Sea instantly connects with people of all ages and brings out the child in you. When you look at the never-ending waves or stare at the horizon the child in you will be brimming with joy. Whenever you crave to go to the seaside on a sunny day, it is the child in you that is seeking to have an outing on the beach.
The southern state of Kerala has an extensive coastline, which is the envy of everyone. If a Malayali walks towards the west of Kerala, he or she can reach the Arabian Sea. But things are different in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. When children in Kerala paint a picture with the sun rising amidst the mountain ranges, those in Tamil Nadu make a drawing with the sun rising in the sea. For Keralites, the sun is always gobbled up by the sea at dusk.
Journey in pursuit of new beaches
If you have got a tad bored with the popular Kozhikode beach, then hit the national highway heading to north Kerala. The road will take you to Kannur and far away in north Kerala one can enjoy the beauty of Vadakara Sand Banks, Mahe, Muzhappilangad and Bekal beaches. If paucity of time and laziness are preventing you from driving that far, then something picturesque is round the corner.
After leaving the bustling city of Kozhikode, the next busy town on the highway is Koyilandi. When you pass Thrikkottoor, the famous work of Malayalam writer U A Khader ‘Thrikkottoor Peruma’ will flash through your mind along with the folk stories. After travelling for 38km, turn left, just before reaching Thikkodi, to the road leading to the Kodikkal beach.
Ferreting out a drive-in beach
The tarred road will take you to a coconut grove but the road doesn’t end there. You can drive between the coconut trees to reach the beach. The wheels of your vehicle won’t get stuck in the sand, which is black, as it is quite firm. You can take your car close to the shoreline and see the waves crashing into your vehicle. It is noteworthy that you don’t have to travel all the way to Muzhappilangad drive-in beach to experience the thrill of vrooming through a beach as the Thikkodi drive-in beach is near Kozhikode.
Thikkodi drive-in beach
The Thikkodi beach is expansive and the sea is pretty calm with docile waves. Another attraction is the dots of rocks that jut out of the surface of seawater.
The seashore sand is very firm and one could drive on the beach for close to 4km, according to local resident Ashraf. As the outside world doesn’t know much about the Thikkodi beach, there is a rush only on Sundays when the local people come to the beach to spend some quality time, he adds. If the weather is clear, one could see the Thikkodi lighthouse far ahead.
Unlike other beaches, the Thikkodi beach is not crowded and one could see people driving their cars and riding their bikes on the beach and also a cluster of ‘kattadi maram’ (casuarina trees) on one side of the shore.
As Thikkodi is still a quaint countryside, don’t expect fancy hotels or restaurants in the area. A tourism project to the tune of Rs 90 lakh had been recently announced by the local MLA to develop the Thikkodi drive-in beach.
