I would like to some advice for my honeymoon which is in December. My husband and I can not make our minds up about which destination to choose from Goa or Kerala. Both destinations have beaches, but I think Goa is a slightly an over crowded place with tourists. There is a lot I have seen about Goa but very less about Kerala but it seems slightly better to visit, but I may be wrong. Our honeymoon will be for 14 days, and we are looking for a trip which would give us time to relax, do some water sports and also sightseeing. So please suggest which is better for honeymoon Goa or Kerala?
Hi there, welcome to the forum! Hmmm... It seems like you already know which destination is best for you. To fully help you decide though, I'll come up with a little guide, highlighting the main features of both these destinations. For starters, both Goa and Kerala are states in India, the former is located in the southwestern part of the country while the latter is located in the southern part of the country. Like you said, both has beaches and a myriad of other attractions as well. So on the first round we have Goa, a dreamy honeymoon destination for many couples. For many years, the state has been under the rule of the Portuguese and even after the independence, traces of the colonial rule is still evident. From its Portuguese churches, forts and even cuisine, it's quite like a piece of Portugal in India. On the central part of Goa is the most crowded beaches and as you venture further into the south, the more secluded the beaches become. Aside from the beaches, there are also other places to explore here like wildlife sanctuaries, backwaters and spice villages. Goa, therefore, the party capital of India, is more than just a place for nightlife, it has a little bit of everything else that a traveller needs. Baga Beach in Goa On the next round we have Kerala, popularly known as God's own country. With its varied landscapes, ranging from cities, hill stations, beaches, backwaters, rural villages and wildlife sanctuaries, it has become one of the most premier destinations in the country. Integral to visiting Kerala is experiencing its houseboat cruise, which is every bit as romantic as it sounds. It's difficult to find a crowded destination here, aside from the main cities themselves, probably because there are plenty of places to explore. Nevertheless, Kerala is always on the list of the honeymoon couples because it is abound with beauty and serenity. Houseboat in Kerala Here are more detailed descriptions about the two destinations: 1. Accessibility Goa - Goa is easily accessible by flight, by bus or by train from Delhi. The nearest airport to Goa is the Dabolim Airport or also known as the Goa International Airport. It has domestic flights from Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune. It also has international flights from Muscat, Doha and Moscow. The airport is merely four kilometres away from Vasco Da Gama. If going by bus, you need to reach Mumbai first and from there, plenty of buses plying to Goa are available. Both the government and private companies operate such buses plying to Goa. By train, there are plenty of railway stations around Goa, the main one being the Madgaon Railway Station, located mainly on the southern part of Goa. If you need to reach the northern part of Goa, alight at Thivim Railway Station. If going by road, the distance between Delhi and Goa is about 1,883 kilometres so it can take around 2 to 3 days to reach Goa by car. Kerala - Kerala is also easily accessible by flight, by bus or by train. It has three main airports, namely: Trivandrum International Airport, Cochin International Airport and Calicut International Airport. All these airports cater to domestic cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. If going by bus, you need to reach Bangalore first and from there, there are direct buses to the main cities of Kerala like Cochin and Trivandrum. Even the hill stations of Wayanad and Munnar have direct buses from Bangalore. If train journey is more convenient for you, there are about 81 railway stations in the state. The most busy railway station has to be the Ernakulam Junction and Trivandrum Central. But even cities of Alappuzha, Guruvayur and Kasaragod have their own stations. If you are bringing your own car, it takes around three days to cover the distance between Delhi to Kerala, although road conditions are pretty okay. 2. Accommodations Goa - With about 1,400 plus hotels in the state, you are spoiled with choices. Often dubbed as a backpacker's paradise, Goa is suitable for budget travellers and even those with money to spare. You can find hostels and guest houses here with prices as low as Rs. 400 per night. Most notable of which is Backpacker Panda, well-known to foreign tourists visiting Goa. Affordable resorts around the region are also abundant, with the likes of Cocos Resort and Om Lake Resort. For mid-range accommodations, there are also plenty of options like Hotel Traveller's Inn and Hotel Menino. Higher end resorts include the Lalit Golf & Spa Resort and Zuri White Sands Resort. There are also hotels with private beaches or hotels near the beach. Or you can opt for beach huts as well which are incredibly cheap in the state. Most of the budget to mid-range hotels are located in the main areas like Baga, Panjim, Calangute and Candolim. Remote beaches like Benaulim, Palolem and Querim have higher end hotels. Kerala - Being a vast state, Kerala has over 2,500 hotels in its vicinity. Most of the hotels are located in Ernakulam (500) and Alleppey (500) with the remaining spread out over the different cities of Kerala. Thekkady, Wayanad, Munnar and Trivandrum has their fair share of good hotels. You can even opt to stay in a luxury houseboat if you'd like, which costs about Rs. 50,000 and above. The best higher end hotels are the Malabar House and Ramada Resort in Cochin. Then there's the Spice Tree and Club Mahindra in Munnar. There's also the Windflower Resort and Vythiri Resort in Wayanad. All these higher end hotels have a price range of Rs. 10,000 and above per night. They're very suitable for honeymoon couples though. Guest houses and budget hotels are also abundant in the state for the travellers who want to stick a tight budget. There are also hotels near the beach for those who'd like to venture into the different beaches of Kerala. Spice Tree Resort in Munnar 3. Suitability for Honeymoon Goa - Honeymoon couples usually like seclusion and privacy, which is why they