India Travel

A taxi from Leh airport, 5km southwest of town on the main Snnagar highway, will set you back a fixed fare of around Rs80 to the bazaar, or Rsl25 to Changspa where many of the town’s hotels are located. State and private buses pull into the dusty town bus stand, fifteen minutes’ walk, or a short taxi ride (Rs30), south of the bazaar and most of the hotels. Manali buses terminate on Fort Road, within easy walking distance of several hotels.

J&KTDC’s tourist reception centre (Mon-Sat 10am-4pm-§01982/52094), 3km from the bazaar on the airport road, is too far out of town and hardly worth visiting. The tourist information centre on Fort Road in the bazaar (July to mid-Sept Mon-Sat 8am-8pm; mid-Sept to June Mon-Fri 10am—4pm, Sat 10.30am—noon) is a bit more helpful. Two banks offer moneychanging facilities in Leh: try the efficient Foreign Exchange Service Centre of the J&K Bank, 1st Floor, Himalaya Shopping Complex, Main Bazaar (facilities may move to their new complex on Fort Road); or the State Bank of India on the main market square, who operate an infuriatingly chaotic system and don’t publish daily exchange rates. Elsewhere, private licensed foreign exchange, including some hotels such as Khtmgri and travel agents around Fort Road, invariably offer rates around five percent lower but are accessible after hours and at weekends. Khangri also has a Foreign Exchange Bureau on the main bazaar opposite the post office.

The taxi operators’ union rank (daily 7am-6pm; 01982/53309) is almost directly opposite the tourist information centre. Each driver carries a list of fixed fares to just about everywhere you might want to visit in Ladakh, taking into account waiting time, gompa entrance fees and night halt charges. However, these rates only apply to peak season; reductions of up to forty percent can be had at other times. Deal direcdy with the drivers, or their boss in the union office will take a cut (payable by you). All taxis are subject to the union’s rates, and taxis hired outside the area, such as those from Manali, may earn the wrath of the union, and are sometimes made to pay a surcharge which is then passed onto the client. Prices are on the high side as the season is so short.Expect to pay around Rs60 to Changspa, Rsl700 to Hemis, and Rs6000 to Nubra with an additional Rs250 for a night’s stay. Hunt around the tour operators in the bazaar and you can get cheaper deals for long-distance rides, especially if you don’t mind a Maruti (Suzuki) Gypsy which is a bit more cramped and bumpy on Ladakh’s rough roads.

For details of ferry services on the backwaters - primarily between Alappuzha and Kollam.

Trains
Kochi/Ernakulam to: Alappuzha (3-5 daily; 1hr 20min): Bangalore (1 daily; 14hr); Chennai (3-5 daily; 12hr45min-14hr40min); Coimbatore (3-4 daily; 4hr 45min-5hr 30min); Delhi (2 daily; 40hr 30min-49tir), Kanniyakumari (2-3 daily; 8hr); Kollam (8-9 daily; 3-4tir|; Kottayam (8-9 daily; 1hr 5min); Kozhikode (6-7.daily; 3hr 20min-6hr 20min); Mumbai (2-3 daily; 28hr 20min 10hr 25min); Palakkad (5-6 daily; 3hr 20mm); Tliiriivananthapuram (9-11 daily; 4hr 20min-5hr): Thrissur (12-14 daily; 1 hr 30min-2hr). Kozhikode to: Kochi (6-7 daily; 4hr 30min-5hr 10min); Mangalore (3-4 daily; 5hr 40min-6hr); Mumbai (2-3 daily; 16hr 20min-23hr); Thiruvananthapuram (4-6 daily; 8hr 35min-13hr 20min).

Thiruvananthapuram to: Alappuzha (2 daily; 3hr); Bangalore (1-2 daily; 18hr40min-19hr20min); Calcutta (3 weekly; 49hr|; Chennai (1-3 daily; 18-19hr); Delhi (1-2 daily; 52hr 35min-56hr 30min); Kanniyakumari (1-2 daily; 2hr 15min); Kochi (8 daily; 3hr 30min-5hr); Kollam (hourly; 1 hr 30min-1hr 50min); Kozhikode (3 daily; 8hr-11hr 30min); Margao (for Goa; 4 weekly; 16hr 25min-20hr 30min); Mumbai (1-2 daily; 24hr 20min-46hr 40min); Thrissur (5-6 daiiy; 6-7hr); Varkala (6 daify; 38-55min).

