/* eslint-disable */
// Auto-generated destination data — kerala
window.KERALA_DATA = {
  "chrome": {
    "hero": {
      "kicker": "HowTo:Travel · Asia · India",
      "h1Lines": [
        "Kerala is not India.",
        "It's monsoon, spice, and water",
        "in a state that reads."
      ],
      "issueLabel": "Issue Nº 47 · Kerala guide · Updated April 2026",
      "lede": "Thirty-eight percent literacy here in 1947. Communists in power in 1957. A matrilineal past. The backwaters smell of salt and coconut husk. The hills above Munnar are silent except for the rain. Kerala built itself a different way, and the traveller who arrives expecting India—betel leaf, chaos, the Taj—leaves speaking Malayalam to fishermen.",
      "stats": "12 districts · 3 hill stations · 44 backwater networks · 580 km coastline · 9% of India's spice trade",
      "metaRows": [
        {
          "k": "Currency",
          "v": "Indian Rupee (₹) · 1 USD ≈ ₹83"
        },
        {
          "k": "Plug type",
          "v": "Type D & M (3 round pins)"
        },
        {
          "k": "Visa for US/UK",
          "v": "Indian e-visa: 30 days, $25 USD"
        },
        {
          "k": "Best for first-timers",
          "v": "Kochi (Cochin) + Munnar + backwater nights"
        },
        {
          "k": "Language",
          "v": "Malayalam (native) · English (second) · Hindi (understood)"
        }
      ],
      "frames": [
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1506905925346-21bda4d32df4?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Backwaters near Alappuzha · 9°N"
        },
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1512470876302-972da759a553?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Tea plantations, Munnar · 10°N"
        },
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1516477228182-fb0575e26d60?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Chinese fishing nets, Kochi · 9°N"
        }
      ]
    },
    "anchor": {
      "label": "In this guide",
      "items": [
        {
          "id": "intro",
          "label": "Letter"
        },
        {
          "id": "regions",
          "label": "Zones"
        },
        {
          "id": "drives",
          "label": "The roads"
        },
        {
          "id": "cities",
          "label": "Cities"
        },
        {
          "id": "when",
          "label": "When to go"
        },
        {
          "id": "food",
          "label": "What to eat"
        },
        {
          "id": "language",
          "label": "Phrases"
        },
        {
          "id": "faq",
          "label": "FAQs"
        }
      ]
    },
    "intro": {
      "lead": "Kerala was always sideways to Delhi. It wasn't invaded the same way, didn't fast the same fasts, didn't bow to the same gods—not all of them. Spice merchants arrived on boats from Arabia and China centuries before empires declared borders. The land itself is a negotiation: lowland marshes where water and rice argue about ownership, hills where cardamom grows in shade, a coast that faces outward. The backwaters are not a tourist product. They are how five million people move, fish, and live. The hills are not a postcard. They are why tea tastes the way it does in someone's breakfast cup in Edinburgh.",
      "side": "The best way to arrive is via Kochi, spend two days there, then move inland or onto the water. August through October is monsoon—everyone else leaves; the light becomes grey-green and the prices drop by half. January is perfect and packed. February is perfect and slightly less packed. The roads are good. The food is serious. Malayalam is not difficult if you try.",
      "credit": "— The editors · Kochi · February 2026"
    },
    "signoff": {
      "h2": "Stay longer than you planned.",
      "body": "The backwater boatman knows the water's seasonal temperament. The cardamom farmer in Idukki knows which plots are fifty years old. The fish curry tastes different in Thiruvananthapuram than it does in Kannur because the catch is different. Stay for that.",
      "credit": "— The editors"
    }
  },
  "macros": [
    {
      "id": "backwaters",
      "name": "The backwaters",
      "tint": "#2d5a3d",
      "blurb": "Lagoons and lagoons. Fish traps. Coconut palms. Dawn on a kettuvallam houseboat."
