Kerala is one of such states that has enumerable weekend gateways to offer. From sunny beaches of Trivandrum to foggy mountains of Munnar, from house boats of Poovar backwaters to tree houses of Waynad’s dense jungles, its cuisines varying from famous veg sadhya to sumptuous sea food, all these varieties in one single state, Kerala. I stayed in Kerala for almost 2 and half years and explored new places almost every weekend.

Every nook and corner of Kerala is tremendously beautiful and also this state offers some of the very famous touristy places but the beauty of Kerala is not confined to its ‘popular’ places only, there are many more, less explored places in this state that will leave you awestricken. Here is a list of my personal favorite offbeat places to enjoy the true beauty of this ‘Land of Gods’ by escaping the pouring tourist from all over the world!

 

1) Vagamon, Kottayam:

From dense green pine forest, to barren mountains tops, from deep gorges and cliffs to the winding roads, Vagamon has all this to offer. A perfect touristy place and also not at all crowded. Spend your day taking stroll in dense pine forest, measuring the lush green meadows on foot, witnessing sunset from barren hills and nights staring at million of stars shimmering in crystal clear sky, a cool breeze, a perfect hill station. This place is exactly what you need when you want to flush out the dab monotonous tiring self and rejuvenate yourself. In Vagamon a stay at vagamon heights is a must, you will get most thrilling experience of your life by staying out in the wild. They have amazingly constructed individual cottages on each cliff amidst tea plantation, so basically you are all by yourself in that pitch dark wild night moreover the package includes additional activities as well like boating, site seeing, jeep safari( definitely the most amazing experience off all, coz it goes down vertically like literally vertically!! )

Not much people know, but Vagamon also host paragliding competition

 

2) Parambikulam, Nelliyampathy

Want to experience a stay in wilderness; NIlliyampthy is the place for you. Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary is located in Nelliyampathy famous for its flora and fauna. There are many government authorized guest houses but my recommendation would be Misty Valley Hill Resort (quite affordable as well). These farm houses dated back to the era of Britishers and are located in the reserve forest of Nelliyampathy. You will be taken to your cottage in 4*4 Mahindra because only these can run in those slippery stony 13 km long offroads of forest. Enjoy your solitude here because you will be staying deep inside jungles of Nelliyampathy, far away from civilization, far away from all the signals, only few hours of electricity and the best part is, it will never be crowded because they have just limited rooms in there. Enjoy night safari and stand a chance to spot wild animals like Tiger and an evening bath in fresh water ponds usually used by jungle animals. Don’t be afraid if your see herd of elephants just outside your room at night, that’s quite common!!

3) Gavi

A boat ride in the fresh water lake, a shower under the hidden falls, a camp fire in the starry cold night and the best food, jungle safari in foggy morning amidst dense rain forest and a trek to coffee plantation. Arrive early to get the forest passes and reserve your rooms prior to the visit. Roaming at night is not allowed for the safety of tourist as Gavi is a wildlife sanctuary.

4) Chittipara

If there is a trekker inside you then Chittipara it is. A little arduous climb but worth all that sweat. Enjoy your trek though the stony passes and the tall grass shoots and hold your breath for the view you are going to witness from the top, the magnificent view of entire Trivandrum. Forget all and everything, take deep breath and enjoy the calm sunset from the Chittipara’s top. It is located on the way to Ponmudi when traveling from Trivandrum. Beyond locals, the rock is not frequently visited.

5) Mazhapillangad Beach, Kannur

Want to drive in Asia’s only drive in beach? Take your car, scooter, truck whatever or just run along the waves at sea shore. Do some beach stunts, perform all that drifts as the water approaches, chase those waves in your bike or just sit on those rocks and stare at the divinity of setting sun and get a perfect picture for years to remember. Driving at the beach, splashing all the water is a different fun altogether. Combine your trip by visiting other places of Mahe and Bakel fort

Escape the crowd and indulge in the true beauty of Kerala and if still you just want to see only the tourist places, head on to my next article on alternative places to visit in Kerala.

I tried to include at-least 1 original image of all the 5 places to let you know it’s real! and the images I picked from Google looks exactly like the place itself so please don’t let that thought enter your mind that “everything looks good in pictures”. Go ahead and see yourself 🙂

Happy tripping folks !