Lonely Planet, one of the leading travel guides in the world have rated North Kerala at the third position among the 10 best destinations to visit in Asia in 2017.
“The beaches around Kannur, Thottada and Bekal are pristine, and a string of homestays and resorts have sprouted to give in-the-know travellers on all budgets a beachfront view that should make Goa’s hoteliers weep,” the Lonely Planet writes, describing Northern Kerala.
The travel guide also says, “Northern Kerala has long been the underrated half of the state, concealing its backwater charms and emerging slowly like a butterfly from a chrysalis.”
An article “The other South India: getting lost in steamy northern Kerala,” by Lonely Planet gives a detailed description on North Kerala’s beaches, back waters, wild life of Wayanad, peaks and some art forms like Theyyam.
“Arabian Sea beaches are just as gobsmacking, the wildlife sanctuaries just as teeming, the temple rituals even more mind-blowing and the impact of tourism is only just starting to be felt,” the article says.
Interestingly, this rating of Lonely Planet would boost the Kerala government plans to promote tourism in North Kerala.
The Hindu BusinessLine had reported last month that only 6000 of the over one million foreign visitors to Kerala visited places in the north such as Kannur and Kasaragod.
The report quotes Kerala Tourism Director P Bala Kiran as saying: "In the next few years, we are going to brand Malabar Tourism in a big way. The nerve centre for the new Malabar circuit will be Kannur, where an international airport is coming up rapidly. Kerala Tourism will link up the circuit through an exciting river cruise project - called Malanadu cruise - that links eight rivers and backwaters of Kannur and Kasargod districts."