    },
    {
      "id": "hills",
      "name": "The Western Ghats",
      "tint": "#1a472a",
      "blurb": "Mist, cardamom, tea. Villages where elephants pass through. Silence above the cloud line."
    },
    {
      "id": "coast",
      "name": "The Malabar coast",
      "tint": "#8b5a3c",
      "blurb": "Spice warehouses, fishing nets, Arabian Sea horizon. Portuguese forts and Chinese merchants."
    }
  ],
  "regions": [
    {
      "id": "eka",
      "name": "Ernakulathur & Idukki",
      "capital": "Kochi",
      "macro": "backwaters",
      "hue": "#2d5a3d",
      "knownFor": "Backwaters, spice markets, houseboat nights",
      "area": 3069,
      "pop": 1.4,
      "signature": "Kettuvallams at dawn, the net cast, fish for lunch. Spice warehouses smelling of clove.",
      "best": "Oct–Feb"
    },
    {
      "id": "idk",
      "name": "Idukki",
      "capital": "Munnar",
      "macro": "hills",
      "hue": "#1a472a",
      "knownFor": "Cardamom, tea, mist, silence",
      "area": 4440,
      "pop": 0.79,
      "signature": "The air cools by 1°C per 100 metres. Cardamom plantations in silence. Tea picked by hand at dawn.",
      "best": "Oct–Nov · Jan–Feb"
    },
    {
      "id": "knt",
      "name": "Kannur",
      "capital": "Kannur",
      "macro": "coast",
      "hue": "#8b5a3c",
      "knownFor": "Spice trade routes, Portuguese forts, fishing nets",
      "area": 2976,
      "pop": 1.2,
      "signature": "The northernmost backwater, where Arab merchants anchored. Theyyam drums at midnight.",
      "best": "Nov–Feb"
    },
    {
      "id": "tvm",
      "name": "Thiruvananthapuram",
      "capital": "Thiruvananthapuram",
      "macro": "backwaters",
      "hue": "#2d5a3d",
      "knownFor": "Palace, temple, fish, southern gateway",
      "area": 2192,
      "pop": 1.1,
      "signature": "Capital of the south. Palace grounds overlooking lagoons. Fish curry sharper here than in the north.",
      "best": "Oct–Feb"
    }
  ],
  "drives": [
    {
      "id": "backwater-loop",
      "num": "01",
      "name": "The backwater circuit",
      "nameEm": "Alappuzha to Kottayam",
      "region": "Ernakulathur & Idukki",
      "regionId": "eka",
      "from": "Alappuzha",
      "to": "Kottayam",
      "km": 65,
      "hours": 2.5,
      "elevMax": 12,
      "elevMin": 0,
      "season": "Oct–Feb",
      "surface": "NH66 and local roads — flat, palm-lined, one-lane stretches",
      "car": "Any car. Stop often.",
      "blurb": "Forget the houseboat tourist circuit. Drive parallel to the water. Stop in Cheppad for the fish market at 6am. Lunch in Kottayam. See the paddy fields from the road, not from a boat. The light at 5pm turns everything amber.",
      "stops": [
        "Alappuzha",
        "Cheppad",
        "Aroor",
        "Kottayam"
      ],
      "tip": "The best backwater view is from the NH66 at Aroor, free, no hotel booking required.",
      "profile": [
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    },
    {
      "id": "munnar-climb",
      "num": "02",
      "name": "Into the cardamom hills",
      "nameEm": "Kottayam to Munnar",
      "region": "Idukki",
      "regionId": "idk",
      "from": "Kottayam",
      "to": "Munnar",
      "km": 125,
      "hours": 5,
      "elevMax": 1600,
      "elevMin": 10,
      "season": "Oct–Nov · Jan–Feb",
      "surface": "SH7 — hairpin bends, tea plantations both sides, single lane near top",
      "car": "Manual is practical. Road narrows above 800m.",
      "blurb": "The climb from water to tea. Start early, mid-September light or October drizzle. Stop in Peerumedu for the cardamom smell. Lunch in a plantation restaurant. Munnar reveals itself in mist; don't try to see everything.",
      "stops": [
        "Kottayam",
