Kavaayi Island and Palakayam Thattu (Hidden Gems of Kerala)

A popular hilltop destination, Palakkayam Thattu offers an amazing view at 3,500ft above sea level.

Towering trees, rolling hills and fluffy white clouds in the wide blue yonder make it one of the most sought-after trekking destinations in South India.

If you want to getaway from the rush and bustle of everyday life, this is the ideal place.

Entry fee for Palakayam Thattu:

Entry fee for Palayakayam Thattu is Rs.35 per person.

Things to do at Palakayam Thattu:

Trekking, Photography, Ezharakund waterfalls and Paithalmala.

Things to do at Kavaayi Island:

Take a boat ride in Mangrove forest. Spend time in the midst of Mangrove forest. Take the boat ride to presitene beach.

How to reach Palakayam Thattu:

Palakayam Thattu is 50 km from Kannur and 29 km from Thaliparamba. Nearest railway station is Kannur railway station. Nearest airport is Kannur airport.

How to reach Kavaayi Island:

Kavaayi island is 41 km from Kannur and 25 km from Thaliparamba. Nearest railway station is Kannur railway station. Nearest airport is Kannur airport.

Important Tip:

From the Mandalam town, it is a steep climb, with narrow road, and lots of hairpin bends. If your vehicle is not having a great pull, better to leave the vehicle in Mandalam and take Jeep taxis. Even for Ezharakund falls Jeeps are the safest mode of transport.

My Experience:

We decided to do a trip Northern side of Mangalore and all of my friends have booked the train tickets to Mangalore from Chennai. Just the previous night of travel the plan changed  since of them wanted to see Thaliparamba temple, so when we checked the train schedule, we wear happy to know that the train crosses Kannur and then reaches Mangalore. So all decided to get down in Kannur station.

Reached Kannur and covered Rajarajeswara temple, Annapooraneshwari temple, Mruthanga Saileshwara temple and Muthappan temple all in one day. We had 2 more days and was checking what to do in next 2 days, and came across these places like Kavaayi Island and Palakayam Thattu.

We drove to Kavaayi island which took 1.5 hrs from Thaliparamba. It was a beautiful mangrove forest. The boat guys charged 1200 for a boat and said they will take us arround Mangrove forest and then to a beach and drop us there and we can spend 1 to 2 hrs there and will get us back.

He took us arround the Mangrove forest and dropped us in the center of Mangrove forest where we could spend some time and could take some pics. Later he took us to the beach which was a pristine beach and only we five of us were there in the whole beach. It was a beautiful untouched beach. We spent arround 2 hrs in the beach and returned in the boat to the shore.

But there is no place to take shower in that area. There was a tap in the street and we just washed the salt water by filling water in the water bottle. And there is a small room for change of clothes. We changed and started from there.

We had booked a resort called Chillax in Palakayam Thattu, the guy in the Resort had asked us to call 30 mins before reaching the spot. It was already dark when we reached a small town called Mandalam, from where it is 30 mins to the resort.

We called the resort guy, he guided with the route and informed to come slow and be in first gear. I took it little light and started the drive which is hardly 5 km from that spot. Gradually the road was becoming steep, narrow and with lots of hairpin bends. It was dark and the car was not pulling the weight. In one of the hairpin bend, I got stuck. It was so steep and I could not go up, there were 4 to 5 cars which came in the opposite direction and all got stuck, since our vehicle was in the middle of the road. There was a Police vehicle with 6 to 7 Police, Police came and said the road is even worse going further and suggested us to go back to the Mandalam town park the vehicle and take a Jeep taxi from there. There was no signal also, and some of my friends walked a little up and after so many trials, could reach to the Resort, and they said they will send a driver to pick the car.

Driver guy came and told us to get inside the car, I was pretty sure the car wont pull, so told him, 2 of us will walk, one can go in the bike that he came in and let the other 2 sit in the car. He took  the car, and the bike also left with one of my friend. We were 2 of us in the pitch dark walking on the mountain road with a phone torch. It was so steep climb, and I was thinking that it was a good decision that I decided not to drive further up. The resort was just 3 km from the spot were we got down from the car,  the car was suppose to come back and pick us up. But it was 15 mins, 30 mins, 45 mins, the car dint turn up. We wear wondering what happened and kept walking. Finally after 45 mins the car came back. Looking the way the road was and the way the driver struggled to drive up, it was scary. The driver said the clutch plate is gone in the Car, thats why the pull is not there. I decided I wont drive back, and will take a Jeep taxi to get down the hill.

We  reached the Resort, my friend who walked was so tired climbing the steep hill was angry on others for not sending car back faster to pick us up. After reaching the Resort, noticed all wear sitting in silence in a deep thought. Then slowly they came up with the stories, what they underwent. Two of them who was in the car, said the car was going down the hill in one spot and the driver could not control and was scared to death. They had to put big rocks behind the tyre to stop the car and every time there was a vehicle opp direction it became even worse. The other friend who went in the bike said, she was left alone in the dark and the guy who drove her had to run to car to stop the car from rolling down. She was also feeling so scared in the jungle left alone.

It took sometime for all us to get over this incident and then went for dinner. And after dinner walked around and went to sleep.

Next day we went on trek to the view point of palakayam Thattu. It was a beautiful trek with nice scenic spot. Then went to Ezharakund falls, one of the best water falls that I have seen. They charge Rs.100 per person. There is a place for men to bath which is very deep. For women there is a different spot to bath little less depth. There are life jackets given to everyone, we can swim across the pond and then go to the falls.

This was yet another trip with a lot of adventure and all enjoyed the trip and returned home safe with lots of memories.