Welcome to Kerala, God's Own Country. One of India's most progressive regions and yet it has all the aspects of a tropical paradise, complete with palm trees waving over sandy beaches lining the blue seas of lush travelogues. It offers beautiful beaches; backwater trips along peaceful lagoons and canals, hill stations, wildlife sanctuaries and complex cultural customs. In this entrancing state, there is much to explore and enjoy - splendid festivals with intriguing rituals; herds of elephants leading giant processions; exotic handicrafts and seafood preparations; cosmopolitan cities where the past is always within reach and small towns where time has stood still. All this and more, makes Kerala the ideal holiday destination. Kerala is one of the ten 'Paradises Found' by the National Geographic Traveler, for its diverse geography and overwhelming greenery. It is a land much acclaimed for the contemporary nature of its cultural ethos, and much appreciated for the soothing, rejuvenating paradise that it is. Geographically, Kerala is a narrow fertile strip on the southwest coast of India, sandwiched between the Lakshadweep Sea and the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats with their dense forests and extensive ridges have sheltered Kerala from many mainland invaders and the long coastline has encouraged maritime contact with the outside world - a contact that has resulted in an interesting blend of cultures. It is the only state that has a highest literacy rate (100%) among other Indian states. The climate varies little from season to season. The temperature normally ranges from 80° F to 90° F in the plains but drops to about 70° F in the highlands. The state gets its due share of both the southwest as well as the northeast monsoons, and the rainfall is heavy, averaging around 118 inches annually.