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Where nature reigns supreme

USP: Tune in to Nature

Padanna is not a run-of-the-mill tourist destination. No joyrides or spas. Instead, it caters to your inner craving for the natural. Tucked away in a remote corner of Kasaragod district, Padanna is home to the unique theme village called ‘Oyst er Opera at Padanna.’

Conceptualised by Gul Mohammed, a national award-winning farmer, the theme village on Thekkekad island is insulated from the mundane world by the Valiyaparamba backwaters.

Here nature reigns supreme. Wherever you turn, a scintillating visual is on offer in the village, which is set amidst lagoons, backwaters, mangroves and a chain of islands.

Silence conspires with nature to add a serene touch to the village and the ‘burr’ of the occasional boats or the splash of the fish in the ponds only accentuates it.

In 1996, Gul started a revolution of sorts here by adopting a CMFRI-developed technology to cultivate green mussel, which was embraced by the local people to better their lives.

The resort has huts made of locally available materials. Ethnic food. No sign of a television or a fridge and even the lighting is non-intrusive.

Entertain yourself by watching the unique fishing methods of the fishermen, the way women collect clam and oyster and the rafts of green mussels on the river.

A cruise along the backwaters is a visual treat and if it is at night, the experience becomes ethereal.

The fish for your lunch or dinner is caught from the two ponds in the resort, an angler’s delight.

Those who are more adventurous can go to Monkey Island, where there is a 12-acre kavu with a temple in its midst.

Arm yourself with some fruits if you want to make friends with them.

The mangroves are home to wild beavers, rare birds and medicinal plants.

Parallel to the Thekkekad island is the 24-km Valiyaparamba island. On the other side of the 24-km Valiyaparamba island is a gorgeous and sun-spoilt beach.

Chances are that you will have the beach all to yourself, for hours on end.

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