The beautiful isle of Kakkathuruthu is truly the crown jewel of the Vembanad Lake. The National Geographic channel called this quaint island in Alappuzha the best place in the world to view the sunset. The pictures of sunset at Kakkathuruthu were included in the list of 24 photographs taken at some of the most attractive places in the world.
Travellers and foodies are sure to be impressed by the local toddy bars where tasty toddy, freshly tapped from the coconut trees in the island is served with fluffy appam and curries. The fresh water fish, country chicken and duck dishes are some of the main items in the menus of these toddy bars that are also the best eateries in the island. Moreover, Kakkathuruthu is a favourite spot for the bird watchers as the island often becomes home for many migratory birds.
Kakkathuruthu is in the Ezhupunna panchayat which is at the Northern end of Alappuzha district. Eramallur, meanwhile, is the closest land area. Kakkathuruthu is in fact just a kilometre away. However, you would have to take a boat from here to reach the island.
There are around three hundred families settled in the island which is three kilometres long and just one-and-a-half kilometres wide. The quaint island doesn’t boast of tarred roads that are overcrowded with vehicles. Cycles are the most comfortable means of travel in the village mud roads. Kakkathuruthu has become a major tourist attraction in Alappuzha for its lush greenery, serene backwaters and mouthwatering cuisine.
It was in 2016 that the National Geographic channel featured the photographs clicked Kakkathuruthu in the list of twenty four most beautiful sceneries in the world. The National Geographic had immortalised the magical sunset at Kakkathuruthu. It captured the everyday lives of the people of Kakkathuruthu who row the boats back to their homes, in the evening. It also panned its camera to the Chinese fishing nets and the flocks of bats that fly against the crimson evening sky of the island. The National Geographic channel had called the sunsets of Kakkathuruthu as astounding.