        "Peerumedu",
        "Devikulam",
        "Munnar"
      ],
      "tip": "The road is steepest 7am–9am. Drive down in daylight; avoid night descents.",
      "profile": [
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    },
    {
      "id": "spice-coast",
      "num": "03",
      "name": "The spice routes",
      "nameEm": "Kochi to Kannur",
      "region": "Kannur",
      "regionId": "knt",
      "from": "Kochi",
      "to": "Kannur",
      "km": 200,
      "hours": 5,
      "elevMax": 45,
      "elevMin": 0,
      "season": "Nov–Feb",
      "surface": "NH66 — coastal, straight, good asphalt, truck traffic",
      "car": "Any car. Leave space for lorries.",
      "blurb": "Follow the spice trade route north. Stop in Mattancherry for the spice warehouses and the smell. Eat in Fort Kochi. Sleep once in a backwater village. Kannur is where cardamom, pepper, and clove ships departed for Arabia. The Portuguese left forts. The merchants left recipes.",
      "stops": [
        "Kochi",
        "Fort Kochi",
        "Mattancherry",
        "Kallooppara",
        "Kannur"
      ],
      "tip": "The spice warehouse auction in Mattancherry runs 8am–11am. Arrive early to smell clove in bulk.",
      "profile": [
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    },
    {
      "id": "high-ranges",
      "num": "04",
      "name": "The high ranges loop",
      "nameEm": "Munnar circuit",
      "region": "Idukki",
      "regionId": "idk",
      "from": "Munnar",
      "to": "Munnar",
      "km": 95,
      "hours": 4,
      "elevMax": 1800,
      "elevMin": 1200,
      "season": "Oct–Feb",
      "surface": "Local roads, plantation tracks, some hairpins",
      "car": "High-clearance preferred but not required.",
      "blurb": "Circle through the tea estates and cardamom plantations. Mattupetty Dam, the Anamudi view, Kundala Lake. Stay in a plantation homestay, eat with the workers' families. The mist clears by noon; drive early.",
      "stops": [
        "Munnar",
        "Mattupetty",
        "Kundala",
        "Anamudi viewpoint",
        "Munnar"
      ],
      "tip": "Ask a plantation owner to show you the cardamom plants. The smell, once inhaled, never leaves.",
      "profile": [
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    },
    {
      "id": "southern-lagoons",
      "num": "05",
      "name": "The southern lagoons",
      "nameEm": "Thiruvananthapuram backwaters",
      "region": "Thiruvananthapuram",
      "regionId": "tvm",
      "from": "Thiruvananthapuram",
      "to": "Varkala",
      "km": 35,
      "hours": 1.5,
      "elevMax": 50,
      "elevMin": 0,
      "season": "Nov–Feb",
      "surface": "Local roads, flat, sometimes narrow",
      "car": "Any car.",
      "blurb": "The southern backwaters are quieter than Alappuzha. Fish traps, cassava drying in sun, women mending nets. Sleep in Varkala's cliff-side villages. The backwater here is narrower, the boats smaller, the tourists fewer.",
      "stops": [
        "Thiruvananthapuram",
        "Veli",
        "Aristo Island",
        "Varkala"
      ],
      "tip": "Hire a boatman directly at the Veli dock. Negotiate for three hours, not the standard day tour.",
      "profile": [
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  ],
  "cities": [
    {
      "name": "Kochi (Cochin)",
      "pop": 0.68,
      "region": "Ernakulathur & Idukki",
      "regionId": "eka",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1516477228182-fb0575e26d60?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "2–3",
      "mood": "Trading post, spice, layered history",
      "best": "Oct–Feb",
      "quote": "Arrive by the Chinese fishing nets at 5pm. Stay in Fort Kochi for the spice warehouse smell and the backwater light."
