Payyoli

Payyoli Payyoli is  a small picnic village in Kozhikode district of Kerala. It is a beach village, beautifully located on the stretch of Malabar Coast. The tranquil and quaint village feel is best enjoyed and experienced in Payyoli. It is the choice of destination to make memorable day trips. The vast stretch of golden sand and shallow water is the prime tourist attraction. It is an ideal place for swimmers. The local cuisines are another attraction for food lovers to enjoy traditional delicious foods of Kerala. Food is prepared by unique village style and makes it classy. It assures most relaxing and rejuvenating vacation for tourists. Traditional Catamaran rides are arranged by the locals is offering an unforgettable sea ride. It is an excellent place to observe the daily life of fishers. One can enjoy the beautiful sunset and sunrise. The thick vegetation along the shore makes this place picture perfect to rejoice and sink into the of nature beauty. Places to Visit Payyoli Beach It is the most popular tourist destination in Payyoli located 35 km from Kozhikode. The golden beach is offering mesmerizing and tranquil experience of nature beauty in the form of sun rise and sun sets. The vast stretch of lush green vegetation along the sea shore , clean yellow sand and shallow water are the best impressions of this beach. The swaying coconut trees and fringes of palm trees are providing a warm welcome to tourist.  Kunhali Marakkar Museum  It is often known as Kunjali Marakkar Museum located 35 km from Kozhikode. The museum is peacefully located in a hut which was once owned by Marakkar family. One can enjoy the outstanding collections of ancient swords, cannonballs and knives. The pristine museum is maintained by the state archeological department. How to reach Payyoli By Air Karipur international airport is located 35 km from Payyoli is best option to reach by air. By Train The nearest railhead is located in Kozhikode. By Road Several State owned and private run buses are connecting Payyoli to major cities of Kerala. Weather During summer 20-36° and in winter 16-28°C. It is best visited in the month of December.

Begur Wildlife Sanctuary

Location: About 20 km east of Mananthavady, Wayanad district, North Kerala.

The district of Wayanad lies on an elevated picturesque mountainous plateau in the Western Ghats. Historians are of the opinion that organised human life existed in these parts of Kerala at least ten centuries before Christ.

In this virgin land, which has not seen much human habitation later, is Begur. The forests here are amongst the most beautiful locales of Kerala. The region has a wealth of diverse species of plants and animals and is of great interest to nature lovers.

Getting there:

Nearest railway station: Thalassery in Kannur district is about 80 km from Mananthavady.
Nearest airport: Karipur International Airport, Kozhikode about 106 km.

Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary

Location: Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary, about 19 km from Kozhikode and 7 km from Beypore Port on the Arabian Sea, Calicut district, north Kerala
The Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary is spread over a cluster of islands in a scenic area surrounded by hillocks where the Kadalundi River flows into the Arabian Sea. The place is locally known as Kadalundi Nagaram.
This virgin land is the abode more than a hundred species of native birds and over 60 species of migratory birds, like seagulls, terns, sandpipers, sandplovers, red and greenshanks, turnstones, that flock here in large numbers from October to March
A hillock nearby, which is 200 m above sea level, offers a splendid view of the river mouth and the sea. Kadalundi is also known for a wide variety of fish, mussels and crabs.
Distance from Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary


Kozhikode: 27 Km
Thrissur: 107 Km 
Ernakulam: 150 Km
Kochi: 166 Km
Alappuzha: 211 Km
Kumarakom: 211 Km
Idukki: 240 Km
Munnar: 247 Km

Getting there:
Nearest railway station: Kozhikode, about 19 km from Kadalundi.
Nearest airport: Karipur International Airport: about 23 km from Kozhikode town.

