Kerala in monsoon: A road trip

We returned to Bengaluru on Saturday, the 26th of July, after a two-week road trip through Kerala. It was the first time I undertook such a long journey by car.

That was possible, of course, thanks to the flexibility of retired life and the luxury of not having to worry about work schedules or reporting back to an office.

Bright side of monsoon travel

This isn’t exactly peak tourist season. It’s the time of the southwest monsoon. But Kerala is known for what is called "Monsoon Tourism".

The state experiences two monsoons: Southwest Monsoon (Edavappathi in Malayalam), from June to August, and Northeast Monsoon (Thulavarsham), from October to November.

One advantage of travelling during this time is the breath-taking scenery. The landscape is far greener than usual, and the moist horizons exude a quiet charm.

Many people visit the state during this time for Ayurvedic treatments too. It is a favourable time thanks to the cool, humid climate, and the abundance of medicinal herbs. Many wellness centres offer special monsoon packages.

And, since this is traditionally the off-season, hotels, homestays, and tour packages often come at discounted rates.

Kerala: An urban continuum

Kerala is unlike most other Indian states. It's essentially an urban continuum. You don’t encounter vast stretches of uninhabited land separating villages, common in many other states of India.

Kerala doesn't have the typical villages; they are all small towns equipped with good infrastructure: roads, schools, colleges, medical centres, and more. These towns are contiguous, and people are spread evenly across the state.

Aren't there cities in Kerala? There are. Each district capital is a city. Kochi is the largest and most cosmopolitan, though it doesn't match the scale of Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, or Delhi. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital.

Our route

We left Bengaluru early on the morning of the 12th and reached Guruvayur by evening. 

Considering the rainy season, we took the longer but better route via Coimbatore. Distance = ~ 500 km (~ 300 miles) Time = around 12 hours, including multiple breaks.

The next morning, on the 13th, we drove to my cousin’s home in Ernakulam, a distance of about 100 km (about 60 miles) which took roughly 3 hours.

After four days of quality family time and outings at Ernakulam, we headed to Thiruvananthapuram on the 17th.

NH66: A highway in transition

I consulted Google Maps to figure out the best route from Ernakulam to Thiruvanthapuram, a distance of around 230 km (140 miles).

The coastal route via Alappuzha is shorter (by about 15 to 30 minutes), but there are frequent diversions due to roadworks.

The roadwork is part of the six-laning of National Highway 66, which will enhance connectivity along India’s western coast.

NH66 (formerly NH17 and NH47) runs 1,640 km (1,020 miles) from Panvel in Maharashtra to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. 

Once completed, travel time will be cut by nearly half.

Scenic detour

Instead of the shorter coastal route (which would entail diversions), I opted for the one via Kottayam, taking the Mini Bypass, MC Road, and NH183.

It lacked the coastal views, but that was more than compensated with better roads and lush greenery and expansive water-filled fields.

We weren’t in a hurry, so after a relaxed breakfast, we set off at 10.30 am. It was drizzling. It was raining throughout our stay in Ernakulam, though its intensity was milder than what northern Kerala was experiencing.

Google Maps can be tricky

Google Maps is, no doubt, immensely helpful but not without problems. It always selects the fastest route, even if the time saved is just five or ten minutes. Even if one consciously selects a longer route, it may quietly switch back to the shorter one.

To avoid being redirected through Alappuzha, I first set Kottayam as the destination. Once we reached there, I set the final destination of Thiruvananthapuram.

Along the way, we stopped every hour or so — for lunch, for tea, and to just stretch our legs.

Reaching Thiruvananthapuram

We arrived in Thiruvananthapuram around 6:15 pm and another cousin of mine hosted us.

It was a heart-warming family reunion. This was the first time I spent so many days (five days, to be precise) with the entire family: my cousin, her husband, her daughter, her son-in-law and two children. 

In fact, it was the first time I was meeting my cousin's son-in-law, more than a decade after their wedding! Earlier visits never lasted more than a day, and on most occasions some of them won't be at home, having gone to office.  

Thiruvananthapuram is where I was born and spent the first 23 years of my life, before moving to Bhopal for my first job.

It always feels like homecoming when I’m back in this city, the capital of Kerala. 

A city that hasn't changed much a even after several decades.