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 Kerala is all about lush greenery. The breathtaking lofty mountains of Western Ghats, the sandy beaches of Arabian Sea, the dense forests, wildlife sanctuaries, pristine lakes and backwaters are all romantic getaways in Kerala. This piece of land, the joint gift of sea and mountains, is blessed with heavy rainfall, altitudinal diversity and fertile soils. Consequently, green rice fields, swaying coconut and arecanut palms, aromatic spice plantations, fresh green banana groves, vegetable farms, and green carpeted tea estates of Kerala entice tourists to its shores. Kerala, the land of lavish greenery and serenity is voted as the 10 must see paradises in the world by the National Geographic Traveler. For a tourist, the scenic Kerala is for relaxation, contemplation, detoxification, rejuvenation and also for bonding with nature.
 Kerala is internationally known as a mega biodiversity hotspot as it supports more than 6 % of the world’s biodiversity on a land area of 39,000 square km. The rain forests, mountains, plateaus, valleys, plains, wetlands and swamps provide shelter for more than 14,435 plant species, 546 bird species, 440 butterfly species, 176 reptile species and 145 mammalian species. The Western Ghats on the eastern side of Kerala is a mountainous chain of forests in various altitudes housing six national parks, 15 wild life sanctuaries, including three bird sanctuaries and a tiger reserve. Kerala has diverse types of forests which include tropical evergreen forests, semi evergreen forests, shola forests, montane forests, moist deciduous forests, dry deciduous forests, scrub jungle, grasslands and mangrove forests. Most of the forests of Kerala belong to Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Kerala has 38 lakes among three wetland/ lake systems are recognized as “Ramsar sites”. Kerala is now facing a struggle in preserving biodiversity while promoting sustainable development.
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