Kerala is opened to tourists now

Tourists flocked to various tourist destinations in Kerala, as the state opened its gates for them after a long gap.

The Kerala government had decided to open its tourism spots ahead of Onam after being shut down for months due to Covid-19 lockdown.

The government has instructed all to ensure strict adherence to Covid-19 protocol.

The forest department of Kerala has allowed tourists to visit Ponmudi, one of the most famous Eco Tourism centers in the state. Ponmudi was closed for nine months due to covid-19 restrictions.

Ponmudi is located 53 km north-east of Trivandrum City, 78 km south-east of Varkala Beach and 69 km north-east of Kovalam Beach at an altitude of 1,100 m (3,600 ft). Ponmudi (Varayadumotta) peak is a part of the Western Ghats mountain range that runs parallel to the Arabian Sea. Ponmudi is also called Kashmir of Kerala and is a popular honeymoon destination in South India. The normal temperature of Ponmudi is between 18 and 25 °C (64 and 77 °F).

The most popular tourism spots Kovalam and Varkala, located near Thiruvanathapuram, the capital city, are also opened for tourists. Although the sites saw a small turnout on the opening day, officials are expecting better crowd in the coming days. Entry has been restricted at the beach at Shanghumugham due to some maintenance work.

The states most famous hill station Munnar also accepted visitors. According to reports, 301 tourists have visited Eravikulam national park Munnar on the opening day.

Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) officials said 88 tourists visited Thekkady on the day it was opened to the visitors while 86 enjoyed the boating facility.

Kumarakam, the most sought after backwater sites alive again and almost 10 houseboats operated on the first day at Kumarakam.

Kochi, the industrial capital of the state and home to the heritage sites such as Mattanchery and Fort Kochi also seen a fairly good turnout.

Malabar region tourist spots attracted many domestic tourists on the opening day. Seven major tourism destinations in Wayanad, including Edakkal caves are opened for visitors from Tuesday. The Silent Valley National Park was also opened for visitors.

However, the famous Parambikulam Tiger Reserve will only open after August 15 as one has to travel through Tamil Nadu to reach there. Tamil Nadu will be under lockdown until August 15.