as Varkala, Marari and Kovalam beach resorts.

The packages take tourists through the meandering backwaters of Kumarakom, the cool climes of Munnar and the rich wildlife of the Periyar sanctuary. But the sun, surf and sea remain the constant denominator. This summer package, however, lasts only for two months, April and May.

Every year, the monsoon makes its date with the Malabar Coast on the first of June. The day when schools re-open and children in colourful parasols trudge through roads inundated with rainwater. As the waves get more ferocious, the white sandy beaches surrender to the deluge. With the onset of the monsoon, once the sea gets out of the tourist's map and the monsoon package is in. Also it is time to welcome the ayurveda season. According to the traditional ayurvedic system of medicine, the maladies of the human body become most evident during the rainy season and this is recommended as the best time to treat physical afflictions.

In this season the focus shifts from the coast to the hinterland. The rolling hills, the undulating valleys and the rich plantations, which are swathed in a blanket of mist, beckon the tourist. The swirling mountain streams roar down the valleys in cascading waterfalls, and the hills adorn myriad hues of green.

A visit to the hills is a must to savour the niceties of the green season. There is the Periyar Wildlife Reserve in Thekkady with one of the highest concentration of wild and avian life in the State. The possibility of sighting herds of elephants making their way to the reservoir is what makes the boat trip exciting.

The beauty of the Malabar Coast can be relished at the lush green plantations of tea, coffee, cardamom, pepper and clove, as one drives up the high ranges to Munnar. Clothed in green with veils of mist criss-crossing the landscape, this is a stunning sight to watch. Ponmudi lying to the west of Thiruvananthapuram has been the favourite of tourists for decades. And for the more adventurous, there are the isolated resorts in the hill country of Wyenad.

Kochi has emerged as the gateway for tourists flocking into Kerala. There is a good sprinkling of five-star and standard hotels to choose from and the city can be the beginning as well as the end to a Kerala holiday. It has a variety of interesting tourist spots to offer the visitor. The vestiges of history are on display at Fort Kochi, the seafront lined with buildings of Portuguese, Dutch and British vintage stand in splendour, among the Chinese fishing nets. There are also the fascinating the sunset and sunrise cruises along the backwaters.

So this summer Kerala could be the place to head for.

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