By Asha Vishwanathan.
Asha travelled to North Kerala (Wayanad, Kannur too Kasaragod) alongside her household unit of measurement on the Best Kept Secrets of Kerala trail by .
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| Asha's icon of her beach habitation inwards Kannur! |
It was a dream to convey a weeklong opor-garai inwards Kerala alongside all the flavors of nature – The mountains, seas too backwaters. Thanks to Kissan for sponsoring the opor-garai too to Indiblogger too Republic of Republic of India Untraveled who enabled the same! arranged all the bookings too went that extra mile to tailor the whole trail to suit our requirements.
We (Me, my hubby too my seven twelvemonth onetime son) started our journeying past times route on 28th October,6.30 AM from Bangalore. We stopped for breakfast at Kadambam (78 Km from Blr,Sarjapur Road) which serves fantabulous due south Indian dishes. Their specialty is a delicious sweetness Pongal.We passed through Mandya, Mysore,Nanjangud, Gundalpet too reached Sultan Bathery inwards Wayanad past times 1.55 PM.
Treasure Trove Cottage
We were at Treasure Trove, our outset goal at 2.10 PM (280 Km from Blr).Treasure Trove is a homestay located close Meenangadi too has 2 lovely bamboo cottages on stilts. These cottages were built past times Uravu, which is a pocket-sized scale bamboo manufacture inwards Wayanad. They convey all the modern amenities too a squeamish bamboo balcony surrounded past times a canopy of trees where 1 tin sack only sit down too hear to the chirping of the birds too encounter the sunlight filtering through the trees. The cottages are located amidst java plantations too render ample opportunities for sighting dissimilar birds too butterflies.
Bamboo Balcony
Our hosts, Sunil too Reena too their 2 beautiful children were warm too hospitable. Food consisted of unproblematic but delicious Kerala nutrient served inwards the primary house. In the evening, nosotros went for a plantation walk which culminated inwards a spectacular sentiment betoken of the distant Chembra peak.
View from the plantation
There are lots of places to encounter inwards Wayanad similar Pookote Lake, Banasura Dam, Soochipura Waterfalls, Chembra peak. Some of them nosotros had seen on before visits too some of them were closed similar Edakkal Caves (closed on Monday) too Kurva. So nosotros decided to explore the nearby places. Phantom Rock is a rocky mount which looks similar the stone inwards Phantom comics. It affords a scenic sentiment of the nearby peaks.
Phantom Rock
Karapuzha Dam is some other identify situated unopen by. We visited the Wayanad Heritage Museum which houses archeological artifacts including some, dated 1 too 2 AD. Since the deep woods trek which had been the initial plan, was suspended, nosotros took the Jeep safari into the Muthunga Wildlife Sanctuary. You convey to accomplish the counter truly early on (preferably past times 6.30 AM) equally it’s on a outset come upwards outset served reason too entirely xl jeeps are allowed inwards the morning. We spent good over 1 threescore minutes inwards the safari but didn’t spot anything much, other than some deer too peacocks. The entirely highlight was a fresh kill of a porcupine past times a leopard alongside the spot marked past times fresh blood stains, lot of quills too the footprints of the leopard.
My icon of the treasure trove cottage
We started from Treasure trove at 10.30 AM on 30th Oct for our side past times side goal – Blue Mermaid, Kannur. We took an within route equally the highway route was riddled alongside pot holes. We stopped at an onetime Jain temple on the agency too constitute it really intriguing though it was manifestly non maintained too was surrounded past times overgrown vegetation. The route from Wayanad to Kannur had breathtaking scenery, surrounded past times thick vegetation too tall trees on either side.
Blue Mermaid, Kannur
We reached Thottada hamlet close Kannur too equally the winding roads twisted too turned, the vista opened too all of a precipitous at that spot was the sparkling bluish Arabian Sea ! We reached Blue Mermaid at 3.00 PM, located deep within Thotada village, 130 Km from Wayanad. We were warmly welcomed past times Indu too her staff who runs the homestay. We took the room on the outset flooring equally it had a really scenic sentiment of the sea. The room was squeamish alongside laid upwards clean sheets too linen too a squeamish bath.