Thrissurto: Chennai (3-4 daily; 12hr 5min-12hr 30min); Kochi (10-12 daily; 1 hr 30min-2hr 10min); Thiruvananthapuram (9-10 daily; 5hr 15min-7hr20min).

Buses
Kochi/Ernakulam to: Alappuzha (every 30min; 1 hr 30min): Kanniyakumari (6 daily; 9hr); Kollam (every 30min; 3hr]; Kottayam (every 30min; 1 hr 30min-2hr); Kozhikode (hourly; 5hr); Periyar (10 daily; 6-7br|; Thiruvananthapuram (every 30min: 4—6hr): Thrissur (every 30min; 2hr).

Periyar to: Kochi (8 daily; 6-7hr); Kottayam (every 30min; 3-4hr); Kozhikode (hourly; 8hr): Madurai (10 daily; 5hr 30min}; Munnar (4 daily; 4hr 30min); Thiruvananthapuram (10-12 daily: 8-9hr).

Thiruvananthapuram to: Alappuzha (every 30mirt; 3hr 15min); Chennai (8 daily; 17hr); Kanniyakumari (12 daily; 2hr|; Kochi (every 30min; 4-6hr); Koilam (every 30min; 1hr30min);
Kottayam (every 30min; 4hr); Madurai (10 daily; 7hr); Periyar (5 daily; 8lir); Ponmudi (4 daily; 2hr 30min|; Varkala (hourly; 1 hr 30min). Thrissur to: Kochi (every 30min; 2hr): Guruvayur (10 daily; 40min); Chennai (1 daily; 14hr); Mysore (2 daiiy; 10hr); Paiakkad (6 daily; 2hr); Thiruvananthapuram (15 daily; 6-7hr).

Flights
Kochi/Ernakulam to: Bangalore (1 daily; 55min); Chennai (1-2 daily; 1hr-2hr 15min); Coimbatore (2 weekly; 30min): Delhi (1 daily; 4hr 10min); Goa (2 weekly; 55min]: Hyderabad (2 weekly; 1hr 40min);

Lakshadweep (1 daily, except Sun: 1hr 30min); Mumbai (1-2 daily; 1hr 45min-3hr 5rnin); Thiruvananthapuram (3 weekly; 40min). Kozhikode to: Chennai (4 weekly; 1hr-2hr 15min]; Coimbatore (1 daily; 30min); Delhi (1 daily; 5hr 40min); Goa (2 weekly; 1hr 5min|; Kochi (2 weekly; 30min|; Mumbai (2 daily; 1hr 40min-3hr). Thiruvananthapuram to: Bangalore (1 daily; 2hr 5min); Chennai (1 daily; 1 hr 10minJ; Colombo (Sri Lanka) (2 weekly; 1hr 25min|; Delhi (2 daily; 4hr 35min-5hr 20min): Male (Maldives) (5 weekly; 40min); Mumbai (1 daily; 1 hr 55mm).

The easiest place to catch a glimpse of Teyyattam is the village of PARASSINIKADAVU, 20km north of Kannur beside the River Valapatanam, where the head priest, or madayan, of the Parassini Madammpura temple performs every day during winter before assembled devotees. Elaborately dressed and accompanied by a traditional drum group, he becomes possessed by the temple’s presiding deity - Lord Muthappan, Shiva in the form of a kiratha, or hunter — and enacts a series of complex offerings. The two-hour ceremony culminates when the priest/deity dances forward to bless individual members of the congregation. Even by Keralan standards, this is an extraordinary spectacle, and well worth taking time out of a journey along the coast for.
Regular local buses leave Kannur for Parassinikadavu from around 7am, dropping passengers at the top of the village, ten minutes on foot from the temple. However, if you want to get there in time for the dawn Teyyattam (4am—8am), you’ll have to splash ut on one of the Ambassador taxis that line up outside Kannur bus stand. The cabbies sleep in their cars, so you can arrange the trip on the spot by waking one up; you can also arrange a taxi through one of the more upmarket hotels. Alternatively, head out to Parassinikadavu for the early afternoon ritual, which starts around 2pm, allowing you plenty of time to get there and back by bus, with thirty minutes or so to browse the temple bazaar (whose stalls do a great line in kitsch Lord Muthappan souvenirs). Note that the performances do not always take place, so it’s a good idea to phone in advance (©0497/780722). Otherwise, if you are there between October and March, ask around or check the local newspaper, as there’s sure to be a local village Teyyattam performance in the area.

