Visas
Carry your visa for entry to India/Kerala on your holiday. For further clarifications, contact the Indian High Commission. For visa extension, contact Office of the Commissioner of Police, Thiruvananthapuram. Ph: 0471-2320579.

Currency
Indian Rupee (INR)

Money
There is no limit to the amount of foreign currency that visitors can bring.

Banks
Banks are open for transaction from 10:00 - 14:00 hrs on week days and from 10:00 - 12:00 hrs on Saturdays.

Credit cards
Main hotels, restaurants and shopping centres honour major credit cards.

Time
(Hours fast (+), slow (-) on IST)
USA: -10.30, Germany: - 4.30, Canada: - 10.30, France: - 4.30, Australia: + 4.30, Spain: -4.30, UAE: - 1.30, U.K.:-5:30

Best time to visit
High season: October to April - Monsoon.
Rejuvenation programmes: May to September

Travel Kit
Cotton outfits, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen lotion etc

Drugs
Heavy penalities including imprisonment for possession of narcotic drugs.

Ayurvedic treatment
If you wish to undergo Ayurvedic treatment, it is very important to ensure that you go to an authorised centre.

Food
All standard restaurants offer a variety of cuisines including Continental, Chinese, Indian and typical Kerala fare.

Water
Even though tap water is purified, it is better to drink bottled drinking water or drinking water from houses/restaurants. It is not advisable to drink water from slow moving streams, lakes or dams. Mineral water is available in sealed bottles.

Emergency numbers
Police control room: 100
Fire station: 101
Ambulance: 101

Temple codes
Footwear inside the temple and entry into the sanctum sanctorum is banned in all the temples. Other customs and codes of conduct and dress in temples across the State vary from each other. Some temples do not permit entry to non-Hindus, while some do. Shirts for men and pants are banned from some temples and allowed in some others. Where they are banned, men have to be in mundus and women, in saris, half-saris or long skirts.

Nudity
Nudity is not allowed in any Kerala beach.

Smoking
Smoking is banned in public places

Footwear in houses
Visitors to most Kerala houses leave their footwear outside before entering the house.

Demonstrativeness in public
Behaviour demonstrating affection in public like hugging or kissing is not an accepted practice in Kerala.

Wildlife sanctuaries
To visit a wildlife sanctuary, prior permission has to be taken from the concerned authority of the sanctuary. For further enquiries, contact: The Chief Conservator of Forests, Thiruvananthapuram 695014.