Beach at Blue Mermaid
The beach was secluded too had entirely a few people from nearby resorts. The golden sands too the sparkling ocean welcomed us too nosotros spent most of the solar daytime at the beach. The nutrient at Blue Mermaid was authentic, lip smacking Kerala nutrient too had a decent spread. It included dishes similar Drumstick leaves Mologoshyam, Theeyal, Puttu, Stew too Vazhapoo curry.
My icon of the scene from Blue Mermaid
Since nosotros didn’t desire to rush roughly seeing places, nosotros decided to boundary ourselves to only 1 – Fort St. Angelo situated quite unopen by. The fort is massively built alongside laterite stones. It boasts of a rich history too was inhabited past times the Portugese,Dutch, Ali Rajas of Kannur too British at dissimilar periods.
Fort St. Angelo
After 2 days of soaking upwards the sands too the sun, it was fourth dimension to start for our tertiary & in conclusion goal – Oyster Opera, Chervattur. The route from Thottada hamlet to Padanna hamlet close Chervattur took us through several pocket-sized too sleepy Kerala towns, backwaters, quaint bridges, discreet temples too interesting roads.
And the in conclusion stretch was a plow from the primary route which led to the isle too hence the sight took our breath away. Backwaters too lush kokosnoot trees flanked us on both sides too nosotros finally reached Oyster Opera at 1.10 PM,73.5 Km from Kannur.
Oyster Opera, Chervattur
Oyster Opera is a resort run past times Mr. Gul, who owns several mussel farms. It consists of five or six cottages, each alongside its ain individuality based on its placement too the cloth used for construction. We stayed at “Shrimp”, a quaint cottage built alongside laterite stones alongside an open-roofed bathroom, facing the backwaters. The beauty of the landscape cannot live on described inwards words too the photos mayhap depict a niggling of what nosotros truly saw. The cottage alongside its stone steps virtually kissing the backwaters, alongside a lazy hammock swinging betwixt kokosnoot trees was a dream come upwards true.
The afternoon nosotros reached, cyclonic winds too pelting striking the waters. Though, nosotros were confined to the room, it was an sense to picket the winds too the black clouds swirling on the horizon too the waters reflecting several foreign too mysterious colors.
Backwaters at Oyster Opera
The side past times side day, nosotros opened the door to live on greeted past times the shimmering clear waters too a bluish sky. We spent the fourth dimension inwards Oyster Opera, only drinking inwards the beauty, canoeing inwards the pocket-sized inlet of H2O too boating inwards the backwaters. The nutrient was also amazing alongside a total Kerala sadya, idichipuzhunja payasam, kappa too several other delicacies. The owner, a really humble too unassuming man, himself served the guests.
Morning sunlight
It was shortly fourth dimension to larn out too nosotros bid farewell to the beautiful place. We took the Ranipur route via Madikeri which was supposed to convey amend roads than the primary roads. But the route after Panathur inwards Kerala, was rough. The mountainous forests amidst pouring pelting alongside bad roads combined alongside the threat of wild elephants would convey been arduous , if it were non for the fantastic scenery too the fact that our motorcar was the entirely vehicle for hours on end. After nosotros stepped out to admire a hidden waterfall too got dorsum to the car, nosotros were inwards for a nasty surprise when nosotros discovered some un-invited guests – 7-8 leeches inwards the motorcar !! We had donated quite a fleck of blood to 3 of them who had larn circular too satiated! We painstakingly searched too deposited them dorsum on the grass too bid them a hasty goodbye.
We had a intermission journeying at Mysore Infosys campus for 1 nighttime too returned dorsum to Bangalore on Sabbatum evening, 2d Nov after a 1040 Km route trip too our hearts too minds total alongside the beauty of God’s Own province !
Author Bio: The writer is an information technology professional, exploring the roads less traveled too rediscovering her artistic callings inwards life.She blogs at http://themoonstone.wordpress.For to a greater extent than ideas on offbeat too responsible destinations inwards India, visit www.indiauntravelled.com or join on Facebook and Twitter. To contribute invitee posts / photograph essays to this blog, delight transportation your story ideas to shivya@indiauntravelled.com.