From tranquil backwaters, green hills rich with wildlife to crystal-clear waterfalls, the Indian state of Kerala has beauty in spades. It stretches along the country’s western coast to the southern tip of the subcontinent, and has long been known for the quality of its spices and mouth-watering cuisine. Though Kerala is already a popular holiday destination, many of its charms remain little-known to overseas visitors.
Fish nets in Kochi
Says French photographer Xavier Keutsch, a frequent visitor, “We asked the locals for recommendations and thanks to them, we discovered many interesting places and things we would otherwise not have seen.”
Kerala’s verdant backwaters
Xavier’s admiration for Kerala is apparent in his photos, which he also shared via his Instagram account, @xk_photo. Here are his photos, along with others that capture the beauty of the south Indian state also known as Keralam.
Clouds are almost in arms’ reach up in the mountains
A fishing boat stranded on Kerala’s beach (photo courtesy of Kerala’s tourism board).
A tea plantation photographed from afar
A view of the hills of Munnar
A worker in one of the tea plantations
Xavier’s advice for first time visitors: “Do not take time too seriously. There is a different sense of time in India and it is important to embrace it and go with the flow, even if it is a different rhythm than what you are used to.”
