Nilambur… Where do I begin? How do I even describe it?

Located at the periphery of Malappuram district, this spectacular town combines the rich cultural heritage of Malappuram and Kozhikode, with traces of Tamilian culture as well. With the Calicut airport being close-by, its a constant attraction to travel vloggers and tourists from all over the world, as well as others who throng the place to soak up its magnificent beauty. However, train is considered the best mode of transport to access Nilambur, as it takes you through the thickets of the forest and sets you up for the upcoming experience. Yet another route is the lacklustre state highway, but only if you can withstand all its potholes and humps.

The most striking thing about Nilambur is that its forests are left literally untouched by the so called “development”. While places like Munnar, Ooty and Vagamon have people to guide you to every location, and are kind of locked up, Nilambur is entirely open and unchained, free for anyone to explore all its treasures.

Following are some of the do-not-miss hotspots:

Connolly’s Plot

Named after it’s initiator H V Connolly, who was the District Collector of Malabar during the Colonial period, Connolly’s Plot is the oldest teak plantation in the world, spanning over 5.37 acres. It has been left literally untouched since that era due to the efforts of the local forest conservator, Chathu Menon. He played a very huge role in preventing the felling of trees in the plantation, and helped preserve its grandeur.

Suspension bridge at Connolly’s plot

The Chaliyar river cuts across the plot, giving rise to the stunning hanging bridge. The latter portion of the plot consists of even bigger and older trees which have an average volume of around 8.8 cubic metres each. The largest of them is tree number 23 with a volume of a massive 26 cubic metres. The plot has a resemblance to the pine forests of Vagamon and Munnar.

Number 23: The Largest teak in the Nilambur

This first checkpoint in the list is sure to fulfil every scenic lover’s dream.

Teak Museum

Visiting the Teak Museum after Connolly’s Plot is like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you’ve got to have them both in order to get the best experience. A few might find Teak Museum boring, but its sure to enthral the geeky minds out there, with all its exhibits that depict the life cycle of teak. The germination phase, irrigation, diseases that have to be prevented, harvesting period, animal friends and foes throughout it’s life, the end products it yields-all of them are quite interestingly explained. One of the main attractions is a humongous teak stump that dates back to the 1600s. (Its almost 480 years old!)

And outside the museum, there is a lush green botanical garden comprising of a beautiful butterfly garden as well with different species of butterflies, some not even native to India. A section is entirely dedicated to medicinal and ayurvedic plants, based on which an entire dissertation can be completed.

After visiting these two places, one can take some rest, and get ready to take things up a notch!

The massive teak door of the teak museum

Herbal Garden consisting of a variety of ayurvedic and medicinal plants

Adyanpara waterfall

This hotspot was all about a “An adventurous road leading to a breathtaking view”. Situated 14kms from the town of Nilambur, this amazing work of nature is indeed a breath stealer. A rented 4-wheeler is recommended as the best mode of transport, as it might prove very hard to drive on your own, especially during monsoon, since the roads tend to get very slippery and dangerous. Along the way, the skeletal remains of a once grand house stands as a reminder of the devastating 2018 Kerala floods and its aftermath.

The waterfall with its picturesque view and naturally cascading water is sure to refresh the soul of any weary traveler. The power of this waterfall strengthens during the monsoon, making it an even better sight to behold. The section of waterfall where the water shoots up is a metaphor for success as it takes time to reach the top.

Adyanpara Waterfalls

Apart from these common attractions, Nilambur Kovilakam, Kozhippara waterfalls and Kakkadampoyil hill station are also noteworthy places to visit.

The whole experience was indeed very refreshing and rejuvenating, and helped clear my mind. It is a must visit dream destination, with a number of supremely attractive places. So next time you want to chill out and take a breather from your busy lives, Nilambur is the key!