    },
    {
      "name": "Munnar",
      "pop": 0.043,
      "region": "Idukki",
      "regionId": "idk",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1512470876302-972da759a553?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "2–3",
      "mood": "Tea plantations, mist, stillness",
      "best": "Oct–Nov · Jan–Feb",
      "quote": "Wake at 5am. Walk to the nearest tea plantation. Watch the pickers move through the green."
    },
    {
      "name": "Alappuzha",
      "pop": 0.21,
      "region": "Ernakulathur & Idukki",
      "regionId": "eka",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1506905925346-21bda4d32df4?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "1–2",
      "mood": "Backwater hub, houseboat launches, early morning",
      "best": "Oct–Feb",
      "quote": "Sleep on a houseboat. Wake to the boatman starting the engine at 5am. The backwater tastes like salt and coconut."
    },
    {
      "name": "Kannur",
      "pop": 0.39,
      "region": "Kannur",
      "regionId": "knt",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1548013146-72aaf3f29fbb?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "1–2",
      "mood": "Fort ruins, northern gateway, spice history",
      "best": "Nov–Feb",
      "quote": "Walk the Portuguese fort walls at sunset. The spice markets close by 6pm. Dinner is fish, grilled."
    },
    {
      "name": "Thiruvananthapuram",
      "pop": 0.74,
      "region": "Thiruvananthapuram",
      "regionId": "tvm",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1549465220-acada5eeba95?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "1",
      "mood": "Palace, temple, southern formality",
      "best": "Nov–Feb",
      "quote": "Walk the palace gardens. The temple is ancient. The fish curry is from the southern sea."
    },
    {
      "name": "Varkala",
      "pop": 0.018,
      "region": "Thiruvananthapuram",
      "regionId": "tvm",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1507525428034-b723cf961d3e?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "1–2",
      "mood": "Cliff-side village, quiet backwater, slower",
      "best": "Nov–Feb",
      "quote": "Sit on the cliff at sunset. The backwater is behind you. The Arabian Sea is below."
    },
    {
      "name": "Kottayam",
      "pop": 0.13,
      "region": "Ernakulathur & Idukki",
      "regionId": "eka",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1517957754642-2d4a32f92cfe?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "1",
      "mood": "Backwater junction, Christian churches, quiet",
      "best": "Oct–Feb",
      "quote": "The old Metran churches are here. The road to Munnar starts here. Pause for lunch, then climb."
    }
  ],
  "when": [
    {
      "m": "Jan",
      "n": "Perfect for backwaters. Clear skies, 28°C, peak season. Book boats and hotels ahead.",
      "s": "Hill stations cool but dry. Munnar is ideal. Cardamom smell strongest after the rains."
    },
    {
      "m": "Feb",
      "n": "Still good. Slightly fewer tourists. 29°C. Fish nets active. Spice warehouses busy.",
      "s": "Munnar clear most days. Good hiking. Tea picking at peak."
    },
    {
      "m": "Mar",
      "n": "Starting to heat. 31°C. Backwater water level drops. Haze increases.",
      "s": "Munnar still workable but humidity rising. Monsoon is coming."
    },
    {
      "m": "Apr",
      "n": "Hot, humid, 33°C. Not ideal. Houseboat tours slow. Spice fades from air.",
      "s": "Munnar becomes very quiet. Most tourists gone. Heavy mist descends."
    },
    {
      "m": "May",
      "n": "Pre-monsoon. 34°C, high humidity. Water very still. Not a good time.",
      "s": "Munnar gets monsoon rains. Paths slippery. Beautiful for walkers, not for cars."
    },
    {
      "m": "Jun",
      "n": "Monsoon arrives. Heavy rain, 29°C, high water. Roads passable. Quiet.",
      "s": "Full monsoon. Mist, rain, cardamom growth. Waterfalls are spectacular."
    },
    {
      "m": "Jul",
      "n": "Peak monsoon. Backwaters flooded, brown water, warm 27°C. Roads flooded in places.",
      "s": "Rain all day. Mist. Cool, green, very quiet. Only the dedicated stay."
