I’ve been wanting to visit the Indian state of Kerala for years. Ever since my first trip to India back in 2018, I’ve gotten tons of requests to tour this gorgeous state in southern India. In January of 2020, I finally got the opportunity to do it! Come along with me as I begin my epic, 12-day journey through God’s Own Country with a flight on Qatar Airways to Trivandrum in Kerala, India!
I began my journey at the place that has become my second home, Miami International Airport. I was so excited to fly back to India for the fourth time in two years! Kerala is the 23rd-largest state in India and boasts hill stations, backwaters, tons of wildlife, cashews, coconut, spices, and much more. But first, I had to get there!
I’d first fly on Qatar Airways from Miami to Doha, Qatar and then connect to Trivandrum. I’d have 12 full days on the ground, plus two days traveling. I couldn’t wait to eat some Keralian cuisine, see the attractions, and visit the attractions!
I boarded my 13-hour flight on a Qatar Airways A350. It has a 3-3-3 configuration, offers tons of legroom, and has tons of entertainment options, including the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. They also have tons of amazing food options, including an Indian one!
I love that Qatar Airways gives you a menu with all of their meal options listen in it. They also have cold, hot, and alcoholic beverages, appetizers, main entrees, and more. I went with the aloo gobi and wanted to go with the paneer bhurji for brunch later. I was going all-Indian on this flight!
The aloo gobi is basmati rice with palak dal. It looked so good and came with a potato salad. I loved the combination of the rice, potatoes, spinach, dal, and spices. It was so good! It was similar to biryani and so unbelievably tasty! Qatar Airways never disappoints with the food! It’s always top-notch!
With about 12 hours to go, I kicked back with Angry Birds 2 and went to sleep! Nine hours later, I woke up refreshed despite there being lots of turbulence. It was time for brunch: paneer bhurji with chana masala and fried aloo tikki. It’s one of my favorite things to eat in India! It’s basically cottage cheese with chickpeas and tomatoes. It was a little spicy, just the way I like it!
Then, I went with Once Upon A Time in Hollywood to finish out my last three hours. After that, we arrived in Doha, Qatar after a long, 13-hour flight. It wasn’t a smooth flight at all. I was hoping to get into a business class lounge using my American Airlines platinum statues.
There are two different business class lounges at Hamad International Airport. I went with the smaller, lower-tier one and got some food. I had been to this lounge before. You can take a shower there. There’s also food, wine, free WiFi, and a sleeping area!
The lounge is nice and chill. While I was there, I had some lentils, tabbouleh, and a type of eggplant mash. It was really tasty!
I chilled in the lounge for two hours and then boarded my flight to Trivandrum. I made a new friend on the flight and had some cognac with him. We had a four-hour flight ahead of us and would arrive at 2:20 a.m. The staff on board was so nice! The flight attendant brought us lots of chocolates!
And just like that, I was back in India for the fourth time! I was beyond pumped and couldn’t wait to begin my adventures in God’s Own Country, Kerala, India in just four hours. I headed through Immigration and got my bags. Then, I got an Uber at the packed (and super hot) arrival area. Uber drivers here usually ask for cash. My ride cost me 200 rupees, or just $2.77 USD.
My first impression of Trivandrum was that it was hot and felt like a jungle! There were very few lights on the streets. We arrived at my Airbnb, which was down a tight alleyway. Luckily, my Uber driver helped me with my bags and helped me find the apartment! It was 4:20 in the morning, so I had enough time to grab a quick shower and unpack before my adventure truly began!
I hope you enjoyed coming with me to God’s Own Country, Kerala, India! If you did, please give this video a thumbs up and leave a comment below. Also, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the notification bell so you don’t miss any of my travel/food adventures!
Counter
101 Countries • 1432 Cities