Straddling the main coastal transport artery between Mangalore and Kochi/Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur is well connected by bus and train to most major towns and cities in Kerala. In addition buses also travel to Mysore turning inland at Thalassery (aka Tellychery) and climbing the beautiful wooded ghats toVirajpet in Kodagu.

Decent budget accommodation is available at Plaza Tourist Home (0497/360031), close to the railway station gates on Fort Road, which has reasonable rooms and an Indian Coffee House restaurant downstairs. A few metres up the road lies Madan (0497/768204), a sunny friendly budget lodge set in a courtyard with simple rooms. Swadeshi Woodlands Lodge a few minutes away on Aarat Road (0497/701434; 0) is a quiet old hotel with character in a large yard with basic rooms and a reasonable south Indian restaurant. More upscale is the plush a/c, business-oriented Kamala International (0497/766910), in the town centre on SM Road, which is undergoing major renovations.

They also have a rooftop garden restaurant. The excellent-value Government Guest House, cantonment area (0497/706426;O),stands on the crest of a cliff overlooking the sea; the huge, simple rooms that catch the breezes are primarily for visiting VIPs, but there are usually a tew spare rooms. The brilliantly located Mascot Beach Resort (0497/708445) 300m before Baby beach, perches on a rocky shoreline with large well-appointed rooms with views across the cove to the lighthouse, foreign exchange and they serve great food in their restaurant, but there is no bar.

However, for a total escape, head 10km south to the very warm and welcoming Costa Malabari in Tottada village; book through the tourist desk at Ernakulam (0484/371761). Hidden deep in the cashew and coconut groves, the informal house has four airy and comfortable rooms, and you are served outstanding home-cooked Malabari cuisine and seafood. Five minutes walk away are two very private golden beaches, where you can swim out co the mussel fishermen and dolphins. This is an ideal base if you want to catch some local temple rituals; you can be collected from the station with prior arrangement (Rsl20).

KANNUR (Cannanore), 92km north of Kozhikode, was for many centuries the capital of the Kolathiri rajas, who prospered from the thriving maritime spice trade through its port. In the early 1500s, after Vasco da Gama passed through, the Portuguese took it and erected an imposing bastion, St Angelo’s fort, overlooking the harbour, but today this is occupied by the Indian army and closed to visitors. If you come to Kannur at all, it will probably be on the trail of Teyyattam, spectacular spirit-possession rituals that are an important feature of village life in the area from late October until May. Locating them is not always easy, but if you ask at the local tourist office or telephone the tourist desk in Cochin (0484/371761), they should be able to point you in the right direction, and it’s well worth heading out to the daily ritual a Parassinikadavu (see below).The popular town beach can get quite crowded and so for a bit more quiet head down to the small Baby beach (4km) which, lying in the army’s cantonment area of large bungalows set in leafy gardens, is protected by restricted access (9am-5pm).

A popular weekend day-trip destination from Kannur is the fort a bekal (daily 9am-5.30pm; Rs2, Fri free), which stands 45km to the north on a promontory between two long, classically beautiful palm-fringed beaches. Although this is one of die largest forts in Kerala and has been under the control of various powers including Vijayanagar, Tipu Sultan and the British, it’s nothing to get excited about. The bastion’s commanding position, with views across the bays to north and south, is impressive enough, but only four watch-towers and the outer walls survive. An adjacent Hindu temple, next to the gates, with garish stucco images of the gods, draws a steady stream of visitors while others clamber along the battlements or climb down to the beach through hidden passages.A short walk south of the main gates you’ll find the Bekal Resorts’ visitor centre where the cafe and shops only open at the weekends.

The beautiful coast of Kerala, north of Kozhikode, is a seemingly endless stretch of coconut palms, wooded hills and virtually deserted beaches; the towns hold little of interest for visitors, most of whom bypass the area completely. However, then you miss out on the fun of a search through the villages for Teyyattam, the extraordinary masked trance dances that take place throughout the region during winter.

Kozhikode’s reasonably priced city-centre hotels, most of which operate a 24-hr check-out, can fill up by evening, especially during conventions. The beach area is a quiet alternative. Your best bet for a proper meal is to eat at your hotel, though you can get south Indian snacks in town at the dependable Indian Coffee House on Kallai Road. The open-air Park Restaurant, by Mananchira tank, makes an appealing city centre oasis in the evenings. Mezban at the Asma Tower on Mavoor Road is comfortable with a tasteful a/c section where you can get Continental and local breakfasts. The strong menu includes excellent local Malaban cuisine - try the fish. Nandhiniee Sweets, on MM Ali Road, is an ultra-hygienic sweets, nuts and savoury snacks pit stop, where you can also get great fresh-fruit cocktails, badam milk and faldoda shakes.

