Varkala, Kerala

The best unexplored, underrated coastal expedition in God's own county, Kerala. This place has been on my bucket list for many days, but the only problem is that it is very far from Bangalore, around a 14-hour journey, so more days are needed for the complete itinerary of Varkala. The main beauty is the cliff and cafes that attract the vibe and create a feeling of never wanting to leave.

It was a reunion trip of our closed ones, and this location was perfect. We booked train tickets two months prior and finally landed in Varkala in mid-summer. The hostel was from Soul by the Lost, which was so cool and perfect.

On the first day, we checked in and explored cafes on the cliff, had a delicious lunch watching the sea, and visited the Black Beach, a unique beach with smooth black sand. The sea water was greenish, reflecting the blue sky, and felt as if we came to a beautiful island. As time went by, it was evening, and with a perfect sunset, we sat for hours at the shore. Later, we had a pool party at our campus, which was truly exceptional, featuring a Western-style ambiance and a diverse group of foreigners. The music was so good, and we played for hours in the pool, dancing and enjoying the vibe set by the Soul property. This ends day 1, although it started in the afternoon, but it was a very good start.

The next day, we went to the Jatayu Earth’s Center; it was scorching heat, but the place was so well maintained. Here, the history about the Jatayu is revealed during Ramayana, making it worth visiting on top of the peak. We had lime water, which re-energized the soul.

Later, the next destination was Paruru kayaking; it was less explored, and the best part was it was a perfect evening. Oh my God, I had the best kayaking experience ever, 4 km kayaking evening and night experience. It was so calm and peaceful with fewer crowds. The mangrove forest was so mesmerizing, and I enjoyed every row of the kayak.

Later, they also allowed us to swim in the water with life jackets on. The ocean bed was warm, and with warm water, we watched the sun go down amidst the thick mangrove forest. Slowly, it was getting dark, and we prepared for the return. It was a night kayak, so thrilling, and at a point, where nearly thousands of bats were flying crossing above us to those colony of trees, that was aghast feeling. I was so afraid as I am very afraid of bats; so does Batman also is afraid. I believe I am Batman deep down. LOL. It was night, and we said goodbye to the "Mangrove Dreams", the kayaking spot name.

We returned to the Soul property and went to cafes for dinner. This was the best ending; we had seafood and varieties of dinner facing in front of the sea above the edge of the cliff. The wind and the waves made it so perfect, feeling more alive, chatting and laughing with people who are like family. The 5 years bond cherishing those memories ended that night so great.

The next day, the itinerary was Golden Island and Munroe Island. We rented scooters and hit the road in the morning towards Golden Island. There is a small history behind this island; past in the 90s, a Brahmin family hid their gold, lots of quantity in the middle of the island and built a temple on it just to protect it. And the temple is powerful; it did protect one time when two robbers planned to steal gold, eyes of the idol and later while crossing the island, they did not make it and drowned and died there itself. So it is believed that the temple protects the gold. So we reached the island, and we took a boat, the boat driver was old and used to old school stick to row the old wooden boat. So we all five friends sat and were enjoying the view. There were so many jellyfishes in water; I witnessed it for the first time, and my friend Harsha and I were trying to catch those with the stick but couldn't. They are more slippery and lightweight, and have a soft round-shaped body. And we reached the island and spent some time there listening to the history from the old guy as I told above. We were having some fun by attaching a GoPro camera to a rope and pulley and leaving it inside an old well just to see what is there inside the deep water, we found nothing, but worth a try for gold. LOL.

And the next location was Munroe Island for sunset. On the way, we had Sadhya meals, famous Kerala-style seafood lunch with a bellyful lunch and continued towards Munroe Island. After 30 km of bike ride, we reached Munroe Island at the evening sunset time as it was recommended by people. The boat ride was so peaceful without motor engine and sound disturbances. The backwaters went through the village, rowing through backyards of houses, so a miniature unique experience it was, so well maintained, naturally formed. After all the small canals and bridges, we finally came to large water like the ocean, feeling so fascinating. There was a small tea and snacks shop having hot tea, rowing calmly in the boat, watching the sunset. Munroe Island was so perfect; we never felt it was 2 hours.

We went back to Soul and rested, ending the night. These three days were the best, and as the trip came to an end, I felt a strong desire to re-experience it. Varkala is truly amazing, and I want to come back again to relax and enjoy.