Planning, How to reach and Where to stay in Kannur

The itinerary for our trip to Kannur and Wayanad in Kerala came pre crafted and here’s a part of what it looked like –

- 2 nights stay in Wayanad in a bamboo cottage. Breakfast meals + a few activities included.

- 2 nights stay in Kannur in a traditional house.

- All meals included in Kannur.

Keeping our interest and time in mind, we cut down Wayanad from the itinerary and added Tirupati instead.

Plans were chalked out accordingly and flight tickets to
Kozhikode (the nearest airport to Kannur) booked. The trip did come with its fair share of hassles though, even getting completely cancelled at one point of time because of unforeseen circumstances. But thanks to the kindness of Shivya of India Untravelled and the host of our Kannur home stay Indu, the validity of our prized trip was extended so that we could avail it at a later date.

Finally, on 27th March 2013, I boarded my Jet flight from Mumbai to Kozhikode (Calicut) and took my window seat. Seat belt secured and mobile phone switched off, I waited for the final call of take off. As I sat still staring out to a long barren runway stretch beyond, my hurried mind decided to set off, in its own flight of fancy. A cascade of images flashed by – sand and the seas, idyllic lanes fringed with coconut trees, ancestral temples, lip smacking authentic South Indian cuisine, warm people and a lot of peace – all in a matter of a few minutes.

Amazingly enough, a couple of hours later when I finally did get there, I found all these images to be right. I had almost all of it... and in such abundance... that now, I can’t wait to go there again. Someday, I will... for sure, but for now, I have got loads to share and so I am all ready to set out again in this virtual yatra of ours!

Are you ready to explore?

How to reach Kannur

From Bangalore: A weekend getaway situated around 300 kms away; Kannur is a 5 hr. drive by road for the Bangloreans.

From Mumbai: 

Flight: You can take a flight to the nearest airport i.e. Kozhikode (Calicut). To get to Kannur from there, you can either take a cab (Rs. 2500) or the local train but I would recommend taking the local train. A rickshaw from the Kozhikode airport (Rs. 240) will drop you at the Faroq railway station from where you can find different trains leaving for Kannur at periodic intervals. Not only will this save you a lot of money but the local flavor in the journey will be something to savor for a long time to come.

Train: You can find a few trains running between Mumbai and Kozhikode if your preferred mode of travel is train.

Where to stay in Kannur: Blue Mermaid Homestay

Situated in Thottada village, approximately 8 KM and 30 minutes away from the main city of Kannur, Blue mermaid home stay is the place to go IF you are looking for a quiet run away from all the urban chaos and spending some quality time with none other but nature and nature alone.

Blue Mermaid Home Stay, Kannur
(Traditional stay towards the left and bamboo cottage towards the right)

The rooms are comfortable, clean and face the beachfront. Hammocks swinging from tall slender coconut trees in the lazily manicured garden add to the complete laidback-ness of the place. The home stay also has a bamboo cottage if you want to make your stay somewhat offbeat and unusual. I chose to stick with the traditional Kannuri house however, that came with my package.

Traditional room

Apart from all the above things that a traveler generally looks out for, what I really loved about the place was the hospitality and the warmth of our cheerful and chatty host – Indu - her dedication in hospitality and merry attitude ensured that it made our home stay experience indeed a homely one!

Traveler Tips:

Food: served is both vegetarian and non vegetarian. If you have any dietary preferences, make sure to suggest them to Indu well before meal times.

Location: Since the home stay is located a bit away from the main city, transportation and getting around can be a flip point but to counter that, there is an in house rickshaw available on call which can be used to get you out to the main city at a cost of Rs. 500. Further, you can save yourself money by clubbing it with a short tour of the nearby places.

Book yourself a half day cab: A cab can be booked from the home stay if you wish to explore the city and the nearby places. The cost is around Rs. 3500 for an entire day and Rs. 1500 for half a day. To avoid tiring yourself out, the half day option is recommended.

Talk to the locals: Do not forget to talk to your host while you chalk out your sightseeing plans. Besides being the gracious host that Indu is, I found in her one of the best guides ever willing to help.

Last but not the least: Do some googling well in advance to avoid any last minute hassles. There are numerous Kerala hotels and cottages available suited to all kinds of pockets and preferences.

Blue Mermaid Homestay:

Contact No:  +91-9497300234
Email: bluemermaidknr@gmail.com
Website: www.bluemermaid.in

PS: Last few days remaining for 'One Picture From My Photo Album' Contest to close. Please participate if you haven't already!

