Ezhara beach, near Kannur
We cancelled our tickets to Goa. You do the same!
"But why????"They were urban bred tense workaholic executives and a traveling freak from Delhi. On a smallest pretext, they are ready to explore exotic places, especially ones which are not on a regular tourist map of India. Obviously, compared to once a year tourists, they had limited budget like me.
We met at coffee shop at
Hotel Clarke Avadh, Lucknow in January 2012. I knew these two couples,
Gopal and Indu and
Krishna and
Mohini for some time when I was in Delhi. They wanted to visit a beach place before winter fades out and fierce summer sun sets in. Accordingly, they had booked North Goa. Unfortunately, Goa was not fulfilling their criteria of selection being over crowded and expensive.
So, They wanted my suggestion and wanted me to accompany them. I asked them to define their criteria. They summarized as:
A/ One of the best beaches in the world facing Arabian Sea
B/ A salubrious environment to relax and rejuvenate your mind, body and soul
C/ A silent zone with no hawkers, salesmen and road side restaurants
D And finally, economical to suit a tight budget, perhaps a Home stay place.
I thought for a while and then remembered a visit of mine 2 years back and told them so with a smile. We did an instant research on my suggestion and finalized everything.
The place we decided was a cluster of awesome beaches between the town of KANNUR and TELICHERRY in a radius of 20 Kms in NORTH KERALA'S Malabar region. These hidden beaches will hopefully meet the criteria set in with an economical Home stay.
WOW!Both couples joined me in Mumbai and we headed by train to KANNUR, a 24hours journey. It was a beautiful journey on Kokan Railways through western ghats, sea shore and an exotic landscape. We reached KANNUR next day and lodged ourselves at
ASOKAM BEACH RESORT,Beach Road, Payyambalam,about 5 KMS from city. Oh..., what a place! Asokam was just perfect. A get away I needed...wonderful massages, peaceful beach and beautiful sunset! We had our private cottage. Later we went to
Payyambalam Beach, a long stretch of unbroken beach. Gopal and Krishna swam... we laughed... enjoyed it's serenity. In the evening we went for an Ayurved massage at resort's spa. I felt really rejuvenated!
Next day we headed for our hide out destination-The Chera Rock Beach House, a home stay, bang on the beach in between two famous sea side cities of Kerala, Kannur and Telicherry at 15 Kms from KANNUR and 5 KMS from Telicherry. When we reached there, it was a dream come true! Before we checked in I went for a stroll. I felt lost in it's silence. Waves on the beach and a heavenly cool breeze.
Later we had a delicious lunch of sea food and just sat on a rocking chair overlooking Arabian Sea, lost in our own thoughts. For we urban bred, it was "a golden silence"...
In the evening the owners of the
Cherra Rock Beach Home stay had arrange a
"Theyyam", an old ritual dance of North Kerala and
Kannur with 4 dancers. It's a religion based ritual dance. Men get into colorful exotic dresses, paint themselves as Gods, Goddesses, devils, evil spirits and even diseases, and dance to drums and music throughout the night. There are about four hundred different kinds of
Theyyams. We gave a standing ovation at the end of the show.
"Theyyam" offered a fascinating and novel experience for our eyes.
In the night, while chatting with owner, we came to know about two incredible places, perhaps
RARE and most exotic in the world!!1/ A PRIVATELY OWNED BEAUTIFUL ISLAND IN THE ARABIAN SEA:
Dharmadam Island2/ A 5 KMS LEGAL DRIVE-IN BEACH:
Muzhappilangad Drive-in BeachMuzhappilangad drive-jn beach
As we needed permission from the owners of the Island to visit and that would take time, 1/ we headed to the drive-in beach on an open Jeep. Muzhappilangad Beach was located parallel to National Highway 17 between Kannur and Thalassery. There was an unpaved road winding through coconut groves leading to the beach. Soon we entered driving oue Jeep wild in seashore, splashing saline water, driving deep into the sea till the lush wave touched your door; I MUST SAY-you must not miss Muzhapalingad Beach while visiting this part of India.
Later in the afternoon, after getting the requisite permission, we went for nearby
Dharmadam Island. It was a pleasant surprise for us that in India, you too have privately owned Islands!
Dharmadam Island which was also called as the Green Island was situated in the
Kannur district and was an island that is away from the main land. It was a fascinating beach and while visiting we found the 5 acre island was covered with large coconut trees and palms. It was almost a picnic for us. It was very beautiful to see it from the beach. As this island was surrounded by water, during low tides, we believed it was possible to cross the water by walking.
During our unforgettable stay at Cherra Rock Beach House for 3 nights, we went at the nearby beaches and other Home stays and let me tell you,
if you consider cost effectiveness, they are best in the world! I'm giving below a brief on them:
HOME STAYS ON DIFFERENT BEACHES:
Note: The average tariff for a couple is Rs.2500-Rs.4500 with 2 kids and all meals inclusiveAsokam Beach Resort, Beach Road, Payyambalam, Near Kannur city, Kerala (North):
http://ayurvedaresort.co.in/index.htmlThe Costa Malabari: The Costa Malabari beach guest house is situated very close to one of the secluded, clean and golden beaches of Kerala. • Three homely bungalows with four well maintained rooms are just a couple of minutes walk from the beach.
The Kannur Beach House: The stay offers exclusive coastal waterfront and Malabar's (North Kerala's ) cusine and hospitality. The small river runs along the side of the house:
http://www.kannurbeachhouse.com/index.htmlChera Rock Beach House: This secluded Beach House with a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea is a salubrious environment to relax and rejuvenate your mind, body and soul. website:
http://www.cherarocks.com* Please re check tariffSea Side Holiday Rentals
Peak Season-October to April
Standard Deluxe rooms-48 Euro (Rs 2800) AP
super deluxe rooms- 86 Euro(Rs 5000) AP
A/C 10 euro extra
sea side holiday rentals includes:Breakfast,Special kerala lunch,Beach front candlelight dinner,Tropical fruits,tea/coffee,drinking water and pick up from nearest railway station or bus station.
Off Season - May to September
Standard Deluxe room-40 euro (Rs 2500) AP
Super Deluxe room-58 euro (Rs 3800) AP
AC- 10 euro extra
Telephone: + 91-490-2343211
Hand phone: +91- 9447643211
Hand phone: +91- 9446610131