Kerala, the state
Kerala is one state that I never get bored to visit. It’s a tiny state in India nestled between Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and the Lakshadweep Sea. In this little place, you can experience a diversity of landscapes.
Kerala is very beautiful as it offers tropical greenery across the state, serene backwaters, clean beaches and a great culture. It has misty hill stations and exquisite beaches that are only a few hours apart.
What add to Kerala’s character are the roads. Even the national highways here are mostly narrow two-lane roads where a car and a bus can barely cross each other. This makes driving in Kerala a lot of fun while also being pretty challenging.
Since Kerala spreads from the Western Ghats to the Malabar Coast, it contains highlands, and rolling hills down these mountians and the coastal plains along the Sea. This offers a varied driving experience combining winding hairpin bends with straight and flat roads that run along the coast.
Kizhunna Beach
Kizhunna Beach is somewhere between the towns of Kannur and Thalassery. The famous Muzhappilangad drive-in beach is very close to here.
I stayed in an incredible cottage just off this beach. This place can only be reached by foot after parking your vehicles quite a distance away. As I walked down a trail that was thickly covered in plants, I heard the waves hit the shores and felt a gush of sea breeze hit my face. Now I knew I was close. And then, I saw the burgundy tile-roofed cottages vividly visible in-between the vast foliage of coconut trees.
The Cottage
The cottage was extremely secluded and private. It had basic amenities. Clean bed and bathroom with a nice hammock to relax. It had a porch with a view, comfortable chairs and a dining table.
The best thing about this cottage was that it was just a few meters off the shore. We woke up to an amazing view of the waves and the endless horizon, we ate with the warm breeze continuously hitting us and I read a book as the sun went down right in front of me.
The waters always shone a dazzling gold at early-dusk.
Fishing
Around here, there was a lot of fishing activity going on. The locals parked their boats close to the cottage and used to go into the sea to fish early in the morning and then again before sunset.
Two locals fishing Two fishermen dragging the boat Fishing boats
Food
All the sea food that I had during my stay was caught in the sea near the cottage and cooked within the next few hours. The fishes were bought from the fishermen right when they returned to the shore.
Freshly caught fried fish Freshly caught and cooked fish wrapped in leaf
The prawns, crabs and fishes were all very fresh. The cook prepared everything with a Kerala touch and I have never enjoyed food as much in Kerala before.
The food was served right in front of the cottage overlooking the sea. After dark, they served us dinner in candle light. We could hear the sea and feel its warm breeze, and with squinted eyes, we could even make out the waves under the bright moon.
The moon
“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer” — Somebody, Somewhere
Photo Gallery
A mighty flight Some random shots A panorama from outside the cottage Another panorama near the rocks Hammock by the sea Walking barefoot on the beach to feel the sand give in to your feet’s contours — Heavenly
Kerala once again lived up to its incredible character.
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