Nothing but green fills up our heart at the thought of Nilambur. A place that comes first to our mind right after a good shower has come and gone. A place that entices you to ride back again each time you take a leave. To take a walk through the Teak Museum, to simply stare at the Chaliyar from the hanging bridge, to hide in the hustles of the city munching on jalebi, the list of favourites in Nilambur is never ending. A perfect stopover in a long distant travel, and an ideal place for a weekend escapade, Nilambur keeps calling you for no reason.
Tamarind Easy hotel by KTDC located near the Karimpuzha Bridge is not a strange place for travellers in Nilambur. A hotel often sought for good food by day travellers and a safe and serene place to halt during a night travel. On the one side it is the sight of Karimpuzha that excites us and on the other side it is the wilderness that lures you. The hotel itself is rich in greenery and offers both affordable stay and delicious food which are the major attractions for many travellers choosing Tamarind Easy during their visit to Nilambur.
Teak Museum
Any exploration in Nilambur should ideally start from this historical museum. The relationship shared by teak and Nilambur is worth the knowledge. There is a regional saying in Malayalam that, 'both teak and rogue can lie anywhere.' The saying is indicative of the fact that, termites cannot attack the teak wood. The museum showcases many such exciting information. This very same teak wood of Nilambur is the backbone of the infamous 'uru' (fat boat) manufacturing industry of Kozhikode, is yet another interesting piece of information.
As we take a walk around the museum, the image of teak becomes engraved in our hearts as a historic persona rather than just another wood.
A break in the Naalukettu
After the museum visit, it was time to head to Tamarind Easy. After relishing a sumptuous meal followed by an hour of relaxation prior, the journey was to go ahead. The restaurant was set in the quadrangle inside the hotel which was built in the model of a traditional Naalukettu. This place looks like a home with long corridors where one would be served with mouth watering dishes steaming from the kitchen.
There are two types of rooms made available for travellers; AC deluxe rooms and AC premium rooms. The former has all the requirements a traveller look forward, including TV, AC, neat and clean bedroom and all other comforts to relax. Premium rooms, the latter, are more spacious than the Deluxe rooms. A couch to sit and a small dining area is set inside the room. KTDC charges Rs 1700 for Deluxe rooms and Rs 2600 for Premium rooms. A big conference room is yet another speciality of this hotel. And the 24 hrs check in-check out timing is another attraction for travellers.
Cannoli plot across the hanging bridge
After taking a short interval post lunch we headed to another destination, located at a distance of around 7 km from the hotel. We reached the place after crossing the enormous hanging bridge, the face of Nilambur, built across the Chaliyar.
The wild aesthetics of the river can be enjoyed from the bridge in its entire spectacle. The bridge ends up into an alluring greener world; the world's first man-made teak garden- the Cannoli Plot. Here the travellers are kept cool even at noon from the scorching sun by a long line of towering trees and that makes the walk pleasurable. As we walk ahead, we become lighter and lighter in bounty of nature just like milkweed that floats.
The Gargantuan Teak
World's tallest teak tree is the prime attraction of this garden. It is as long as 49.2m in height, which makes the viewer impossible to see its tip when looked from the ground. However, it has become an every time activity to gaze at its unfathomable tip.
The giant teak tree and all its competitors make the Cannoli Plot a picturesque wild beauty, enriching every frame of click nothing less than jaw-dropping. No wonder this is an all-time favourite place among the new-gen photography enthusiasts.
Time to trek
The place Kakkadampoyil has some adventure in store for the guests. KTDC offers a tour package for sightseeing along with a guide who describes all the relevant information about the places. We went to Adyanpara waterfalls from there.
The waterfall is situated in the river Kanjirapuzha, a tributary of Chaliyar. Here, the water is as naughty as a toddler, taking unexpected courses. Because the risk of accidents is high in this area, travellers are restricted from getting into water at many points here. Even then there are people, sitting on big rock boulders and enjoying the river.
Stop-over on the way to Ooty
Tamarind Easy is a budget hotel which is a usual stop-over for travellers to places like Ooty, Mysore and Wayanad. Arabs are the majority out of the foreigners visiting the hotel. The number of repeated visitors is more in this hotel. Staffs who are extremely hospitable, working day in and day out for the guests, makes the stay a warmer experience. This is probably the reason why travellers are getting back to the hotel every time they are in Nilambur.