Since I have started this travel blog I was hearing about the Kerala Blog Express or KBE and let me be honest, they were not so good comments about it.

I was already traveling in India before on a four-month solo trip, but never in Kerala before. I was always curious and KBE  was looking to me like a very unique and fun experience to have.

I will share with you my honest opinion about it and I hope to be the clearest so you can take your own decision based on your feelings and not based on what others say.

What is the Kerala Blog Express

This two-week “Trip of a Lifetime” as the organizers call it, it’s held every year in the state of Kerala. From north to south this trip is having a well-planned itinerary to experience the best of the region, including culture, food, and activities for all the tastes.

Every year 30 bloggers and influencers travel in a bus around God’s Own Country thanks to  Kerala’s Department of Tourism.

The controversies around KBE

When I saw the applications for the Season 5 I have no more doubts: I would apply to experience myself and to have my own opinion about it. During the application process, there was –as usual- a lot of controversy in the travel bloggers world, some deep and long articles stating why you shouldn’t even apply for this blog trip and how bad it is to be related to it.

I’m sure the people publishing and commenting against KBE must have had their very good reasons to have that opinion but I’m always more to go and figure my own when I have doubts about something.

Again, what my guts were saying to me was something different and I keep following through and crossing my fingers and everything I could with the hope of being part of this.

The application process

To have a chance of getting selected on this trip you have to be nominated and then there is a process to choose the ones going each year.

This was the part I was not super happy with and where most of the hate is spread around this trip. To get selected as a participant there are two instances. There is a voting process were, at least last year were a few not so honest participants getting suddenly thousands of votes in the last day and its related to this were so many people are annoyed about applying.

Even to me, this was mostly the reason I was against applying because I consider very important to work with brands and destinations interested in my style and work and not getting a gig thanks to votes. But to be selected to participate in the KBE it’s also important the quality of your work and they evaluate all together to give the chance to the best and most professional people.

It’s also called a ‘Trip of a Lifetime’ because you can only attend once! Believe me, most of us already being part of it would go back at least once more again, including me!

Changes for 2019 KBE Season 6

This year things have changed a bit for the KBE Season 6 and they will be two groups traveling on different trips, one with Indian and another with international bloggers and content creators.

They will be taking in count your country of origin, the number of nominations received, your social media reach, the quality of the content and how is this content ranking in search engines.

What made me change my mind?

Friends. I was talking to friends to ask for their experience and some of my good friends were already participating in past editions and their opinion was unanimous: It is an amazing trip! Go!

I’ve had already been in several Press Trips before this one and thus my friends previously attending KBE and they all agreed on how great this trip was for the overall experience and the beauty of the region.

First, I was never applying before as they don’t cover totally your travel expenses. They state: “For the international participant, 70% of the total airfare or 1000 USD, whichever is less, will be reimbursed by us at the end of the road trip.” That was meaning, when I was based in Chile I had to pay a lot to get there.

From Chile, a ticket to India is on the lowest 1500€, but this time I was now based in Germany, and a ticket to India is costing on average 700€ and half the flying time, so I jumped on this immediately.

How is it really to be part of the Kerala Blog Express?

I was very excited when I got the email telling me I was on board and ready to start planning my next India trip! I was already going for another press trip a month before KBE, with the Deccan Odyssey and the India Blog Train in Maharastra region, so I already had my Evisa ready and waiting to be fully used.

Let me be very honest with you: It’s a crazy trip! Imagine 30 bloggers, creating content 24/7, all connected all the time, making Instagram Stories, taking pictures of the places and themselves..it’s really intense and the closest I’ve been to a reality show experience.

All this together with an amazing and very professional team in charge and traveling with the group. Heads up to Jinson, Likitha and Manoj, one of the best guide I’ve ever met, well…hello! He was the one guiding Anthony Bourdain itself in Kerala a few years ago.

On this trip, I got to know, not only my new favorite part of India but also a bunch of awesome people with whom we still keep contact after a year and we keep meeting in other Press Trips and conferences.

As its name is saying, this trip is really a Trip of a Lifetime and it will be always with my best memories as a Travel Blogger.

If you are not a blogger and want to experience Kerala with a guided tour, then the best way would be to connect with a reliable Kerala travel planner who can plan your itinerary the best possible way. I have heard and read some good reviews about eKerala Tourism. Might be worth giving them a call.

Why Kerala?

Kerala is to me, one of the most beautiful regions in India. Having been traveling before in other areas for a bit more than four months on a solo trip, Kerala appear to me as a totally different India!

Green landscapes, filled with palm trees, tea plantations in Munnar, extended and solitary beaches, and the most kind and smiling people I’ve seen during my India trips.

During those two weeks we were taken on a rollercoaster of different sensations and flavors –cause, let me tell you…if you love Indian food..the food in Kerala is SOMETHING ELSE!- we experienced the very best of the region and I’m not ashamed to admit I was crying when I was leaving Kochi.

I got the best memories and a delicious feeling of wanting to go back and explore deeper and better this very special part of one of my favorite countries to travel in the world!

Are you dreaming of being part of this Trip of a Lifetime?