Alakapuri Guest House, MM All Road, near the railway station, 1km from KSRTC bus stand of 0495/723451. Guilt around a courtyard, some rooms have huge bathtubs, polished wood and easy chairs; ttie cheaper, non-a/c, options are rather spartan. The first-floor cafe serves great south Indian food all day; in the evening go down to the restaurant out in the courtyard garden. Single rates available. Beach Hotel. Beach Road 0495/365363. Built in 1890 as the Malabar English Club, this well-conserved and atmospheric building has been a hotel since the 1940s. Comfortable rooms overlooking the beach have teak floors and large verandas; cheaper rooms surround a garden at the back. A restaurant serves Malaban and seafood dishes.

Imperial, Kallai Road, 0495/753966. Large Hotel around a courtyard with plain and cheap rooms and a very good vegetarian restaurant: not recommended for single women. Kalpaka Tourist Home, Corner of SM Road and Town Hall Road 0495/720222 Five storeys ranged around a weirdly shaped courtyard-cum-sari store make for a space-stationesque interior, which is now ageing. The views from the eastern side are best. Some a/c rooms, and 24hr check-out. KTDC Malabar Mansion, SM Street 0495/722391. Modern high-rise hotel, near the railway station at the top of the main street Huge a/c suites, reasonable non-a/c rooms, beer parlour and a good south Indian restaurant. Good value.

Sasthapurt, MM Ali Road s 0495/723281. Small budget place with well-maintained rooms and a decent roof-garden restaurant and a bar. It’s lucked away down a side street to the right of palayam bus station. Taj Residency, FT Usha Road 0495/765354, |

7664480. The grandest hotel in town but it lacks the ubiquitous Taj style; nonetheless, the rooms are well appointed and comfortable and there’s a pool, coffee shop, multi-cuisine restaurant, and health and Ayurvedic centre. Breakfast is included in the tariff.

Few traces remain of the model city laid out in the fourteenth century, which followed a Hindu grid formula based on a sacred diagram containing the image of the cosmic man, Purusha. The axis and energy centre of the city was dictated by the position of the ancient Tali Shiva temple (closed to non-Hindus) which survives to this day. Everything, and everybody, had a place in the scheme. The district around the port in the northwest was reserved for foreigners. Here, a Chinese community lived in and around Chinese Street (now Silk Street) and, later, the Portuguese, Dutch and British occupied the area. Keralan Muslims (Mappilas) lived in the southwest. The northeast of the city was a commercial quarter, and in the southeast stood the Tali temple. Here too ^as a palace and fort; all the military kataris, martial art gymnasia, that stood around the perimeter have now gone.

made clothes shops sell the locally produced plain white cotton cloth. You cannot fail to be dazzled by the sheer number of gold jewellery shops, full of ladies spending lavish amounts of the money faithfully sent by relatives in the Gulf This district is also a good place to try the local halva sweets, especially popular with the large Mappila community. Some shops also specialize in piping-hot banana chips, straight from the frying pan.

Locals enjoy a promenade on or near the beach (3km from the centre; m the late afternoon and early evening. Although not suitable for swimming, it’s a restful place, where you can munch on roasted peanuts sold in the many stalls while scanning the seas for jumping dolphins. After dark it’s difficult to find an auto-rickshaw to take you back into town, but on the land side of the road regular buses run into the centre. You will have to travel to find better beaches such ® the historic beach of Kappad. 16km to the north, where Vasco da Gama is said to have landed in 1498 with a hundred and seventy sailors; a small memorial marks the spot. A gentle and partly rocky beach with cottage accommodation at the Kappad Beach Resort (0496/683760) nearby, Kappad lies 4km from Thiruvangoor oil the Kozhikode—Badagara route serviced by numerous buses.

The Pazhassirajah and Krishnamenon Museums and Art Gallery (daily 10am—12.30pm & 2pm-5pm, except Wed 2.30-5pm only) stand together 5km from the centre on East Hill. The Pazhassirajah collection includes copies of murals, coins, bronzes and models of the umbrella-shaped, stone megalithic remains peculiar to Kerala, while the museum houses a collection of memorabilia associated with the left-wing Keralan politician VK Krishnamenon, and a gallery of works by Indian artists.

