2 min summary When to go Map & highlights Food Houseboats Spices and tea Walking Ayurveda Families Advice Responsible tourism All our India guides

Responsible tourism in Kerala

Overdevelopment and its trail of destruction are now the biggest issues when it comes to responsible tourism in Kerala. Read more of our views below with water pollution, be it beaches or backwaters, a growing concern. In fact, many things are becoming tarnished by tourism, from culture and spirituality to wildlife conservation. Tourism can’t be all about numbers and in Kerala, less is definitely more.

Home\Asia\India\Kerala

Responsible tourism in Kerala

People often talk about Kerala being the ‘easy’ part of India. Less Delhi Belly, less in your face poverty, less culture shock. Keralites even tell you that when people from north India come to Kerala they get a culture shock, but a positive one. Keralites are proud that they are the most educated and literate in India. They have always been able to look outwards and indeed, many have travelled outwards to the Far East to work. Perhaps the time has come, however, for Kerala to start looking inwards again. To look at the poverty that does exist here, to the overdevelopment of its coastline and the lack of protection of its environment and wildlife in many places, sometimes quite simply because of a lack of infrastructure and government regulation. Time to stop resting on its laurels on being called ‘God’s Own Country’. It’s not a god on high that will save it from tourism driven by numbers. It’s the people on high at government level, but also tourists themselves. Because it is only when we highlight the issues as tourists, that the major players start to sit up and take notice. Which isn’t ‘easy’. But it is possible.

Wildlife & environment

Whoever came up with the idea, many years ago, of converting Kerala’s rice boats (kettuvalloms) for houseboat tourism must have been a genius. Kerala's backwaters, its villages and varied waterscapes were suddenly accessible, and tourists who thought Kerala was all Kovalam and Kathakali began to see a whole new, exciting picture.

Renting houseboats has allowed many local people in Alleppey and Kumarakom to develop profitable livelihoods alongside traditional paddy farming and fishing, and tourism is now a major part of the regional economy.

But the number of vessels on the backwaters has grown rapidly, and today there are well over a thousand in operation, not all of them licensed. This leads to overcrowding, pollution in places such as Vembanad Lake, and a degraded experience for travellers. Houseboats will often empty untreated waste directly into the water. Along with fuel leakage and the dumping of inorganic matter like plastics, combined with chemical run-off from rice fields, the fragile ecosystems that make up the Kerala backwaters are under threat. Many communities depend on these waters for fishing and for drinking water.

There is also a congestion issue for many local people who still transport their kids to school by canoe, and have safety concerns due to the numbers and speed of houseboats. Privacy is another concern, with poor regulation (and even poorer enforcement) of mooring. Many local communities complain of tourist boats mooring alongside houses, of noise, inappropriate behaviour and invasive use of cameras.

The government has brought in a classification system based on compliance with ecological, safety and responsible tourism standards. However, these regulations are not always enforced, and there are many houseboats on the backwaters that pay them no heed.

Why you can trust our Kerala houseboat holidays
Our houseboat holidays in Kerala only use vessels that align with recommended environmental standards and best practices. These include only disposing of waste at certified septic treatment plants, using renewable energy whenever possible, minimising single use plastics, using locally sourced food, and hiring local people.

Furthermore, our holidays ensure that biodegradable soaps and natural disinfectants are employed to clean the houseboats, reducing harm to aquatic life, and they dock from 5.30pm onwards so as not to interfere with local fishermen casting their nets.

What you can do
Cruise for at least two or three nights. Any less, and you don’t have time to escape the busiest areas of the backwaters. Going for longer means you can find more space and more peace, enjoying rural life as you spend time (and money) in villages along the way.

You can also ask your boat tour operator about their environmental practises. Keep an eye on what goes on aboard, and always give feedback to your tour operator and the Kerala Houseboat Owners Association if you feel they are not doing as they ought.

Act responsibly on houseboats and remember that you are going through communities that may be quite conservative. Even though you are on a boat, you are still visible from the shore, and it is advisable to still dress modestly, keep the noise down and generally be respectful of the areas you pass through.

We also highly recommend combining a houseboat stay with a homestay, which gives you an even deeper cultural connection, and ensures more of your tourism spend goes directly into the local community.

People & culture

Because Kerala is seen, and indeed marketed, as being a bit more cool and cosmopolitan than other Indian states, it comes as a shock to some tourists when they aren’t given ‘open all hours’ access to cultural sights. Rather reassuringly, Hindu temples in Kerala have kept their doors closed to non-Hindus and, therefore, many tourists, preserving them as the spiritual strongholds they were meant to be. Some do allow entry, however, and if they do, there are strict codes to adhere to.

Firstly, photography is nearly always strictly prohibited. In all temples, you should use only your right hand to offer donations or receive holy water. Dress code is important. For men, this is usually the traditional mundu (similar to a sarong) without a shirt, and for women, a dress that covers the legs, not shirt and trousers. In temples that allow visitors, these are often available for hire. And always remove your shoes outside the temple. Cleanliness is also important, and Hindus traditionally wash before entering the temple. Increasingly controversial nowadays, women are not meant to enter the temple if they have their period either.

With its multicultural demographic, there are other spiritual sites to visit and it is worth noting traditions here too, of course. Some Muslim mosques don’t allow women inside and if they do, they must wear a dress that covers the whole body and cover their head. Again, no photography here please. And in Kerala, in Christian churches, men sit on the left and women on the right, although some don’t have pews. During mass, women are expected to cover their heads. The synagogue at Kochi is not open to non-Jews on Saturdays and on other days, dress code is again to cover up as much as possible.

