LPMI – MAHINDRA XUV 500 TRAVELOGUE

GOLDEN beaches with clear blue seas have remained the quintessential image of Goa for

a while now, but there are a fair few alternatives gaining popularity along India’s western coastline, with claims of bettering the experience. This is where Kerala steps in, more specifically – the lesser-known shores to the north of the state. It’s not just about the drive to our stops this time – through the lovely coconut groves and little country roads zig-zagging around the backwaters – it’s also about having car-loads of fun driving our Mahindra XUV 500 along Asia’s longest ‘drive-in’ beach. And there’s a large helping of art, culture and history on the menu as well.

Day 1: Mangalore Kasargod Bekal Neeleshwar Mangalore is a bit of a footnote on this drive, featuring as the jump-off point from to go exploring northern Kerala. It takes almost no time to get away from the precariously-placed airport in Mangalore and be on your way across the state border and into Kerala. Kasargod is less than a couple of hours away (60km, though traffic can be pretty slow-moving), and you’ll be hit by a sudden wave of coconut plantations as you approach. In a state known for its coconuts, Kasargod serves as the headquarters for all things coir, and was reputedly one of the most important trading posts in the past. Bekal is a short drive away from Kasargod and has been an important outpost for various rulers, the most famous being Tipu Sultan.The magnificent ‘key hole’ fort here was modified by consecutive occupants to suit their military tactics, and, in the case of the East India Company, to suit their officers’ comforts, in the form of an utterly odd bungalow inside the fort. Still the observation deck bang in the middle of the fort offers fantastic views over Bekal Beach, with waves lapping the shore. Walk out to one of the bastions and you see waves crashing into the rocks at the base of the fort. For those of you who find this place familiar, think Mani Ratnam, and that epic song from Bombay called Tu hi re.

As evening falls, we navigate further south to another beach town – Neeleshwar – and drop our bags off at a beach resort. We have a performance to catch, but not before we stuff ourselves with delightful seafood.

Barely awake, we’re taken to see a local Theyyam ritual – a fascinating, colourful mix of folklore, spirit worship and dance. The artiste goes through various stages of face- painting and costumes and keeps slipping into a trance-like state. It is believed that the spirits are woken up and take possession of the performer’s body who, in turn, blesses the family elders (who run the temple) and puts up

AdventuresCoastal

WORDS DEBABRATA SARKAR | PHOTOGRAPHS HASHIM BADANI & JEREMIAH CHRISTANAND RAO

068-069-Mahindra Drives-March-vijay_R1.indd 74-75 18/02/13 9:31 PM

a show, performing a vigorous dance around the temple complex and occasionally playing with fire. The combination of the dark night, fire and a scary-looking artiste wielding small weapons makes for quite an experience, and, if the locals are to be believed, it occasionally gets out of hand, with the performers treading fire and biting off chicken heads.

SLEEP & EAT: Kanan Beach Resort’s large villas have well-appointed rooms and the lawns and coconut trees make this a relaxing experience. The food isn’t great, though (00-91-467-2288880; kananbeachresort.com; Kasargod; from ̀ 7,000; meals from ̀ 600).

VISIT: Bekal Fort: 8am – 5.30pm; entry: ̀ 5, camera: ̀ 25

Day 2: Kasargod Padne Kannur Muzhapillangad It’s time to take things down a notch. A quiet walk on the beach and a late-morning start calm our nerves and we set off for

Muzhapillangad. The roads stay narrow and the scenery breathtaking, encouraging us to take little detours down narrow lanes and across small bunds to explore the pristine backwaters that we’re driving alongside. We happen to stumble upon a little village called Padne, a narrow peninsula sticking out in the middle of the backwaters with dense coconut groves on either side of the road.

The narrow stretch of road possibly ranks as one of the most peaceful drives I’ve done. However, even here, we hit a bit of commotion in the middle of the village and have to check it out. There’s another Theyyam performance underway, and this time, there are three artistes. In broad daylight, they seem far more attractive and their actions less ominous. Needless to say, we hang around with the village folk for a while and enjoy the show.

The evening’s saved for Muzhapillangad, though, and a drive on a wide, open beach. This is one of the few places where you can legally drive your car onto the beach and enjoy cruising along the sea shore with the waves close

enough to splash through your windows. The hard-packed sand makes it perfect for any car to drive on, although the sense of confidence you get from driving a Mahindra XUV 500 is far greater than you would have driving a regular, smaller car. There’s also a small island off the beach that you can walk to during low tide, called Dharmadam (literally, ‘green island’).

