You’ll be pardoned if you haven’t heard of it, but a tiny island in Kerala’s Alappuzha district has made it to a National Geographic list of the most picturesque locales around the world. Kakkathuruthu, or the Island of crows has been listed in National Geographic's 'Around the World in 24 Hours', photo tour.
The tiny island, which can only be reached by boat, was photographed by the magazine at dusk, when "the shadows lengthen and the sky shifts from pale blue to sapphire".
The accompanying description beautifully sets the scene for what the evening looks like on the little island – “Children leap into shallow pools. Saree-clad women head home in skiffs. Fishermen light lamps and cast nets into the lagoon. Bats swoop across the horizon snapping up moths.”
"If dawn is awakening and daytime illumination, then twilight is transcendence, a final burst of vitality before darkness falls," added the description by George W Stone.
"It is a matter of pride for us to be listed by NatGeo, which is among the leading magazines in the world," said Kerala Tourism Minister AC Moideen.
Although just kilometres away from Kochi, Kakkathuruthu is a delicate haven for birdwatchers locked away from the urban hubbub.
Among the other destinations featured in the magazine’s list are the Northern Lights in Norway at 12am, Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park at 5am, the waters off Sir Bani Yas Island in Abu Dhabi at 8am, the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania at 10am, the Glowworm Grotto in New Zealand at 3pm, of the Shangyuan festival in China at 9pm.