    },
    {
      "m": "Aug",
      "n": "Monsoon continues, 27°C, heavy rains some days. Not for tourists. Prices are lowest.",
      "s": "Still wet. Same mood. The spice smell is strongest because rain triggers growth."
    },
    {
      "m": "Sep",
      "n": "Monsoon fading. 28°C, sporadic rain. Water high. Prices drop as season ends.",
      "s": "Monsoon receding. Clear patches. Green at its most vivid."
    },
    {
      "m": "Oct",
      "n": "Monsoon ends. 28°C, first dry week. Water still high. Season begins. Nets deployed.",
      "s": "Mist clears by noon. Tea and cardamom harvest season begins. Light perfect for photos."
    },
    {
      "m": "Nov",
      "n": "Peak season starts. 27°C, clear, perfect light. Boats and hotels book fast.",
      "s": "Ideal weather. Cool mornings, clear afternoons. Tea picking vigorous. North coast lovely."
    },
    {
      "m": "Dec",
      "n": "Peak season, 26°C, dry, perfect. Very busy. Prices highest. Book everything early.",
      "s": "Best month for the hills. Cool, clear, cardamom smell lingers. Book accommodation now."
    }
  ],
  "food": [
    {
      "dish": "Meen curry",
      "where": "Ernakulathur & Idukki",
      "regionId": "eka",
      "note": "Fish in coconut and spice broth. Bitter leaves, shallots, cinnamon. Eaten with rice or appam.",
      "emoji": "🐟",
      "span": 2
    },
    {
      "dish": "Appam",
      "where": "Throughout Kerala",
      "regionId": "eka",
      "note": "Rice flour pancake, fermented, lacy edges, bowl-shaped. Eaten at breakfast with curry or jaggery.",
      "emoji": "🥞",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Puttu",
      "where": "Kannur & Kottayam",
      "regionId": "knt",
      "note": "Cylindrical steamed cake of rice flour and jaggery. Sliced, eaten with chickpea curry and chai.",
      "emoji": "🍰",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Sadya",
      "where": "Thiruvananthapuram",
      "regionId": "tvm",
      "note": "Temple feast. Twenty-six vegetable curries, pickles, chips on a banana leaf. Eaten once, never forgotten.",
      "emoji": "🍛",
      "span": 2
    },
    {
      "dish": "Tapioca and fish curry",
      "where": "Backwaters, morning markets",
      "regionId": "eka",
      "note": "Cassava root boiled, served with sharp, thin fish curry. Breakfast of the fishermen. 6am.",
      "emoji": "🍗",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Cardamom tea",
      "where": "Munnar & Idukki",
      "regionId": "idk",
      "note": "Black tea with crushed cardamom pods, milk, jaggery. Drunk in plantation offices at 3pm.",
      "emoji": "☕",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Coconut and chilli chutney",
      "where": "Throughout",
      "regionId": "eka",
      "note": "Fresh coconut ground with green chilli, ginger, salt. Acidic, sharp, essential for every meal.",
      "emoji": "🥥",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Kallumakkaya",
      "where": "Kannur & coast",
      "regionId": "knt",
      "note": "Mussels in coconut broth. Caught in the lagoon. Eaten fresh. Shallot, turmeric, coconut milk.",
      "emoji": "🦪",
      "span": 1
    }
  ],
  "language": [
    {
      "lc": "നന്ദി",
      "tr": "Thank you",
      "note": "Pronounced 'nandi'. The universal grace. Spoken to boat captains, market sellers, anyone."
    },
    {
      "lc": "ഹലോ, എനിക്കു വെള്ളം തരുമോ?",
      "tr": "Hello, can you give me water?",
      "note": "Practical and appreciated. Most will offer chai instead. Accept it."
    },
    {
      "lc": "ഇത് എത്ര?",
      "tr": "How much is this?",
      "note": "Essential for markets. Pronounced 'ithu ethra?' Negotiation is expected in spice markets."
