A video of a foreign tourist praising Kerala’s cleanliness and friendly people has gone viral on Reddit, sparking debate about India’s regional disparities. Internet hailed Kerala’s civic sense, education, and infrastructure as key reasons.
Kochi: A video of a foreign tourist heaping praises on Kerala has gone viral on Reddit, triggering widespread discussion about the stark differences between India’s states and what makes the southern state stand out. In the video filmed in the state’s capital city Thiruvananthapuram, the tourist expressed his admiration for Kerala’s unique character. “I am in Trivandrum, which is the capital city of Kerala, and I’m telling you now, this place feels like a completely different country to the rest of India,” he said and added, “It’s so calm, peaceful, clean. People here are super friendly, super nice, very welcoming.” The tourist went further, suggesting that the rest of India could learn from Kerala, noting that the state appears to be “doing a lot of things right”.
Video Sparks Conversations
The post attracted numerous responses from Indian travelers who shared similar observations. One person, who resides in the northern part of India, acknowledged the contrast with popular tourist destinations elsewhere. “”If you visit the average tourist site in Agra/Jaipur/Delhi/Goa, you’ll probably be surrounded by pests masquerading as guides, and in general everyone wants to rip you off for a few rupees. It’s quite the contrast in Kerala in my experience, relatively chill people and tourist sites were a breeze,” the reply read. A resident currently living in Kochi, who has previously lived in Delhi and Mumbai, offered a measured perspective. “Compared to those, Kochi is quite ahead. I won’t say it’s a Utopia though,” they noted, adding that beggars are rarely seen and trash appears minimal compared to northern cities.
Another commenter highlighted Kerala’s tourist-friendly environment. “No haggling and harassing tourists in and around touristy areas. Everyone will try to speak in English, no language supremacy,” they said. “People aren’t out there to scam tourists.” One user drew attention to pollution statistics, noting that “if you look at the list of top 50 most polluted cities in the world, 90% of them are located in North India.” They praised Kerala’s “proper public infrastructure, top class school educational facilities, excellent medical infrastructure, highly educated population, good roads, green forest cover.”
An interesting perspective came from a user who credited Kerala’s political history for its development. “One good thing communism has done to Kerala is increasing the average standard of living,” they wrote. “Result, people are cautious about civic sense more and actually care for their surroundings and not just their homes.” The viral video and ensuing discussion have reignited conversations about regional development disparities and civic consciousness across India.