Kerala

Representing only 1.8 per cent of the total area of India, Kerala is the smallest state of south India. This strip of land along the Arabian Sea leads right to the southernmost tip of India, and has a beautiful coastline that stretches 590km (367 miles). Kerala’s most prized possession, along with its beautiful sandy beaches, is its fabulous spice plantations, where crops of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, chillies and peppercorns, among others, are grown in abundance. As a producer of such valuable spices, the area has long been visited by traders, including the Romans, Chinese, Syrians and Arabs.