    },
    {
      "lc": "ഭയങ്കരം സുস്വാദു",
      "tr": "Extremely delicious",
      "note": "Pronounced 'bhayankaram susvadu'. Speaking this after eating rice curry will produce smiles."
    },
    {
      "lc": "എനിക്കു മതി",
      "tr": "I am satisfied / enough",
      "note": "Pronounced 'enikku mathi'. Signal to stop serving. Malayalam hosts are relentless."
    },
    {
      "lc": "ഇവിടെ കുടുംബമാണ്",
      "tr": "Here is family",
      "note": "Pronounced 'ivide kutumbam anu'. Spoken by locals about the community. A philosophy."
    },
    {
      "lc": "വെളുതായിരുന്നു",
      "tr": "It was beautiful",
      "note": "Pronounced 'velutha ayirunnu'. Use this about the sunset or the backwater at dawn."
    },
    {
      "lc": "ഒരു വേറെ കപ്പ",
      "tr": "Another cup",
      "note": "Pronounced 'oru vere kappa'. Tea is endless. This asks for the second cup. Then the third."
    }
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Is Kerala safe?",
      "a": "Yes. Kerala has the lowest crime rate in India. English is widely spoken. Women travel alone here. The locals are accustomed to tourists but not indifferent. Common sense applies: don't display wealth openly, avoid walking alone late at night in unfamiliar areas, use pre-booked taxis. The state police are professional."
    },
    {
      "q": "When should I avoid Kerala?",
      "a": "May and early June. It's hot—33-34°C—and the monsoon has not yet arrived to cool things. Hotels are open but the air is still. April is slightly better. From July to September, the monsoon rains are heavy; some roads flood, houseboat tourism slows, and the heat lifts but humidity is high. For most travellers, November to February is ideal."
    },
    {
      "q": "How long should I stay?",
      "a": "Five to seven days is a good baseline. Two nights in Kochi or backwaters, two nights in Munnar or the hills, and one night moving between them. This gives you water, height, and the spice warehouses. If you have ten days, add the northern coast (Kannur) or southern lagoons (Varkala). More than two weeks means you're starting to understand the place, not just passing through."
    },
    {
      "q": "Do I need a car, or can I use public transport?",
      "a": "Both work. Buses are cheap, frequent, and reasonably reliable. Trains connect major cities. If you want to see the backwaters at your own pace, visit small plantation villages, or explore the hills off the main roads, a rented car (or car plus driver) is more practical. A driver costs ₹1,500–2,500 per day and knows where to eat."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is the food safe?",
      "a": "Yes, if you eat where locals eat. Street food is safe; waterborne illness is rare. Drink bottled water. Ice is made from filtered water in restaurants. Fish curry is cooked at high heat, so the fish is very safe. Avoid raw salads at small stalls. The food is excellent and won't make you sick if you use basic judgment."
    },
    {
      "q": "What about houseboat tours? Are they touristy?",
      "a": "Yes, the commercial houseboat loops are. They're also still worth doing once—the backwater itself is real even if the tour is packaged. Book a smaller boat from a local operator, not an agency. The boatman's commentary is better. Sleep on the boat if you want silence at dawn; the engine doesn't start until 6am and you'll hear only water and birds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Do I need to learn Malayalam?",
      "a": "No. English is spoken in hotels, restaurants, and by most under-40 locals. That said, learning a few phrases—'thank you', 'how much', 'delicious'—produces outsized goodwill. The language is beautiful and worth a few hours of listening, even if you don't speak it."
    },
    {
      "q": "What should I bring?",
      "a": "Lightweight, breathable clothes. A light rain jacket (even in the dry season, short showers happen). Comfortable walking shoes. Sunscreen and a hat for the backwaters. A small day pack. Cash—many small shops and local restaurants don't take cards. A power adapter (Type D or M). Binoculars if you're interested in birds. The spice smell will cling to your clothes; this is not a problem."
    }
  ]
};