The railway station (0495/701234), served by a handful of coastal expresses and several passenger trains, is close to the centre. Trains heading north on the Konkan Railway include the fast, all a/c Rajdhani Express #2431 (Fri & Sac) which stops at Madgaon (Goa) on the way to Delhi, but the most convenient, in terms of departure time, is the Netravati Express #6636 (daily 9.45am). Neither trains stop at Mangalore but at a nearby town. Kankanadi-Trains south include the Mangala Lakshadweep Express #2618 (daily 7.35am) to Ernakulam and the overnight Malabar Express #6330 (daily 10.40pm) to Thiruvananthapuram. O£ the three bus stands, the most important is the KSRTC stand, Mavoor Road (aka Indira Gandhi Road), from where buses run daily to destinations as far afield as Bangalore. Mysore Ooty, Madura

Coimbatore and Mangalore. From the New Mafussil private stand, 500m away, on the other side of Mavoor Road, you can get local buses and services to northern Kerala. The Palayam stand is for city and infrequent long-haul buses aIid destinations further south, such as Palakkad, Thnssur, and Guruvayur. private deluxe buses to Thiruvananthapurani or Kochi leave from in front of the KSRTC bus stand.

Kozhikode’s airport (nearly always referred to as Calicut in timetables) lies at Karippur, 23km south of the city. Taxis cost Rs300, or take an auto-rickshaw to the Kozhikode-Palakkad highway, from where you can catch a bus. Indian Airlines flies twice a day to Mumbai. daily to Delhi and Coimbatore, and twice a week to Chennai; Jet Airways also flies twice a week to Mumbai. Indian Airlines flies twice a week (Mon & Fri) to Goa and has several international flights to Sharjah, Kuwait and Bahrain in the Gulf. Air India also flies to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Muscat. For airline tickets try Century Travels, Bank Road (0495/766522); or directly at Indian Airlines, Eroth Centre, 5/2521 Bank Rd (0495/753966) or Jet Airways, 29 Mavoor Rd (0495/356518). Air India is also at Eroth Centre (0495/673001).

The friendly Government of Kerala tourist information booth (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; 0495/700097), at the railway station, can tell you about travel connections and sites around Kozhikode. KTDC Information Centre (0495/722391) in their Malabar Mansion Hotel, at the corner of SM Street, can supply only limited information about the town and area. There is a left-luggage facility at the railway station but, as is always the case, they only accept locked luggage. With so much Gulf money floating around. you shouldn’t have any difficulty changing money in Kozhikode. A good place to change any currency or travellers’ cheques is at PL Worldways, 3rd Floor, Semma Towers, Mavoor Road (0495/722564). Banks that change money include the Standard Chartered Bank on Town Hall Road and the State Bank of India at Manachira Park. Internet facilities are available on the first floor (10am—10pm daily), in the block to the right of Nandhiniee Sweets, MM Ah Road, at Rs30 per hour.

For backwater cruises in the Kozhikode region try the small, friendly and efficient Malabar House Boats at either of their three city offices including 1/335 Purakkatri. Thalakalthur (0495/452045, 765066).Their kettu vallam cruises start at Purakkatri, 12km north of the city but they will arrange transport to the boat with prior notice. A 24hr cruise costs Rs6250 for two people, including meals; a day cruise will set you back Rs3000 for up to six people.

The busy coastal city of KOZHIKODE (Calicut), 225km north of Kochi, occupies an extremely important place in Keralan legend and history. It is also significant in the story of European interference in the subcontinent, as Vasco da Gama first set foot in India at Kozhikode in 1498. However, as a tourist destination, it’s a dud, with precious few remnants of its historic past. The few foreigners that pause here invariably do so only to break the long journey between Mysore and Kochi.

Kozhikode s roots are shrouded in myth. According to Keralan tradition, the powerful king Cheraman Perumal is said to have converted from Hinduism to Islam and left for Mecca “to save his soul", never to return. Before he set sail he divided Kerala between his relatives, all of whom were to submit to his nephew, who was given the kingdom of Kozhikode and the title zamorin. equivalent to emperor. The city prospered and, perhaps because of the story of the convert king, became the preferred port of Muslim traders from the Middle East in search of spices, particularly pepper. During the Raj, it was an important centre for the export of printed Indian cotton, whence the term “calico", an English corruption of the name Calicut itself an anglicized version of the city’s original Malayalam name, which has now been reinstated. Today, due to strong ties with the Gulf where numerous sons of the city work, Kozhikode is flourishing with the injection of new wealth.