Malavika Jayaram shares her captivating travel experiences

Malavika Jayaram shares her captivating travel experiences

Who doesn't love to hit the road when time permits? And for many people hectic work schedules won’t stand in the way of their desire to go on a journey with their family members. There is one such star family in Mollywood that falls under this category - actor Jayaram and his family. They love to travel a lot and enjoy the beauty of new places. Kalidas and Malavika, children of Jayaram and yesteryear actress Parvathy, too are passionate about travelling.

Malavika, whose pet name is 'Chakki', fervently loves travelling and with each tour this passion is only getting intense. She is more into visiting places of historical and cultural importance. Jayaram’s daughter also makes it a point to know and learn more about the culture, history, language and cuisine of the place she is visiting. Parvathy also likes destinations which are replete with historical references. Here Malavika opens her mind about her best-loved tours.

'A journey with appa, amma and Kannan'

For Malavika and family members, destination is not an issue as they are very passionate about travelling. “We go on a trip once in a year and there are only sweet memories about all the journeys undertaken to date. I did BA in History and Tourism and my degree studies are closely related with the tours. I love to visit historical spots and places with pristine natural beauty,” says Malavika. The star daughter also had the opportunity to visit many other countries. Malavika had been to Europe, Budapest in Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, Dubai in the UAE, Italy, the US, Africa, Switzerland, Thailand and the UK, among others.

Malavika did her post-graduation in London. The historical capital city of the UK is a dream destination for travellers as the metropolis has spotless streets, spectacular meadows, array of uni-coloured shining buildings, Wimbledon tennis museum, Tower Bridge, London Eye, Big Ben, Tower of London and Buckingham Palace, to a name a few. Malavika is in awe of London which has castles and exquisite buildings built on both Gothic and Victorian style of architecture.

“I want to revisit London. Before completing my studies, I went on a solo tour of London, where history and antiquity are the hallmarks. I wanted appa, amma and Kannan to come to London for the graduation ceremony but the contagious coronavirus poured cold water over our plans,” she adds.

An elephant lover like father

Malavika is also an elephant lover like her father Jayaram. When the family used to go to Jayaram’s ancestral home at Perumbavoor, they also visit Kodanad in Ernakulam district. The Kaprikkadu ‘Abhayaranyam’, a shelter for orphaned animals and an ecotourism centre on the banks of Periyar River, is a preferred spot for them in Kodanad. The elephants and deer are rehabilitated and protected in their natural habitat at this center. The elephant training centre in Kodanad is very popular, and Malavika also loves to visit the Konni elephant reserve.

Konni in Pathanamthitta district became a major tourist destination in Kerala due to the presence of the elephant reserve, which is an ecotourism centre.

Ladies-only trip with mom

When Jayaram and Kannan were busy with their shooting schedules, Malavika and mom Parvathy planned a ladies-only journey. They went to Kolkata and Sikkim and both had a great time there. “My mom is an adventure lover like me. We loved Kolkata city and the Kalighat Kali temple,” she notes. From Kolkata, the duo travelled to Sikkim where they went on a river rafting expedition.

Switzerland tour and paragliding

Recently, Malavika along with her parents and brother went to Switzerland. The journey to the Titlis snow peak, which is part of the Alps mountain ranges that is 10,000 ft sea level, is so breathtaking that it cannot be put into words.

“I love adventure sports, but my father gets jittery if I indulge in extreme sports activities. It was great fun to paraglide through the Alps ranges. I also loved water sports, roller-coaster and zip-lines. Now I am very much looking forward to do skydiving and bungee jumping,” she adds.

Favourite places

Jaipur tops Malavika's list of historically important places. Jaipur will get embedded in the mind of anyone who is passionate about sculptures, architecture and history. This pink city of Rajasthan with imposing palaces is one the favourite travel destinations of Malavika. The star daughter is wonder-struck by the palaces, forts, temples and archaeological sites of Jaipur.

Kannan is into off-roading

Kannan, Malavika’s brother, loves jeep safari and off-roading. Malavika and family members once went to Pachakanam, which is near Periyar Tiger Reserve, in the picturesque Idukki, and that too during floods. They briefly got stuck in the forest but eventually escaped without any hassles.

An unforgettable trip

“During the 2018 floods, we came to Kerala. Unfortunately, we were stranded at Walayar and had to spend a night in car. All were tensed. Thrissur police came forward with help and took us to their camp. That trip is unforgettable,” Malavika remembers.

Africa calling again

The African trip is dear to Malavika’s heart. “We have many friends there and the trip to Kenya was quite a surprise for us. Kenya with its natural beauty and dense forests is truly amazing. The safari through the Maasai Mara wildlife sanctuary was an astounding experience and to see the wild animals in their natural habitat is mind-boggling,” she notes.

They got the opportunity to be in close proximity with tigers and lions. The highpoint of the visit to Maasai Mara is the stunning view of wild animals en masse crossing the Mara River and moving towards the Serengeti Narional Park in Tanzania when there is a shift in climate. June is considered as a mid-season and April is considered as a low season in Kenya.

“During the migration of animals, our friends invite us to Kenya to see this amazing natural phenomenon. We love to visit Maasai Mara again,” she adds.

Brother and sister are foodies

Malavika and Kannan have been to many places and wherever they go they love to taste the local cuisine. Both are foodies and they crave to have Jaipur food especially Laal Maas. Mom makes delicious Laal Maas at home too, says Malavika.

Dream trip

“There is nothing like a dream tour, but love to visit places that I always wanted to tour. One such destination was Switzerland and I had the opportunity to visit that beautiful European country. Next on the bucket list is to view the northern lights along with appa, amma and Kannan,” she concludes.

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