Ecotourism is a growing area in the tourist friendly state of Kerala. Ecotourism in Kerala has taken off in a big way because Kerala has many destinations known for their natural beauty and exquisite landscape. Kerala is one of the greenest destinations in India. The landscape is covered with coconut palms in the coastal areas. The paddy fields shimmer with the emerald green of new shoots. The banana plantations are filled with the whisper of waving green banana leaves. The tea plantations are a green blanket that cover the hill ranges as far as the eye can see, in the Western Ghats in Kerala and the backwaters are fringed with Pandanus plants that trail the tips of their long leaves in the rippling water, as you float by. You can appreciate the verdant beauty of Kerala on Kerala tours with Kerala backwater.

The wildlife sanctuaries of Kerala are popular ecotourism destinations. Tourists from all over the world come to see tigers, elephants, deer and animals native to the Malabar region, such as the Nilgiri Tahr, in the wildlife sanctuaries of Kerala including Periyar, Wynad, Silent Valley and Eravikulam wildlife sanctuary on Kerala tours with Kerala Backwater.

In recent times the rubber plantations and tea estates have also opened their doors to tourists who travel to Kerala, seeking a green getaway. The Portuguese, Dutch, French and English colonial rulers of Kerala established the plantations of Kerala during colonial times. The crops they introduced to Kerala include rubber, grown for its latex, and tea - England's favorite drink. These crops grew and flourished in Kerala's pleasant climate. Sheltered from the sun by tall trees, the plantations and their lodges, offer tourists a relaxing getaway on Kerala tours. You can visit the plantations of Kerala on ecotourism vacations in Kerala and Kerala tours with Kerala Backwater.

Some of the ecotourism attractions that you will see on Kerala tours with Kerala Backwater are:

1. Rubber Plantations in Kerala
The rubber plant is not a native plant of India. Dutch colonialists who also cultivated rubber in their plantations in Indonesia introduced the rubber plant to Kerala, India, because of its similar tropical climate. The Rubber plant (its botanical name is Havea brasiliensis) produces sticky, white latex that is collected and processed to produce natural rubber. Rubber trees are characterized by their straight trunks and smooth green leaves. The rubber is harvested by rubber tappers who make a long curving cut on the outer bark of the trunk of the rubber tree. The latex from within the tree seeps to the surface of the cut and trickles down the cut into a container, tied to the tree by the rubber tapper. Every morning the rubber tapper empties the cup tied to each tree, in the area of the plantation that he works in. After a few days he will make another cut just above or below the first cut, thus extracting more latex from the rubber tree. Eventually after about 20 years the rubber tree will stop producing latex, upon which a new tree is planted in its place.

2. Tea Plantations in Kerala
The tea plantations in Kerala are a beautiful sight as the green tea bushes cover the gentle hill slopes and forma green mantle over the surface of the hills. Some tea plantations also provide accommodation to tourists on Kerala tours who would like to stay close to nature in a quiet getaway and observe the wildlife and traditional routine of an agricultural plantation. The plantations are equipped with modern conveniences to make your stay as comfortable as possible on Kerala tours with Kerala Backwater. The serene tea plantations of Kerala are a pleasant eco tourism option among Kerala tours with Kerala Backwater.

3. Spice Plantations in Kerala
The spice plantations of Kerala are fascinating farms to wander in, for different sections of each plantation are dedicated to different spices. Apart from spices traditionally grown in India such as pepper, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom farmers in Kerala have taken to growing spices that are used worldwide. Some of the spices cultivated in spice plantations are vanilla, oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, mint, bay leaf and sage.