India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [259]
Kuppamudi Coffee Estate, Kolagapara P.O. 673 591, Sultan Bathery, Wyanad. 04936/22-0244. Fax 04936/22-2358. www.tranquilresort.com. tranquil@satyam.net.in or homestay@vsnl.com. 10 units. Oct–Mar Rs 12,750 standard double, Rs 16,800 treehouse, Rs 17,000 deluxe double/suite, Rs 18,600 tree villa; Apr–Sept Rs 9,250 standard double, Rs 12,000 treehouse, Rs 12,500 deluxe double/suite, Rs 13,500 tree villa. Rates include all meals and plantation tours; 15% tax extra. MC, V (credit cards for room only; other charges cash only). Amenities: Dining and lounge areas; airport transfers (Rs 2,750); Internet access (in office, for e-mail only; nominal charge); Ayurvedic treatments; plantation tours; outdoor pool. In room: Fans, TV/DVD, fridge (in treehouse, tree villa, and deluxe units), hair dryer.
KANNUR & KERALA’S NORTHERNMOST COAST
Kannur—previously known as Cannanore—is a pretty coastal town predominantly inhabited by what is locally known as the “Malabar Muslim.” Unlike North India, where Islam was more often than not established through violent conquest, here it arrived initially through trade, and grew through love; Arab sailors coming to Malabar in search of precious spices married local women, establishing the Mappila (or Malabar Muslim) community, which in turn developed its own Arabi-Malayalam songs and poems and the “Mappila Pattu.” This oral record of the unique history of the broad-minded Calicut rulers stands in stark contrast, for instance, with that of the intolerant Portuguese tyrants. Immediately south of Kannur, are the harbor towns of Thalassery (formerly Tellicherry) and Mahé; the latter once a French enclave, now a union territory still legislated from Pondicherry and best known for the availability of cheap fuel, liquor, and other goods unlikely to be of much interest to you.
Tourism in this northerly region of Kerala is only recently coming into its own, which has distinct advantages if you’re looking to get away from the crowds. Besides beaches of considerable beauty—where you’re more likely to run into fishermen, villagers performing their toilet rituals (not necessarily something you want to witness), or nesting Olive Ridley turtles than vendors, restaurant shacks, or signs of tourism—the region is famed for the abundance of its theyyam performances, compelling socioreligious ritual dramas executed in elaborate costumes and masks and culminating with special blessings bestowed upon the spectators. Kannur is a major center for theyyam, but if you’d rather discover a far less commercial guise of the art form, head farther north, where not only does one of the best new hideaways in the state, Neeleshwar Hermitage, nestle alongside a virgin beach, but you can also visit soul-stirring ashrams and check out the view from Kerala’s largest fort.
If you’re traveling into Kerala from Karnataka or other regions farther north, don’t be tempted to race through this beautifully untouched part of the state. Nowhere else will you find beaches in such perfect condition, villages as unaffected by tourism, and such unhampered places to visit.
What to See & Do
If you’re looking for a safe, practically untouched sunbathing and swimming spot, head for Muzhapilangad Beach, 15km (9 1⁄3 miles) south of Kannur, where you’ll probably have much of the 4km (2 1⁄2-mile) sandy stretch all to yourself. Remember though that you need to be a little more modest about your beachwear than you would at home or in Goa—particularly when ambling to and from the beach; women should not wander around in bikinis or, heaven forbid, go topless. Closer to the city, which the Europeans called Cannanore, the Portuguese built imposing Fort St. Angelo (free admission; daily 8am–6pm), a monumental laterite edifice from which visitors can view the fishing harbor below.
Around 70km (43 miles) north of Kannur lies Bekal, Kerala’s largest fort, thought to date from the mid–17th century, though there is no accurate account of its construction. While the structure itself is vast and impressive, it’s the views that really take you breath away—looking inland