Kerala - Varkala, The Backwaters, Fort Cochin

The state of Kerala lies on the South-West Coast of India and is made up of tropical landscapes sandwiched between the Arabian Sea and the forested Western Ghats.

Varkala - Red cliffs overlooking the sea provided a back-drop to this quiet beach. Watching the sun melt into the sea, as the fishing boats sailed out at sunset, was a beautiful way to end each day.

Backwaters - A day trip in a gondola-type boat throughout narrow canals gave us a glimpse of village life in the backwaters. The waters themselves are lined with banana trees, coconut forests and shrimp ponds. Sipping on coconut water and making rope from the coconut hair were all part of the trip.

Fort Cochin - Wandering around the sweaping boulevards, lined with huge mansions of the former Portuguese, French, Dutch, Jewish and British traders, provided a taste of the colonial past. The Chinese fishing nets that lined the shore, created yet another sunset moment of this lovely island.