Kerala located in the southwest corner of India and cradled in the green mountains of the Western Ghats, Kerala is famed as “God’s Own Country.” Lush plantations rise from the sea here and sweep the entire state in verdant beauty.
The region has long been known as the Malabar Coast, famed for its rich trade in spices. The Phoenicians and in 1000 BC King Solomon’s ships visited Kerala. Later the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs and the Chinese came to trade. In more recent times the Portuguese, Dutch, French and British battled it out for control of the spice trade.
Wandering through one of Kerala’s spice gardens, identifying the various flavours and smells, is one of the true pleasures of this region.