Diana Syrett, Managing Director of one of our top suppliers, Kerala Connections
“In Kerala, apart from three temples, non-Hindus are not allowed inside temples at all, not even in the grounds, and sometimes they have security guards to make sure you don’t go through the gates. It’s really quite strict. Whereas Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are much more laid back about it, and even in major pilgrimage centres such as Madurai, one of the biggest in India, a non-Hindu can go right the way around, inside the temples and only the inner sanctum is kept private. So, a lot of people go to India for the culture, and it seems like a waste of time to go all the way just to sit on the beach, and when they hope to see temples, they will be disappointed if they don’t cross the border because the chances are they won’t get inside a temple at all."

Responsible tourism tips

Although less common in Kerala than some other areas of India, taking a ride on an elephant does still happen, especially around Thekkady and Periyar National Park. As you will see from our Elephants in tourism guide, Responsible Travel does not endorse elephant riding. However, we do recognise that, at Periyar, the survival of the remaining tigers is simply too precarious to risk withdrawing the funding gained through elephant rides from the park; to do so would risk an instant increase in poaching and the demise of the species. Allowing elephant back safaris is far from an ideal situation, but we believe it is the 'least bad' solution to a complex problem. Read more about the use of elephants in conservation here. Instead, we are calling upon our suppliers and travellers to Periyar to demand the ethical treatment of the elephants; this means limits on the time elephants can work, a reduced number of passengers and restrictions on the way the torturous bull hook is used. Some temples have captive elephants, as they are believed to bring good fortune. However, they are usually kept on short chains to limit their movements, unable to escape the midday sun or interact with other elephants. They also perform in processions and ceremonies, which can be stressful and physically harmful. We urge travellers not to support either of these activities. Ayurveda is a wonderful, traditional form of medicine in Kerala, but there are a lot of chancers out there too, charging a lot of money for the treatment, when in fact you are just getting a bit of a run of the mill massage. Although many are accredited and highly recommended, remember that this is a real way of life for Keralites, and a highly respected and all-encompassing way of living, with Keralites visiting Ayurvedic hospitals and consultants for serious ailments. Not just a girls' day out. Check out the government star ratings of Olive Leaf and Green Leaf Ayurvedic Centres for more guidance. Land grabbing is an issue in Kerala, with the growth of resort tourism, small rural communities are offered paltry sums of money to move on from their beachfront homes. Water grabbing is also an issue according to UK charity Tourism Concern, with Lake Palace Resort, for example, diverting water from the Alleppey backwaters by using bunds or artificial dams, to provide artificial lakes for its guests. The development of this resort was, according to research carried out by Tourism Concern, in violation of Kerala's Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). So, all the more reason to stay with small, locally owned businesses when possible and show the government that many people are actually allergic to this rash of resorts. Kochi is now being pushed as a developing cruise ship destination. Here's hoping that it won't go down the same road as cities including Venice and Dubrovnik, which have experienced overtourism thanks, largely, to huge cruise ships docking there and disgorging thousands of passengers at once. Smoking is not allowed in public places in Kerala. Sometimes police don't stop foreigners doing it as they don't want to upset tourists, but you should still follow the rules.
Women are advised to keep their legs covered in public places, as it can create uncomfortable situations. Indian men are not used to seeing women’s legs, they see midriffs a lot, but if a woman exposes a lot of leg in a rural town, she might get a lot more attention than she was expecting. Tipping is controversial. On one hand we recommend you don't tip too much, as the standard of living is very different, and so just because you pay a tiny amount for a meal, doesn't mean you have to give five times that amount as a tip. It creates a false economy .On the other, some people such as local guides depend on tips. At hotels there is a service charge, and drivers and guides do depend on this. Giving pens to children seems to drive a lot of our suppliers mad, and although it is done with good intentions, it has got a little out of hand. This author's suggestion is to bring out all the pens being stored in boxes by Keralite kids and make a big installation of modern art. That might get the message across. Save them going to landfill too. If you really want to give to charity, ask your tour operator for a good local charity to support. Most responsible tourism companies will have an associated with a local charity which is sustainable and transparent. As a state with a strong communist history, trade unions here are very strong, and strikes are a regular feature. Usually hitting public transport, and all registered vehicles such as taxis, this can mean that your trip can be disrupted. Generally, you are given 24 hours' notice, however; and local tour operators are on the ball about it.

Rajat Kumar, Managing Director of our supplier ExplorIndya
“Although sometimes tourists don’t expect it, you do see extreme poverty in Kerala, but you also see extreme culture, extreme education and extreme family history. So, it’s just that the disparity isn’t as big as you might see in other parts of India. The difference is that when we talk about the poor in Kerala, we don’t talk about absolute destitution and slum dwelling poverty. You don’t see people sleeping under bridges and on pavements. You might see a farmer with a very small piece of land who simply wants to make ends meet. He lives hand to mouth but he does live a life with the basic essentials. Which is very different to poverty in the north of India."

Vishal Koshy, general manager of our supplier Kalypso Adventures
“Most hotels have a common tip box where you can leave something extra for service, but guides and drivers do depend on tips, so please remember this on your travels."

Rajat Kumar, Managing Director of our supplier ExplorIndya
The whole idea of gifting pens to kids bothers me. I don’t diss the reasons behind it. I diss the act itself. When this started, the reasons behind it were very noble as the pen was seen as a direct tool to empower the child to study and write. But today it has become a game that locals play with tourists, and tourists encourage with the act itself. It is ironic because it actually drives children to skip school and hang out in areas frequented by western tourists because they know they will get handfuls of pens. They just keep them in boxes, where they collect hundreds of pens, and it is a satire."