Getting there
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
- Planes
- Kochi (Cochin) and Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) are the main airports. If you're flying from the UK, Emirates is a good option, as flies in and out of both from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow via Dubai. Internally, South India has a busy network of air services. To access Lakshadweep, you'll need to fly from Cochin to Aggatti Island.
- Boats
- The only real boating options are the backwater trips (most depart from Alleppey). You can get to Lakshadweep or Laccadives islands by boat from Agatti.
- Trains
- Trains are the most popular way to traverse this vast country, and most that travel through Kerala start or finish in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), the state capital. Visit the Indian Railways website to book tickets online: http://irctc.co.in. Try and avoid passenger trains; air-conditioned 'superfast' express services are advisable. First-class is recommended although by western standards not necessarily luxurious.
- Automobiles
- This is not somewhere you’ll want to take the wheel yourself. Ask your hotel to organise you a driver, preferably in a 4x4 for lengthy journeys – and make sure to request a car with seatbelts. The more intrepid might want to hire an Enfield Bullet – the classic motorbike of choice.