Take a freewheeling ride through God's Own Country, and you'll soon realise that there's more romance in Kerala than is found in the beaches and backwaters…

Placid backwater canal near Quilon

If you're sick and tired of life in the concrete jungle, or just want to get away from it all. Hop in to a jeep with your loved one, add lots of high spirits, take along a tent and sleeping bags for good measure and hit the road for Kerala. The only state in India where everything you see is beautiful and romantic. Not to mention the fact that there are more shades of green than a shade card!

Our drive through Kerala was no honeymoon, but each one of us swore that this was where we'd like to spend ours, when we finally tied the knot! Our first touristy halt in Kerala was at the little village of Mukkali, at the mouth of the Silent Valley National Park. Silent Valley is the only virgin tropical rain forest existing in India, saved from certain destruction by a group of committed activists. Early next morning, we piled into a large Forest department bus along with a group of other conservators and drove into the heart of the Valley. The track is only wide enough to accommodate one vehicle and visibility is obscured by 6-feet high grass growing alongside. But it's only once you get out of the bus and walk into the forest that it's sheer denseness hits you.

Even at noon, the tree canopy shades the forest floor and you feel like you're taking a late evening stroll. It's obvious Mother Nature likes being left alone. Giant Malabar squirrels scamper about the treetops, Jackfruit trees, over a hundred feet tall tower above you and some trees even have a cave at the base! Some trees are hollow through and through and you can catch a glimpse of sunlight streaming in from inside the tree!

Food is cheap in Kerala and if you're fond of seafood, this is the closest you'll ever come to nirvana. Fish, mussels, clams, squid, shark, crabs, prawns… cooked in a variety of curries, measles, fried or sautéed to your taste. The catch is almost always absolutely fresh and is guaranteed to melt in the mouth. Bon appetit. And you can manage all this on as little as Rs. 50 a head, in most local restaurants.

Our next halt was the picturesque hill station of Munnar. En route to Munnar, it started raining. Sheets of water cascade down onto vehicles, reducing visibility to almost zero and the highways turn into mini rivers. So, we did the only sensible thing; stopped off the little town of Kothamangalam for the night.

We left Kothamangalam at around 7.30 the next morning, marvelling at the mist and sunlight streaming through the coconut trees. The road to Munnar snaked its way upward, clinging to the hillside, while trucks hurtle around corners, like bats out of hell. But the very sight of Munnar and its environs is awe-inspiring enough to make the most hardened cynic stop and gape. Miles and miles of tea plantations dot the hills, giving them an appearance of being giant, well-manicured gardens. For that's exactly what they are, Tata's tea estates.

Temple elephant in ceremonial procession

A new day dawns in Munnar and by mid-morning we're at the Rajamalai game sanctuary.
The sanctuary is the home of the Nilgiri Tahr, a wild mountain goat that was almost hunted to the brink of extinction. These majestic animals are so friendly that they'll come within a few feet of you and move away only if you make any sudden gestures or try and approach them. So, go ahead, make a few new friends.

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