Nelliampathy

Located at a distance of 52 kms from Palakkad, the cool hills of Nelliampathy, nestling atop the Western Ghats, offer a breathtaking view of the misty mountains and enchanting valleys interspersed with sprawling tea, coffee, cardamom and orange plantations. The bracing climate and green magic of nature enhance the exhilarating experience. For a vantage view of the spectacle, one must visit Seethakundu, where a 100m high waterfall provides an added attraction. 
It offers a fantastic view of the valley below a wide-angled vision of one-third of the entire Palakkad area. A forest range 75 kms from Palakkad, the Nelliyampathy hills comprise a chain of ridges cut off from one another by valleys of dense evergreen forests and orange plantations.
The height of the hills ranges from 467 metres to the tallest peak Padagiri looming at 1572 metres. Nelliyampathy has immense trekking potential. The community hall at Kaikatty provides a good camping ground for the trekkers. 
Accessing Nelliyampathy from Palakkad is a sensation on its own, as one has to negotiate over a dozen hairpin curves on the Ghat Road, passing through the fascinating jungles of the Sahya Ranges. En route, 17 kms from Palakkad, the shimmering Pothundi Reservoir and its manicured surroundings make for the ideal stop over. 

How To Get There - Nelliyampathy

By Air
The nearest airport is at Coimbatore in the neighbouring state of Tamilnadu, about 55 km from Palakkad.

By Rail
The nearest railway station is in Palakkad, about 5 km from Palakkad town.

By Road
The hills of Nelliyampathy lie at a distance of 75 kms from Palakkad. It takes 2 ½ hours to travel to the place.

General Information - Nelliyampathy
Location
75 Kms From Palakkad, Kerala

Ezhattumugham

Quaint and serene, the river Chalakkudy at Ezhattumugham is a picture postcard coming to life – its flow punctuated by islets of greenery and boulders of all sizes and trees growing right in the middle of the gently moving water. A full-grown tree surrounded and nurtured by flowing water is a sight one cannot easily forget. And the mini waterfalls, which not only tickle your feet, but also remind you of the gentle force of water.

At one point, the Chalakkudy gets by the islets and boulders into seven flowing streams, and that is how Ezhattumugham (seven faces of a river) gets its name. Look around and there are so many shades of green, yellow and brown that you soon lose count — more shades than the computer can create for any paint company. Earthy colours must also include grey and black, you get convinced, looking at the boulders.

During the non-monsoon months, the river bares its beautiful depths and you can walk on these boulders and islets through shallow water, right to the other bank of the river. If you are not the kind who gets scared easily, that is. Ezhattumugham lies in Ayyampuzha panchayat in Ernakulam district. While one side of the river is the northernmost end of Ernakulam district, the other bank of the river is where Thrissur district begins. But the river belongs to Thrissur, villagers are quick to add. During the monsoon months, the river hides the smaller islets and the water sometimes reaches the road by the banks.

The river and the islets coexist in absolute harmony. The smaller islets are the kingdoms of wild shrubs, trees, birds and squirrels. On the bigger islets cash crops, like coconut and banana, grow. So who planted them? Murali, who runs a shop by the river, says industrious people have just used the land in a productive way. Nobody owns them. In fact, he adds nonchalantly, even his shop has no title deed.

A narrow pathway goes down from the road, by the side of his shop, to the point where the river gets split into seven. On the banks, there are about 20 sacks of sand piled up. The local people have collected it for their own use, not for selling, a passerby informs you. Tourists do come, in a small way, but only during weekends, when they want to chill out, he says with a mischievous smile.

Ezhattumugham is yet to enter the tourist's itinerary for one very good reason. About 13 km away, uphill, lies the majestic Athirappally Falls, which sashayed into celluloid history with Raavan, starring Aishwarya and Abhishek Bachchan. Film crews, both from the north and the south, often camp in its precincts to exploit its raw appeal. Therefore the quiet charm of Ezhattumugham, through which Chalakkudy flows leisurely, remains eclipsed by the glamour of Athirappally.

While Athirappally evokes awe, Ezhattumugham calms the soul. There are no signages to take you here and local people give you several directions including shortcuts, where crater-sized potholes pass off as roads. The oil palm estates of the Plantation Corporation form a big part of Ezhattumugham.

