Experience

The journey to Edayilakkad, a land not much accessed by the highly civilised generation dwelling in the urban hood of the world turned out an eye opener for me! This small island, where the people are just above average educated in academic terms are far better educated in conservation of nature than most of the modern beings are! Never, not even in my dreams did I have a picture so beautiful about the Monkey Island, whose stories I have only heard from my father.

I never expected that nature will open up a magic world beyond the sleepy roads that I travelled upon. The dirty road with potholes end up thus before a panoramic view of the Kotty jetty-here we have to start a day’s journey to Kavvayi Lake, Edayilakkad. The start is perfect. Upon reaching the Island, cruising through the backwaters, one will get the feeling of being in another dimension-in another world where the sky, sea and space merge together. The smell of the clear river and the life giving backwaters, the vision of a distant fishing boat and the vapour arising up from the water surface- all have a mesmerising effect on you.

If you have never travelled through these serene waters you have missed something very great in your life. Tranquillity prevails everywhere. The boat traverses in through the Kavvayi-Valiyaparamba backwaters to reach the Edayilakkad Island. The people living in the Island appeared to me as the most blessed ones. They could rise from there sleep seeing the river on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west, brush their teeth on the riverbank and have a chat with their beloved on the sea shore in the evening.

The excitement reached its peak when isolated small islands came into sight. The factual information about a small island dotted with coconut palms in which a single lady- Lakshmi -the female Crusoe of Kavvayi -lived long all alone, was very fascinating -Now she has shifted to the main land. She even attended the literacy classes in the main land in her small boat, daily.

Edayilakkad Island is a heaven. Here time stands still. You are in touch with nature. The gentle breeze, the waves of the lake tell you only one thing- You are overloading yourselves. Your solace is in Mother Nature’s lap. The beaches are dotted with coconut palms and the atmosphere is serene.

The leisure cruises of Houseboats halts at Edayilakkad along the serene waters of the River Thejaswini to the abundantly rich waters of Valiyaparamba. The ambiance in the silent island offers an abundance of natural beauty and photographic opportunity. The stopover at Edayilakkad is very much enjoyed by the tourists cruising in the houseboats. The island known as Monkey Island among tourists is a place where the travellers get to interact with the wildlife in direct terms! In here, children and adults can enjoy their time feeding the friendly monkeys of the island.

The island offers different moods and sightseeing scenes adding to its beauty. The cool breeze, coconut lagoons, variety of sea birds, activities like husking, etc. provide a larger canvas for the travellers. The Island is also well known for its mussel cultivation. With palm lined shores, occasional forest beds and scattered islands, there is beauty at its best.

Most of the islands are tiny and uninhabited. Fishing and farming sustains the island population. In recent days, tourism has also started to contribute a major share to their revenue!