The idea of the perfect Kerala holiday is changing – instead of rushing between popular attractions, travellers are choosing to stay put, explore at their own pace and make room for the small experiences that often end up becoming the most memorable part of a trip.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Pranav Dangi, CEO of The Hosteller, shares his perspective on why Kerala is emerging as a preferred destination for slow travel and how younger travellers are changing the way they experience the state. (Also read: Travel vlogger takes ‘world’s most expensive first-class flight’ from Dubai to London: ‘It’s literally an apartment’ ) “The way people travel to Kerala has changed. For a long time, a Kerala trip meant a packed few days: a houseboat night in Alleppey, a day in Munnar, a stop in Fort Kochi, then home. “Kerala happens to be built for exactly this. “Give them time, and you start to notice the everyday life around you: the food people actually eat, the small talk at a chai shop, the rhythm of a working plantation. Pranav believes younger travellers are playing a major role in reshaping the idea of what makes a holiday worthwhile.
That itinerary still exists, but fewer travellers want to run it at that speed,” Pranav says. Kerala is naturally suited to this style of travel, with its diverse landscapes and experiences encouraging visitors to spend more time in one place, according to him. The backwaters, the beaches, the plantations, the older neighbourhoods and the wellness stays are not places you rush through,” he says. That is a very different trip from moving between attractions with a camera,” Pranav says. “A lot of this is being driven by younger travellers, who have quietly redefined what a good holiday looks like,” he says, adding, “For them, the win is a good afternoon in a village they had not planned to visit, a café someone local pointed them to, a trail that was not on any list.”