Post a Comment

34 Comments

  1. Arti, have you explored God's own country?..My native state..:).. I am visiting at the end of the month. Do have plans to visit waynad too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Explored a slice of it, yes and I did remember you and PNS sir while I was there :)

      Delete
  2. hope you are haviing fun in the gods own country :)...i wonder you are removing wayanad...one must see place

    ReplyDelete
  3. coconut trees and comfortable beds and great food...awwww you just made me wish I could be there too! oh this reminds me to join your contest! always a great pleasure visiting your page...have a lovely week friend :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Home stays seem to be a good option for such scenic locations as you get the best of both worlds a good place to stay + personalized hospitality with local flavor.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Arti With the foot of new snow in my yard this looks like paradise! I'm enjoying your new journey.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The palm trees and the cottage, all so beautiful and peaceful...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Staying in the traditional Kannuri house looks comfortable. The room is neatly arranged with white color and brown curtain.Thank you for sharing.
    Enjoy your weekend, Arti!
    Tomoko

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kannur, for me, is the other end of Kerala. I belong to a place near Trivandrum (Kollam) and my Mom's from Munnar.. So, I have two extreme ways to enjoy Kerala.. :D Kannur is a great place to explore and am sure you would have done it too!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Arti, Just read your new post.Nice to read your post, Beautiful description.Thanks for sharing.

    Have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
  10. we havent done kannaur or waynad yet..in kerala..so this is helpful..but some more images please :)

    http://www.myunfinishedlife.com/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Very well narrated and useful information about Kannaur. I wish to visit after reading your experience......

    ReplyDelete
  12. Summer is not very ideal for visiting Kerala unless you plan to visit either Waynad or Munnar. I am little disappointed to learn that Waynad has been dropped from your itinerary. Kannur and its sea front is enjoyable. The real culture could be encountered in central Kerala. I am presently sweating in Chennai.

    ReplyDelete
  13. beautiful colours & composition....lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  14. once i have visited kerala...awsome place..so cool and quiet....i went there with a troup..enjoyed ellepey boats....saw that rich temple..it was mindblowing experience.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Kerala is one of my favourite trip destinations. It's such a beautiful place, I always feel it has been aptly named God's own country. I haven't visited Kannur though. Actually never heard of it before. As its just 5 hrs from Bangalore, will plan a visit soon.

    ReplyDelete
  16. ¸╭•⊰✿¸.

    Bom domingo!
    Beijinhos.♡ღ

    •*✿⊱╮ღ

    ReplyDelete
  17. You had a great trip barring few hitches as you said. The place looks really amazing, I have never tried hammock swing, that was really tempting for me.

    ReplyDelete
  18. wonderful trip planning tips for exploring, that is what i always do too, i try to ask for some sightseeing tips and things to do

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hey Arti, its my second time here and I get to read about my hometown. Glad that you enjoyed your stay in Kannur. What I love about my hometown is that, its a village with facilities of a city - a great balance of greenery, traditions and modern lifestyle.
    Seena

    ReplyDelete
  20. Kannur happens to be one of the least explored places in Kerala. Kannur has lots of unexplored beaches. Very informative post.

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2013/05/haziness.html

    ReplyDelete
  21. A wonderful trip! When we travel Bill does all the planning and so he usually already knows when we get there what it will be like. For me, it is all new ... I never quite know what to expect!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Looks like somebody had the perfect holiday. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Many thanks for sharing this post here. Last year i am going to Kerala with my family in the month of may and enjoy back water. You have provide here great information and surly help all the travelers those make planning to visit Kannur .

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh how wonderful this looks like a trip I will look forward to reading about.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Arti, next time dont cancel off Wayanad... its beautiful and a really spiritual place too.... i will be writing a post on the temple there soon

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wont, Anu. I look forward to reading all about it in your post :)

      Delete
  26. You just told about homestay... not about its beautiful landscape, its culture, parassinikkadavu temple, paithal mala hill station, aralam wild life sanctuary, forts
    etc

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kappimala,

      This post is about homestay, hence I have stuck to writing only about it. For the other things I experienced in Kannur like landscape, temples and culture, please go through this link - My Yatra in Kannur, Kerala

      Hope this link will help you in finding the things that you had come looking for. :-)

      Delete
  27. That's the perfect guide to Kannur, Arti. Thanks. The homestay is peaceful, to forget the daily air and noise pollution and go deep in the divinity of Nature. :)

    ReplyDelete

Delighted you stopped by... Your suggestions, feedback are really appreciated. Thanks a lot :) Hope you visit again!

If you have asked a question, please give me at least 2 days to reply back. Thank you :)