tend to avoid the central part of Goa. These places include Baga, Calangute and Anjuna, which are usually the areas where the most crowds are. For both the southern and northern part of Goa, there are many beaches ideal for honeymoon couples. However, the beaches of southern Goa are more beautiful, serene and cleaner. The best south Goa beaches, at least for me, would have to be Betalbatim Beach, Benaulim Beach, Patnem Beach, Palolem Beach, Colva Beach and Mobor Beach. These beaches have white sands and turquoise waters. You can enjoy the seclusion and isolation of these beaches as well as compared to the northern beaches. So the key is, venture further away from the centre of Goa to find the most serene and romantic beaches for couples. Betalbatim Beach in Goa Kerala - A simple houseboat cruise in the backwaters of Kumarakom or Alleppey would be enough for honeymoon couples in Kerala. But there are also other destinations suitable for honeymoon couples here. For instance, there's the hill station of Munnar, with its sprawling tea estates and natural attractions, not to mention pleasant climate all-year round. It's one of the perfect destinations for couples who want to do some sightseeing. Yet another good option is Wayanad, another hill station in Kerala, more remote and unexplored than the former. There are also plenty of beach destinations around Kerala. Kovalam has pretty much crowded beaches but the hidden beaches of Bekkal, Kannur and Thrissur are sure to delight the honeymoon couples. Munnar in Kerala 4. Attractions Goa - At the capital of Goa, Panjim, there are plenty of colonial structures to see like Portuguese churches, a fort and heritage homes. Take a walk with your loved one around Fontainhas and relish in the beauty of these colonial style houses. Or visit the numerous churches in the city like the Chapel of Saint Catherine, Se Cathedral and Basilica of Bom Jesus. The fort with a great history behind it, the Reis Magos Fort, is also worth a visit. Another interesting city to visit is Margao, where you can visit religious attractions like the Chandranath Temple, Damodar Temple and Our Lady of Grace Church. Ponda also has a number of attractions to keep travellers busy the Shri Mahalasa Temple and Shri Naguesh Temple. There are also spice plantations around the city that you can visit, the popular ones being the Sahakari Spice Farm and the Tropical Spice Plantation. The city is also located close to the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, a great excursion for nature and wildlife lovers. So aside from the beaches, Goa has plenty of attractions to keep the honeymoon couples busy during their stay. Reis Magos Fort in Goa Kerala - Listing all the attractions in Kerala can take a long, long time. Aside from the beaches and backwaters, there are many other places to explore here. In the state capital Trivandrum, you can visit religious attractions like the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple and Sarkara Devi Temple. Historical places that you can visit here are the Padmanabhapuram Palace and Puthen Malika Palace. They provide one with a glimpse of the bygone royal era of the region. Another must visit place here is the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary where you can see animals like elephants and sloth bears. Cochin also has a number of attractions like historical places, museums and religious places. Some of the best places to visit here are the Mattancherry Palace, Indo-Portuguese Museum and Ernakulam Shiva Temple. For Munnar, natural attractions like the Atukkad Waterfalls, Kundala Lake and Eravikulam National Park are worth visiting. As you can see, there are numerous attractions in the state and I haven't even touched on half of them. Thus, it's best to choose one to three destinations for your honeymoon to fully explore the places. Puthen Malika Palace in Kerala 5. Activities Goa - With the numerous water sports activities in Goa, you and your loved one would have a blast on your honeymoon. Some of the easier water sports are snorkelling and banana boat riding. Snorkelling can be done at Grande Island, Wreck of Suzy or Bay of Bounty in Goa. On the other hand, banana boat riding is available on majority of the main beaches like Baga, Candolim, Calangute and Vagator. For the adventure seekers, try out wind surfing or water skiing which can both be done in the beaches of Calangute and Utorda. Dolphin spotting is another fun activity here which is usually done on Palolem Beach. Other water sports widely available in Goa are jet skiing, parasailing, dinghy sailing and water scootering. You can also try out river rafting in the Mandevi River as it has quite good rapids for the said activity. A more laid-back activity would be cruising along the river, which can be a very romantic experience as well. Kerala - A visit to Kerala won't be complete without a houseboat cruise along its backwaters. You can choose an Alleppey round or Kumarakom round or even both. This cruise would take you along the serene waters of Kerala and at the same time you get to view the villagers living their daily lives amidst the backwaters. How about an Ayurvedic massage while on cruise? This can relax honeymoon couples and it's best done during monsoon season as this it the time when the pores are open to absorb the herbs used in the treatment. Another must do activity here is wildlife safaris through the different national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of Kerala. The best-rated ones are the Periyar National Park, Eravikulam National Park and Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary. Seeing the wildlife of Kerala, along with the jungles, is quite invigorating. You can even enjoy bamboo rafting in the rivers of these national parks. Some of the water activities that you can do in the beaches of Kerala are canoeing, scuba diving, catamaran sailing, parasailing and windsurfing. These water activities can only be done in the commercial beaches though like the ones in Kovalam. Usually the more remote beaches don't have facilities for these activities. So there you go, I hope this guide helps you in choosing between these two destinations. In a nutshell, Goa caters more for the beach lovers, with some historical and religious places that you can squeeze in between. Then, Kerala is a very vast state with numerous destinations to choose from. So if you'd like more variety in sightseeing, then Kerala might fit best for you. Good luck and enjoy your honeymoon!