The state government's attempt to woo tourists began with Prakriti Gramam, a park on the side of a check-dam at Ezhattumugham. People walk along this check dam and cross over to the other side of the river. Poorly maintained, with little security, the park, built less than five years ago, is at best a glorified entrance to the check dam. An outlet selling biscuits and soft drinks is manned by Shinoj, who tells you the people who live there, like him, are mostly families of plantation workers. Acres of oil palm trees, with parasitic creepers all over them, line the road to Ezhattumugham. Women carry baskets of red oil-palm nut bunches to a lorry to be taken to Anchal, near Kollam, for processing.

According to a report of the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, Chalakudy could well be the richest river in fish diversity in India, with thick vegetation on both sides. The sleepy village and the shallow parts of the river at Ezhattumugham, where you can sit and do what you like, can be a writer's delight and a balm for frayed nerves.

Getting there

Ezhattumugham is around 80 km from Kochi. Though there are a few shortcuts via Angamaly, it is best to reach Chalakkudy and proceed from there. But Kochi or Chalakkudy have hotels that suit all budgets.

Kodanad elephant training center

Kodanad elephant training center is a peaceful spot among forest-like environs. From the Cochin International Airport you travel to Kalady and from there to Perumbavoor. Before you reach Perumbavoor, you turn left and travel about 5 kilometers to reach Kodanad, the elephant training center.

Before 1977, elephants were captured from the nearby Malayattoor forests and trained at Kodanad. Capture of elephants was banned in that year and Kodanad center does not engage in capturing elephants any more. The Kodanad center now focuses on training elephants. Young elephants (see pic left) are trained from early on.

Elephants are accommodated in the sturdy cage shown right. (It is much larger than what the wide-angle picture indicates.) The cage allows training in a more humane manner, instead of being torture-based. Elephant kids might get a wash inside the cage.

Interested tourists could also get an elephant-ride at the Kodanad center by paying a fee.

Training of Elephant Handlers

Elephant handlers, called mahouts, were often found to be inhumane in dealing with the elephants under their care. To sensitize them and to teach them more humane ways of managing the elephants, a proposal was made to make Kodanad a mahout training center also.

When you visit the center, you would notice the love the personnel have for the elephants under their care.

Wildlife Park

There is a small wildlife park at the center that accommodates deer and other wildlife. The main attraction, however, are the elephants, particularly the kids and the older, but still young, elephants.

Silent Valley National Park

Location: 40 km from Mannarkkad, Palakkad district, North Kerala

Attractions: Extremely fragile, a unique preserve of tropical evergreen rain forests which is a veritable nursery of flora and fauna, some of which are found nowhere else in the world.

The Silent Valley National Park with an area of 90 sq km is located in the Northeastern corner of Palakkad district. It rises abruptly to the Nilgiri Plateau in the North and overlooks the plains of Mannarkkad in the South.

The core of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is the Silent Valley National Park. Despite its name, the Silent Valley (the clamour of Cicadas is conspicuously absent here) is a rich storehouse of biodiversity. It is a true Garden of Eden for students of life sciences, professional scientists and field biologists.

Perhaps, nowhere else can one find such a representative collection of Western Ghats biodiversity - more than 1000 species of flowering plants which include about 110 species of orchids, more than 34 species of mammals, about 200 species of butterflies, 400 species of moths, 128 species of beetles of which 10 are new to science, about 150 species of birds including almost all the 16 endemic birds of southern India.

The River Kunthi descends from the Nilgiri hills, from an altitude of 2000 m above sea level, and traverses the entire length of the valley and rushes down to the plains through the deep forest. The River Kunthi never turns brown and is always crystal clear, perennial and wild.

The evapo-transpiration from these forests is much higher than from any other surface. This cools the atmosphere, helps easy condensation of water vapour, causing summer rains in the plains.

Getting there:

Nearest railway station: Palakkad, about 80 km.
Nearest airport: Coimbatore (in neighbouring Tamilnadu State), about 120 km.