India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (162 page)

Tranquil
Located at the edge of the Wyanad National Park, this is one of the best ways to experience life on a 160-hectare (400-acre) working coffee plantation, filled with the warm hospitality of Victor Dey and his wife, Ranjini. Standard accommodations are forgettable, but it would be almost unthinkable to pass up the chance to sleep in one of the two
treehouses
and fall asleep to the cacophonous chorus of cicadas and myriad other forest sounds that work like a natural orchestra all around you as you float high above the rainforest canopy. There are two options here: you can request the sumptuous “tree villa” 40m (131 ft.) aboveground and spread across three Flame of the Forest trees. It’s equipped with the comforts of home (even DVD) and has a private deck with cane furniture. The two fully functioning bathrooms come with flush toilet and shower. The second, more authentic, treehouse is no less comfortable, but more compact, and with entirely different scenery, and a stream gushing directly below you. If you’re afraid of heights, opt for the deluxe room in the main house. The Deys, both fine raconteurs, arrange plantation tours, and there are various walks on the estate, all signposted, taking you through fabulous scenery.

Kuppamudi Coffee Estate, Kolagapara P.O. 673 591, Sultan Bathery, Wyanad.
04936/22-0244.
Fax 04936/22-2358.
www.tranquilresort.com
. [email protected] or [email protected]. 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 from the top of the watchtower you should be able to see the Western Ghats, while from the fort’s ramparts you’ll get a good idea why this was considered such a useful spot from which to keep watch over the coast. The fort (
0467/227-2900
or -2007)
is open to visitors daily between 9am and 6pm; admission is Rs 100 (ticket sales until 5pm only). The future of the area is reaching a tipping point as developers are in the process of starting up half a dozen hotels in the immediate vicinity of the fort—while this signals much-needed investment, it also means that the time to visit is now. South of Bekal the tiny market town of Nileshwar is where boats are stationed for trips along the Valiyaparamba, northern Kerala’s very own
backwaters,
which remain uncluttered and totally undiscovered compared with the touristy backwaters of the south (admittedly, there isn’t quite so much to see, either). Trips along the river can be arranged through Neeleshwar Hermitage (see “Where to Stay,” below).

For an experience that might touch you spiritually, a worthy visit in this part of Kerala is to
Anandashram
, also known as “The Abode of Bliss,” a thoroughly tranquil center for meditation and worship in the town of Kanhangad (
0467/220-3036;
www.anandashram.org
; [email protected]). The ashram was founded in 1931 by Swami Ramdas and Mother Krishnabai (lovingly called Beloved Papa and Pujya Mataji); they’ve both passed on, but continue to be venerated at the ashram where their teaching—that “to love all is the true Bhakti of God”—is the central tenet of life for thousands of devotees. One of the central activities here is for rows of devotees to wander through the grounds chanting the holy phrase “Ram Nam”—it’s an attempt to spread the holy vibrations throughout the ashram in order to help disciples attain a higher state of mind. The ashram has a continuous program of chanting and readings, starting at 5am and going on until 9:30pm each day.

Although more specifically “Hindu,” also worth visiting is the nearby
Swami Nithyananda Ashram,
where there are 44 meditational caves created during the first quarter of the last century, this time by another famous guru who spent most of his time in nothing but a loincloth. The caves can be visited between 5:30am and 5:30pm, and afterwards you can take a look at the north Indian-style temple perched on top of the caves. Unlike the majority of Kerala’s temples, foreigners aren’t banned from entering here.