India
Kerala in May
🌧️ Rainy seasonHot, humid and often rainy. Watch for tropical cyclone risk.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · compact umbrella or rain jacket · quick-dry fabrics
Why May scores 6.7What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort5.9
- !Hot (32.9°C highs / 26.3°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 23.7°C)
- !Wet: ~197 mm rain, ~7 heavy-rain days
- Air quality7.3
- ✓Moderate (PM2.5 ~23 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards8.0
- !Tropical cyclone: Peak of the North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- !Flood: ~7 heavy-rain days in an average May
- Safety baseline7.0
- ·Increased caution
| May | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 6.7 Good | 8.0 Very good |
| Season | 🌧️ Rainy season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 33° / 26° | 33° / 22° |
| Rain | 197 mm | 24 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 24° | dew pt 18° |
| PM2.5 | 23 µg/m³ | 38 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Eid al-Adha 15–17 May · 3 days off in a row
Other public holidays: Buddha Purnima (20 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore KeralaEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA state on India's southwest coast, visited for backwater houseboats, beaches, tea hills, Ayurveda and a distinctive coconut-based cuisine.
Thrissur PooramDate variesUsually April or May
A temple festival with caparisoned elephants, percussion ensembles and fireworks.
Why go: Crowds are enormous; stay with a local guide if possible.
Where: Vadakkunnathan Temple, Thrissur
Coming up later
OnamDate variesMalayalam calendar, usually late August or September
Kerala's harvest festival, with sadya feasts, flower carpets and boat races.
Why go: Many offices and shops close around the main days.
Where: Statewide
Nehru Trophy Boat RaceDate variesUsually August
Long snake boats with large crews race on the lake.
Why go: The date is sometimes postponed; check close to the time.
Where: Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha
Alappuzha backwaters
A network of lagoons and canals explored by houseboat or canoe.
💡 Overnight houseboat trips are popular; smaller canoes reach narrower canals.
Munnargreat in May
Hill station surrounded by tea plantations in the Western Ghats.
💡 Nights can be cool; bring a layer.
Fort Kochi
Historic port district with colonial buildings and Chinese fishing nets.
Periyar Tiger Reserve
Forest reserve near Thekkady with boat trips and guided walks.
💡 Tiger sightings are rare; elephants and birds are more likely.
Varkala
A beach town below red laterite cliffs.
💡 Strong currents are common in the monsoon; swim only where locals advise.
Kathakali performances
Classical dance-drama with elaborate makeup, often staged for visitors in the evening.
💡 Arrive early to watch the performers apply makeup.
Sadya
A vegetarian feast of many dishes served on a banana leaf.
💡 Restaurants, especially around Onam
Appam with stew
Lacy fermented rice pancakes with a mild coconut-milk stew.
💡 Local restaurants, often at breakfast
Karimeen pollichathu
Pearl spot fish marinated and cooked wrapped in banana leaf.
💡 Backwater restaurants around Alappuzha and Kumarakom
Puttu and kadala curry
Steamed rice-flour cylinders with black chickpea curry.
💡 Breakfast spots
Kerala parotta and beef fry
Layered flatbread with spiced dry-fried beef.
💡 Local eateries
Spices
Black pepper, cardamom and other spices grown in the state.
💡 Spice shops in Kochi and Kumily
Kasavu sarees and mundu
White handloom cloth with a gold border.
💡 Textile shops
Kathakali masks
Painted wooden masks and figures.
💡 Craft shops in Fort Kochi
Banana chips
Crisp banana chips fried in coconut oil.
💡 Snack shops across the state