A cross-country journey through Kerala.

                        Far from the madding crowd   A five hour drive down the National Highway 212 from Bangalore took me to Kalpetta; the headquarters of Wayanad; probably the only hill station of its kind in Kerala.   One of the better kept secrets of Wayanad happens to be Annapara; a hideaway cocooned in the lap of nature at Vythiri. Leaving Kalpetta behind, I headed for Vythiri…   Annapara (http://annaparahomestay.blogspot.com) is a romantic hideaway spread over 375 acres. The moment I stepped in, I was transported into an ethereal world…   I got really excited when Zafar Salim; the moving spirit behind Annapara told me of the ‘Vythiri Wilderness Trail’ that they had recently designed. Before long, I set off on the same… The ‘Vythiri Wilderness Trail’ took me past sprawling tea plantations, through a vast stretch of rainforests, towards the spectacular Chembra Peak.  The whole experience was quite exhilarating… Droves of people from across the world come to soak up the sun at Kovalam; a sun kissed beach near Thiruvananthapuram. While Kovalam happens to be one of the most famous stretches of beach in Kerala, there are quite a few lesser known ones, where one can bask in the bliss of solitude. One such is Nattika; a sun kissed beach near Thrissur.   The vast stretch of beach at Nattika has to be really seen to fathom its utter beauty.   I was soaking up the sun there that forenoon, when a fisherman started waving his hands with a frisson of excitement. I sauntered down to find out what it was all about. My eyes lit up, when I came across a group of dolphins cavorting in the azure blue waters of the Arabian Sea…   They say that one has not truly experienced Kerala, until one has drifted down its bewitching backwaters.   I set off for Kottayam, the rubber capital of India. I chose to put up there at Akkara; an idyllic getaway set on the river-bend of the Meenachil River.   I was received with warmth by my host Mrs. Shanta Kurien. A variety of delectable fare including the catch of the day- the famed karimeen was served for dinner there that night.   I woke up to the chirping of birds, the following morning…   Akkara (www.akkara.in) makes for one of the most delightful ways of discovering the sights and sounds of Kerala.   Other than nature’s bounty, there’s another thing that I enjoyed at Akkara- some quite moments with my own self.   After a hearty breakfast, I set off for Kumarakom, some 10 kilometers from Akkara.   I set sail from there in a kettuvallam across the Vembanad Lake…   The breathtaking cruise across the Vembanad Lake took all of three hours. And for once, drifting along purposelessly proved to be rewarding.                                                                           Brass Tacks   Ø      Wayanad is situated at a distance of about 250 kilometers from Bangalore.   Ø      Thrissur is situated at a distance of about 75 kilometers from Cochin.   Ø      The cost for a couple for 1 night at Akkara works out to about Rs. 3750.  Sanjay Sivadas