Enchanting Kerala

Untamed Kakkayam!

Published in Newsletter Issue No. 272 - April 2016

Bored of your busy, mundane life?

Head to Kakkayam to discover a destination hidden away from the ravages of change and the hustle bustle of your daily life.

A dam site about 45 km away from Kozhikode, this scenic locale is ideal for both trekking and rock climbing.

The public transport to Kakkayam ends at the local marketplace. From there, to travel further into the forests one needs to hire rickshaws or jeeps. Being an ecotourism destination, access to the area is permitted only on the purchase of tickets available at the entry point.

The journey through thick forests punctuated by quaint waterfalls can be described as nothing short of surreal. Most of these waterfalls can be accessed only via the wild jungle streams that tumble through rocks along the forest trails.

A boat ride in the Kakkayam Dam Reservoir will unveil to you the Ambalappara waterfalls. The boating services are all a part of the Hydel Tourism Project under the Kerala Hydel Tourism Centre (KHTC), a subsidiary of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB).

The untamed wild falls, animal sightings, luxuriant greenery and the mysteries that shroud the deep dark jungles are all facets of this special package whose highlight is the boat ride.

At Kakkayam KHTC currently runs 22 trips a day using two speed boats. Each boat has a capacity of six members including the driver. A bicycle ride from the Kakkayam dam site that lasts upto 30 minutes is yet another added attraction at Kakkayam.

Teeming with exotic wildlife, the perfect time to visit Kakkayam is between November and April.

For more details: http://www.keralahydeltourism.com/  

Getting there:

Nearest railway station: Kozhikode, about 66 km
Nearest airport: Calicut International Airport, about 87 km