God, who made Kerala, according to a popular Malayali saying, had a green thumb. Indeed, India's most verdant state -- rated by National Geographic Traveler as one of the world's 50 must-see destinations -- is a paradisiacal landscape of palm-lined beaches, steamy jungles, plantation-covered hills, and tropical rivers and lakes. Visitors come here primarily to unwind and indulge; this is, after all, where succumbing to a therapeutic Ayurvedic massage is as mandatory as idling away an afternoon aboard a slowly drifting kettuvallam (house boat), or sipping coconut juice under a tropical sun before taking in a wonderfully ritualized Kathakali dance. Eastward, the spice-scented Cardamom Hills and wild elephants of Periyar beckon, while a short flight west takes you to the little- known but sublime tropical reefs off the Lakshadweep islands. All of which make Kerala not just a must-see on your India itinerary, but a major destination in its own right.
