Mumbai to Bengaluru road trip - Kannur and Kozikode (Episode -3)

Synopsis of episode 1 & 2

We started from Mumbai on 8th February. Travelling on SH 92, NH 548A, NH17 and NH 66 we reached Ganapatipule which was our first night halt. Enjoyed the beautiful beach and visited the famous Ganapati temple. On 9th we continued on NH 66 passing through Kudal, Panaji. Stopped in Karwar located in border of Maharashtra and Karnataka to visit one of its tranquil, scenic beach. Resumed trip to nearby Gokarna and reached at around 7:30 pm.

We stayed at Gokarna for two nights - 8th and 9th February. First night in Zostel Gokarna - primarily a hostel for backpackers with dormitories but also have cottages. It's on a cliff with a breathtaking view of Gokarna main beach. Second night we stayed at Gokarna International of Karnataka Tourism right on Kudle beach. Gokarna has beautiful beaches and ancient temples - Mahabaleshwar being the most well-known. On 10th morning we started for Kannur. On the way we visited Murdeshwar temple. Had our lunch in Udupi.

Episode-3

Post our lunch break in Udupi, we started at around 2:30 pm, passed through Mangalore and entered Kerala after a little while. We kept driving without any break till we reached Kannur after almost five hours. We did not have any accommodation booked in advance and decided to try Kerala Tourism's Loom Land Kannur. A budget hotel, it is situated in the heart of the city and quite well maintained. By the time we checked into the hotel it was 8 pm. We had dinner in the inhouse restaurant and after a stroll in the neighbourhood went to bed.

Our destination next day was Guruvayur via Kozhikode. Our point of interests in Kannur were the light house which has a museum and the Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach. Since both were in the direction of Kozhikode, we checked out from the hotel after breakfast.

The Kannur Lighthouse is located near the Payyambalam Beach, just 3 km away from our hotel. It is adjacent to the Sea Pathway and the Government Guest House run by KTDC. Had we known earlier about this gest house, we would have tried to stay there as the location is marvelous.

The Light house area is open from 9 am to 6 pm (with a lunch break) on a nominal entrance fee. We first went to the museum that displays various equipment used in lighthouses and also shows a documentary on lighthouses. An old lamp is kept outside the museum for display. The museum is well maintained and informative. The museum staff asked us whether we would like to watch the documentary. We opted to watch it though it was in Malayalam and found it interesting.

Painted in red and white, the Kannur Lighthouse is active still now. One can go to the top of the Lighthouse climbing a spiral staircase. The last few steps are steep but the view of the Arabian sea is stunning.

The Sea Pathway is a cliff walkway that runs by the sea. A small fee is levied for entry to the Sea Pathway. There are seats to sit and watch the sea. At one end is a children's park. There are stalls which sell snacks and ice cream. An ice cream felt very refreshing after roaming around in the hot Sun.

Our next stop was the Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach. It is considered as the longest (3.8 km) drive-in beach in Asia and is said to be featured among the top 6 best beaches for driving in the world in BBC article for Autos. It was our first experience of a drive in beach and it was exhilarating.

It was almost noon and we kept going on the crowded road passing through small towns. Nearing Kozhikode, we went to Kappad Beach where Vasco-Da-Gama, is the first European to reach India by sea, landed with his team of 170 men over 500 years ago on 20th May in 1498. This event changed the course of history resulting in opening up the sea route from the western world to the eastern world. After asking a local we could locate the small stone monument commemorating the landing with the inscription, "Vasco da Gama landed here, Kappakadavu, in the year 1498." A group of children were sitting there. It was a bit disappointing to see that there is no boundary or other infrastructure to preserve this historical spot. However there is some doubt on the exact location of his landing, as some believe that the exact location in Kerala is at Panthalayini near Kollam. Vasco da Gama died in Kochi during his third trip to India and was buried at the ancient St. Francis Church in the city.

After keeping the date with history we went to a restaurant nearby. The owner there was very friendly and we had a nice lunch of Malabar Parotta and Gobi Manchurian. We were served warm water with a pinkish hue, infused with a special herb rich in antibiotics and good for digestion. The owner showed us the herb and explained that they drink warm water in Summer for health benefit.

We reached Kozhikode after 4 pm and made a slight detour to Koyenco bazar, the famous open market in Kozhikode visited by thousands of locals and tourists every week. Purchased some black halwa - a rich, wholesome dessert with a rubbery texture and a favourite among people in Kerala. The delicacy is believed to be the contribution of Arab settlers in the city many years back and is the quintessential dish that carries the true flavour of the culinary traditions of Kozhikode or Calicut.

We left Kozhikode at around 4:30 pm and reached Guruvayur after approximately 3 hours at around 7:30 pm.

Some titbits from Google maps:

12th February, 2023 : Driving distance covered 204 kms in 6 hours and 51 minutes from Kannur to Guruvayur. Total journey time including breaks were approximately 11 hours (4 breaks - Kannur Light House, Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach, Kappad beach and Koyenco Bazar).