Its lush beauty is simply a complement to its rich traditions, legends and culture. The appealing thing about Kerala from a visitor’s point of view is that if offers an enticing combination of beaches, backwaters and hills. When you tire of lounging on soft, surf-lashed sand, you can head off on backwater cruises in converted wooden rice barges, venture up into the cooler climes of the Western Ghat mountains for a stay on a tea plantation, or go elephant and tiger spotting in any number of remote national parks.