IndiaVagamon (Wagamon)A visit to a hill station is a classic Keralan experience. Beloved by the colonial British for their cool mountain climate and tea-growing potential, today they’re among the state’s biggest tourist draws for similar reasons. Overview Trip ideas Experiences Regions Best time to visit Accommodation Back to all places in Kerala & Tamil Nadu But while most people head to Periyar or perhaps Munnar, Vagamon remains blissfully under the radar – despite having all the rolling hills and emerald tea fields you could desire from a mountain retreat.The scenery here is all lush greens and fresh, cool air, with manicured tea fields giving way to more rugged scenery as you journey further out. All this is fairly typical of the Keralan uplands, but Vagamon has a couple of differences: its towering pine forest, which feels more like northeastern America than tropical south India, and its undulating, grassy meadows (known locally as the ‘barren hills’ – which drastically undersells their loveliness). It’s a totally bewitching landscape in which to swim, hike, or just relax with a cup of tea and watch the birds.If you’re the more active type, numerous hikes follow zig-zagging paths to Sufi tombs and hilltop churches, tumbling waterfalls deep in shola forests, and dramatic views over lakes and valleys. Tea plantations, meanwhile, offer the chance to experience the whole process, from picking, drying and roasting to steeping, pouring and tasting. Most exciting of all, this is one of the best destinations in India for paragliding, offering a bird’s-eye perspective on Kerala’s mountain scenery that you won’t find at your average hill station. Other destinations in this region India CalicutA cultural crossroads, seaside Calicut is refreshingly un-touristy – despite having plenty to see and do, from medieval mosques to martial arts. India ChennaiYoung, vibrant and always in the throes of change, Chennai is one of India’s most exciting and creative cities — with some of the best street-food anywhere. India ChettinadA land of ghostly, abandoned mansions, like the ruins of a fairytale kingdom, Chettinad is one of the most spectacularly unexpected destinations in India. India Kannur & TellicherryThis charming, low-key corner of Kerala wouldn’t get much press if it weren’t for Theyyam: a Hindu festival unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. India Kerala backwatersKerala’s pride and joy, the backwaters offer mile upon mile of jungle-fringed paradise, where life is slow, water is king, and everything happens by boat. India KochiIndia’s coolest and most progressive state capital, Kochi feels like a European city transplanted to the palm-fringed Keralan coast. India KumbakonamPaddy fields, betel farms and coconut groves provide a picture-perfect backdrop for experiencing village life in rural south India. India Madurai‘The Soul of Tamil Nadu’, ‘The Athens of the East’, ‘The city that never sleeps’ – Madurai is one of the oldest cities in India, and it has collected its fair share of epithets over the years. India MahabalipuramWorld Heritage temples combine with sand, surf and backpacker vibes to make Mahabalipuram a beach break with a difference. India MarariArguably the best beach destination in Kerala, with golden sands, glittering seas, and plenty of laid-back south Indian charm. India MunnarEnjoy old-world luxury in a plantation bungalow, surrounded by the emerald-green tea fields and mist-cloaked mountains of Munnar. India MuvattupuzhaExperience life in the Keralan countryside, surrounded by lazy waterways and fields of pineapple, banana, coconut and black pepper. Load More