We’re bedding down in Kannur, and head there happy, tired and wishing we had more time on the beach.

SLEEP & EAT: Ocean Hues Beach Houseis tucked into a little corner at a place called Yogeshwara Swami Guha. Try for the room on the first floor. Food options are limited but tasty (00-91-497-2629323; oceanhues.com; Kannur; from ̀ 5,000 with meals).

EAT: Bamboo restaurant in Payyanur offers fresh local food that’s served up fast (average meals from about ̀ 150).

VISIT: Muzhipallingad beach: entry: ̀ 20/ car

National Highway 17 is actually a series of rather

narrow roads lined by lovely views

Day 3: Kannur Thalassery Mahe Calicut Beypore Calicut, or Kozhikhode (pronounced Koi-kode), is Kerala’s third-largest city. It also marks the southern limit of the Malabar region. Like any small town, Calicut can get pretty chaotic, and traffic jams can develop at any time. However, the city is pretty small and can be driven across quite fast. You do need to watch out for your mirrors and hope you come away unscathed. What you should do for certain is arrive in time for lunch and find your way to Paragon Restaurant in the heart of the city. Be prepared to wait, as this immensely popular eating joint always has a queue of patrons waiting for a meal. The seafood is great and the biryani is great.

After a hearty meal, we drive to the neighbouring port town of Beypore. But, it isn’t the port that you should drive out to see – it’s the boat-building industry. Each ship at the boatyards here is crafted out of wood rather than just bang one out of metal and you have to see one of these to realise how awe-inspiring each one is. The fact that they are intricately hand-crafted out of fine timber and can put yachts to shame also means that they command a hefty price tag. Beypore has, after all, been associated with the boat-building tradition for almost 1,500 years.

SLEEP: The Beach Hotel was once the Malabar Club. The colonial architecture, wood flooring and general ambience are lovely, but you do feel like you have to sacrifice a fair bit to get that old world charm. Mosquitos can be a problem (00-91-495-2762056; beachheritage.com; from ̀ 3,000).

EAT: Paragon Restaurant has mouthwatering specials of the day. Do try the grilled prawns, too (00-91-495-2767020; meals from ̀ 250).

66

66

66

966

Mangalore

A R A B I A N S E AK E R A L A

K A R N A T A K AKasaragod

Muzhappilangad

Kozhikode

Kochi

Bandipur National Park

Nagarhole National Park

Western Ghats

MukurthiNational Park

Silent ValleyNational Park

SholayarNational Park

Beypore’s shipyard is a fascinating place...

Follow the action on Facebook (facebook.com/LonelyPlanetMagazineIndia) and Twitter (@lpmagin)

LPMI – MAHINDRA XUV 500 TRAVELOGUE

Day-time Theyyam performances are far less ominous than middle-of-the-night ones...

We’re not sure the sea off Muzhappilangad’s

safe to swim in...

Day 4: Calicut Ponnani Guruvayoor Paravoor Fort Kochi

You cannot come to Kerala and not visit Fort Kochi. There’s plenty that has been said about this beautiful little quarter, but it still demands a mention. The drive to Kochi has its twists and turns and if you manage to stick to the old NH 17 for the length of the route, it will keep you entertained with pretty scenery as you pass through little towns and emerge besides lush green paddy fields. The road narrows in places and you will find yourself questioning – I know I did – whether it actually is a national highway.

When you do get to the outskirts of Kochi, you can either turn off towards Paravoor and follow the road through Vypeen Island and take a short ferry ride, or come right through the city and head towards Fort Kochi. The European architecture and vibrant art scene always make it interesting. Step into one of the many restaurants on Princess Street for a meal and amble around

Jew Town past the spice traders and towards the synagogue. It is the perfect blend of art and culture and there are plenty of places to just kick back and watch the day go by... A great, relaxing way to end a holiday.

STAY: Casa de Ann is short ferry ride away from Fort Kochi’s haunts. It’s a small, family-run homestay at which you can kick back and unwind at and explore the lesser-known Vypeen Island from. The food’s great, too! (00-91-9645029781; casadeann.in; from ̀ 2,000 with breakfast)

EAT: Old Courtyard Hotel offers a choice of Italian and Kerala-style eats – but your meal here will be good (00-91-484-2216302; meals from ̀ 500).

VISIT: Jewish Synagogue: 10am – 12pm and 3pm – 5pm, closed Saturdays and Jewish holidays; entry: ̀ 5Dutch Palace: 10am – 5pm, closed Fri; entry: ̀ 5

068-069-Mahindra Drives-March-vijay_R1.indd 76-77 18/02/13 9:32 PM