Ever tried driving your car or bike on a beach ?
Do you fancy a beach driving experience ?
If whizzing through the surf, splashing and spraying water excites you - come to Muzhappilangad Beach lying graciously along the Malabar Coast on the shores of Arabian Sea, between Kannur and Thalassery in the state of Kerala. Though India boasts of a vast coastline on three sides with stunning beaches and breath taking scenery, Muzhappilangad stands apart as probably the only drive in beach in India, the longest in Asia and have impressed the BBC, to make it to the ''Top 6 Best Drive In beaches in the World''. Now that's something special, isn't great ?!
Driving along the beach and gliding over the waves is not limited to Bollywood movies alone. You can quench your fantasy of steering your vehicle on the beach and post stunning pictures on your social media !
With a distance of 315 km from Bangalore, we decided to spend our extended weekend under the swaying palms and the crashing waves, away from crowds and noise. For those from Mysore and Mangalore, Muzhappilangad can be an ideal offbeat, weekend destination at less than 4 hours drive.
The early morning drive from Bangalore passing through NH 275 till Hunsur was uneventful and smooth. As we crossed Gonikoppal, the vistas outside turned more verdant, lush and bountiful as we entered the Brahmagiri Forest road. The serpentine road had some amazing curves and turns, which pepped up our drive. We let Google Maps to guide us and settled comfortably to enjoy the drive!
My excitement knew no bounds as we reached our Beach house - Bang on the Beach ! Sunville Beach House has Comfortable rooms with sea view ! Swaying coconut trees and Traditional food ! An inhouse cook who treated us with local delicacies ! And what's more ?! The beach was deserted for miles - Welcome to my private beach !
We hardly stayed inside the room. We took our car for a spin for hours, for its not everyday that you get to drive on a beach, spraying water - There is a joy in cutting through the waves. Muzhappilangad proffers nearly 5 km of shoreline, ideal for driving. There were no other tourists or visitors on the beach. But on Sunday, we finally saw some locals relaxing with their families. Cars, bikes, mini bus, Tempo travellers and pickup trucks too sped over the golden sands.
The next morning we noticed few catamarans bobbing up and down in the waters. They seemed to be heading towards the shore. The caretaker of the beach house told us that they are the fishermen returning with their catch. We dashed to the beach after sipping our Elachi Tea and joined the fishermen in pulling their net out of water and removing the tangled fishes from it. It was fun and exciting.
Few local residents and restaurant chefs turned up to buy the catch and the whole stock was sold within an hour. Fresh from the sea ! Wowww ! My little girl was happy and wonder struck to see few star fish, lobsters and ray fish among the lot ! And the crabs - they started crawling everywhere. Nevertheless to say, Sea food lovers will go ga-ga !
As we returned from our little adventure, hot hot, fluffy aapams, ishtu (potato gravy) and stuffed nendram pazham (kerala famous banana) appeared in front of our eyes - and we gorged shamelessly! 😋😋
After the heavy food, we decided to burn some of it rather than slugging in the room. Parassinikadavu Snake Park at an easy distance of 30 km was the choice. Highly informative snake show was conducted to create awareness about snake behaviour, types of species, their prey etc. From Vipers, Rat snake, Pythons to King Cobra, this snake park had more than 30 varieties of animals. A good entertainment for kids and students.
Parassinikkadavu Muthappan Temple is an unique one and quiet popular with the local village folk. Muthappan, is considered as a powerful village deity who protects their lands and lives. A mythological character, Muthappan has several folklores connected to him. This is not a regular temple with the usual rituals. Here, Muthappan, the hunter-version of Lord Shiva, is worshipped with high fervour, piety and devotion. Meat and toddy are the general offerings here and you can witness the traditional Muthappan Theiyyam dance form performed by the chosen one, who appears with a painted face and colourful costumes.
As Muthappan emerged from the inner shrine, there was palpable excitement and veneration among the devotees gathered here. There was total silence, while upbeat music flowed heavily from the performers. With wide open eyes, silent prayer on their lips the crowd was fully attentive to Muthappan's movements. He walked among the crowds with clinking anklets and seemed to interact with few lucky ones. A bystander told me that he is listening to their woes and sometimes suggests remedies. A mind boggling experience indeed.
The next morning began with a jog on the beach with my girl, keeping me on my toes. Later it was time for the mandatory 'beach jump' photos....phewwww ! Why can't I just relax on one of the benches, stare at the far horizon and reflect....uffff !
God, I am done ! I ran inside only to find our morning breakfast ready already. Alrighty....Now that looks interesting and aromatic. It is Puttu and Kadala Curry, an authentic, traditional breakfast of Keralites. Rice flour and coconut scrapings have been steamed in a cylindrical container. Brown chickpeas curry makes for a perfect accompaniment. Finger licking good 😀😉
Today we left to explore Thalassery Fort, just 10 km away. At an elevation and over looking the Sea, Thalassery Fort has a strategic location. The moss ridden laterite rock walls are thick and strong. Secret passageways, under ground cells, ancient warfare equipments and carved doorways have been reasonably preserved. Strong bastions can be found on the walls of this fortress, which have witnessed footfalls from the French, British, Mughal and Indian Kings on its passages. Those walls hide pages and pages of history among its creaks. Amazing !
We returned in time for a much needed siesta! In the evening, when the setting sun emerged from the clouds, the crimson sky looked alluring. We took the car out again one last time and indulged in more photography. Next morning, we will be driving back to our monotonous routine with astounding memories and wonderful views to cherish upon.
A final note : It is highly advisable to give your car for a thorough wash and water service on return, to clear away any salty sediments. For more travel ideas and suggestions, check out https://deepassionatewanderer.in/ - your comments and feedback are highly appreciated. Thanks !