Here are the available villas for rental in kerala.

Review by louise from beeley uk

WE STAYED ON POOVAR ISLAND WHICH WE FOUND INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL, WE FOUND KOVALAM OK, BUT GLAD AND RELEIVED WE WERE NOT STAYING THERE, MY ONLY RESERVATION WOULD BE, IS PLEASE DONT CHANGE KERALA, ITS SO SPECIAL, DONT TURN IT INTO THE COSTA DEL SOL, I WOULD HATE TO SEE IT RUINED

BY WESTERNISING IT.

Review by Carol from Ipswich

Kerala was everything we have ever hoped to find for a holiday - lovely weather despite it being August and the end of their monsoon season, beautiful scenery with birds and animals to watch, full of places to visit rich in history and culture and really friendly people. We will go back.

Ayurveda and jumbo prawns

Seasoned travellers know India can be a hectic place. Well-trodden routes such as the Golden Triangle can lose their mystique amongst the bustle of yet another overcrowded attraction, train, bus or street.

For many, the key is to search out peaceful retreats where you can relax before rejoining the melee.
We set out to do just that in the laid-back state of on 's south west coast.
Our first destination was the Ayurvedic beach resort of Varkala. The word Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit, ayu (life) and veda (knowledge) and is considered the science or knowledge of life.
It has been practised for thousands of years and and there are numerous centres in Varkala where you can enjoy ayurvedic massage and yoga, activities considered by some as key to a balanced life.
The beach sits at the foot of majestic cliffs which glow red as the sun sets on the waters of the Lakshadweep Sea. After a hard day's sunbathing you can enjoy seafood of the highest quality at the cafes and restaurants which line the cliff-top.
The catch of the day is displayed on porcelain-tiled tables and can include shark, king fish and some seriously big prawns, all at ridiculously low prices.
Once selected your dish is whisked away for slow cooking in a traditional clay oven known as a tandoor.
There is plenty of budget accommodation nestled among the eateries with the more upmarket hotels lining the road into the small town.
One of the highlights of a visit to Kerala has to be a boat trip on the famous backwaters.
This vast network of rivers, canals and lakes stretches far inland from the coast and has helped mould a unique lifestyle for its inhabitants.
Most tourists take the direct eight-hour trip on a motorised craft between Kollam and Alappuzha, but chartering a houseboat of your own or as part of a small group affords you a much more intimate view of life on the water.
The riverbanks are dotted with villages and small settlements and the hyacinth-laiden waterways teem with industry as nuts and fruit are loaded onto boats.
Those not collecting coconuts to make coir (coconut fibre) and copra (dried coconut meat) can be found re-setting their cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, which form intriguing shapes on the backwater skyline.
Drifting along on these calm waters will soothe even the most agitated soul. ... more

Holiday tales of Holby City star Jan

Holby City star Jan Pearson reveals her love for the Indian seaside resort of Kerala as she talks about her favourite holidays — and the ones she'd rather forget.

The 44-year-old actress has played long-suffering nurse Kath Shaughnessy in the hospital drama for two years during which time she's survived domestic violence, being stabbed by a nurse and an affair with a cancer-stricken priest.
Pearson lives in Suffolk with her partner, TV director Richard Signy. As she prepares to leave the show in March, she talks to us about her best holidays.
What is your dream holiday destination? I'd love to see the Northern Lights — the aurora borealis — that's a real fantasy for me. I suppose I would have to go to somewhere like Iceland or Scandinavia to see it.
Who is your ideal holiday companion and when was your last holiday? My partner Richard Signy — my lovely boy. We've been together for more than two years. We went to in the south of India.
What did you think of Kerala? It's a lovely place. We saw loads of temples and it's called the Venice of the east as there's so many waterways.
Where are you going next and what do you always pack? Haven't got a clue as we moved to Suffolk last year and we've still got things to sort out. I always pack books.
Where would your character go on holiday? Kathy would probably go to Australia to see her son Danny. He was extra supportive when she was a victim of domestic violence and when her partner Terry died from cancer.
Who with? Kath would take her new love Larry the architect (Dominic Mafham), of course.
Have you had any holiday nightmares? When I had everything stolen in Portugal about 15 years ago. My clothes, passport and plane ticket were all pinched. We had stopped off en route at Sintra for the airport and the car was broken into. It was terrible.
Any holiday romances? When I was 22 I went to Turkey and fell for a Turk but we didn't keep in touch.
What do you like to get out of a holiday? I like a varied experience, I enjoy sampling the local culture and visiting different places. I'm not one for lying on the beach and soaking up the sun.
Do you ever get recognised on holiday? It's happened all the time. People who spot me are always mortified about how things never go right for Kath. ... more

The backwaters of Kerala

From the Mail on Sunday

'Is Paul McCartney famous?' asked Gopal, as he brought us his delicate tomato and onion curry, smooth and creamy with coconut milk and yogurt. It was lunchtime.
We had just boarded a houseboat for a day-and-night journey on the coastal backwaters of Kerala, southern India, and were already sighing with delight at the delicious experience of red spinach and freshly grated coconut.
Gopal was the cook, part of our young crew of three.
Sir Paul had hired the boat only a day or two before, and impressed everyone by the amount of money he had reputedly paid to have the large, arched bamboo canopy totally encrusted with fresh flowers: jasmine, roses, marigolds and tuberoses, for his bride Heather Mills.
None of our crew had heard of Sir Paul before, though they spoke enthusiastically of Michael Jackson.
Many of these old wooden boats, used for transporting rice from the farms and villages around the lakes, lagoons and canals to the towns of Cochin and Allepey, have now been converted into comfortable houseboats for tourists.
We may not have had a flower-bedecked boat, but we had Gopal's exceptional vegetable and fish dishes, freshly cooked with lightning skill in the tiny galley.
We watched little fish being caught over the side minutes before we sat down to eat them.
Then, on old-fashioned basket chairs, feeling like a colonial couple, we ate, looking out at the shimmering sheet-glass water, in which rows of tall, graceful palms on the bank were perfectly reflected.
After eating, we lay against white cushions on deck for our siesta, listening to the distant sounds of life on land.
Elegant fishing boats with huge sails passed by, and little boats, piled with produce or people, holding black umbrellas against the sun. ... more