Arippara Waterfalls – A Hidden Gem
Want to enjoy some summer splashes out in the open?
Start your vehicle and take a long drive to Arippara falls, tucked deep in the Kozhikode district, Kerala, India.
The mighty Iruvanji river cascades down the rocky hills to form the gorgeous Arippara waterfalls. This is an eight-level waterfall with Sullukallu, Vattakkuzhi, Nirannapara, Olichuchaattom, Shwasakkuzhi and Neelakkayathadaakam as its companions.
This waterfall is situated around 15 kms from Thiruvambady town in Kozhikode. The name Arippara means ‘rock of rice’ and a lot of small and huge rocks can be seen nearby. Several natural water pools between them make for great swimming experience for tourists, with the pristine water gushing through cracks in the rocks creating a wonderful musical backdrop.
A trip to Arippara falls allows you to feel Kerala’s countryside charm and watch its rich biodiversity. Another popular waterfall named ‘Thusharagiri’ is located nearly 12 kms from this falls.
Arippara is most impressive in the monsoon season when it is in full glory, and showers unending streams of white pearls from its majestic heights. Since this is a lesser-known waterfall, the site is secluded most of the year.
Arippara is one location in God’s Own Country that the Nature enthusiast in you would want to visit. The peaceful environs and the rich greenery amidst huge black boulders make it so enticing that your head will spin with wonder.
Getting there:
Nearest Railway Station: Kozhikode, via National Highway 766, about 47 kms away
Nearest Airport: Kozhikode, via Edavannappara – Airport Rd, about 49 kms away
Kerala Tourism conferred two National Tourism Awards
Kerala’s ‘Come Out and Play’ adjudged Best Tourism Film
Five more awards for Kerala’s private players in tourism and hospitality sectorBarely days after it was conferred three PATA gold awards, Kerala Tourism covered itself with more glory as it bagged two prestigious National Tourism Awards 2017-18 for the Best Tourism Film ‘Come Out and Play’ and the third prize in the category of ‘Best State/UT: Comprehensive Development of Tourism – Rest of India’ at an impressive function in New Delhi.
Private players like hoteliers and tour operators in Kerala’s travel and hospitality industry substantially increased the awards tally of the state as they were given five more awards. Overall, Kerala received seven awards at the function, organised at the imposing Vigyan Bhavan in the national capital.
Kerala Tourism Minister Shri Kadakampally Surendran and Tourism Secretary Smt. Rani George received the awards from Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of State (IC) for Tourism & Culture, and Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
The ‘Come Out and Play’ film, developed and produced by Stark Communications which is the advertising and marketing agency for Kerala Tourism, is an invitation to India to come out of the routine ‘everydayness’ of urban spaces – and the isolation that gadgets induce – to connect with each other and nature. It offers tourists a wide array of options to rediscover nature by activities such as trekking, Aurvedic massage, river rafting, yoga lessons, visiting a spice plantation, learning the basics of Kerala cuisine, climbing a coconut tree, sailing on a houseboat, and many more.
‘Kerala is blessed with a unique set of geographical features that have made it one of the most sought after destinations in Asia… Blessed with a pleasant and equable climate throughout the year, Kerala is truly God’s Own Country,’ read the citation for Kerala Tourism’s third prize in the category of ‘Best State/UT: Comprehensive Development of Tourism – Rest of India’.
“It is a welcome recognition of our sustained efforts to strengthen the tourism and hospitality sector that has become a mainstay of Kerala’s economy. It will further bolster the state’s profile as a coveted destination for the inbound tourism market,” Shri Surendran said.
“A defining feature of out tourism policy is a close-knit relationship between the government and private players. We have laid proper emphasis on the PPP mode for growth of tourism in the state. I am extremely happy that five private entities from Kerala figured in the 2017-18 National Tourism Awards,” he added.
Mrs. George noted that the highly-acclaimed awards are a robust validation of the innovative measures and campaigns launched by Kerala Tourism, and it would help energise tourism business in the state in a big way. “It will spur us to devise innovative measures to further boost tourism potential of the state,’’ she said.
As for the five awards for Kerala’s private players, International Pilgrimage Revolution Pvt. Ltd. received the first prize for ‘Best Inbound Tour Operator/Travel Agent (Category V) while Kalypso Adventures Pvt. Ltd. won the award for Best Adventure Tour Operators (Inbound).
Rose Gardens Homestay, Karadippara (Munnar) was given the award for ‘Best Incredible India Bread & Breakfast Establishment approved by Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India (Gold & Silver Category) while Coconut Creek Farm & Homestay, Kumarakom was the proud recipient of the ‘Best Bread & Breakfast Establishment approved by State government / Union Territory Administration’.
The fifth award received by a private player of Kerala was Manaltheeram Ayurvedic Hospital & Research Centre Pvt. Ltd., Thiruvananthapuram, which won it in the category of ‘Best Wellness Centre’.
On September 19, Kerala Tourism was conferred three PATA gold awards at a glittering function in Nur-Sultan (Astana), Kazakhstan during the PATA Travel Mart 2019.
Kerala Tourism Bags three PATA Gold Awards 2019
Kerala Tourism was bestowed three prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold awards, including the one for an ethnic food restaurant run by women at Kumarakom under its Responsible Tourism Mission, at a glittering function at Nur-Sultan (Astana) in Kazakhstan last evening.
The awards were received by Tourism Minister Shri Kadakampally Surendran and Tourism Director Shri P Bala Kiran from Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, Macau Government Tourism office and Dr Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA, during the PATA Travel Mart 2019.
The two other gold awards were for an advertisement campaign of Kerala Tourism — Come Out and Play — and for its website (www.keralatourism.org), respectively. While the ad campaign was run by the Stark Communication, the Kerala Tourism website has been designed and maintained by Invis Multimedia.
“It is a big honour for Kerala Tourism and also a strong validation of the state’s image as an alluring tourist destination. I am sure these awards will give a huge traction in showcasing the touristy charms of the state to a wider international audience,” Shri Surendran said.
“I am particularly happy for receiving the gold award for the women-run ethnic food restaurant at Kumarakom under the Responsible Tourism Mission (RTM), which has become the mainstay of our tourism policy and initiatives. Out of the 15,500 RTM initiatives, 13,500 units are led by women,” the minister added.
Shri Bala Kiran said that over the years PATA awards have emerged as a prestigious recognition of achievements in the travel and tourism sector. “Kerala Tourism has won the highest number of PATA awards in South Asia this year. India Tourism has won one award. The three gold awards are yet another acknowledgement of our commendable success. It will give a fillip to the destination pull of Kerala and elevate the state into a coveted destination for the inbound tourism market,” he noted.
The ‘Come Out and Play’ campaign is an invitation to India to come out of the routine ‘everydayness’ of urban spaces – and the isolation that gadgets induce – to connect with each other and nature. It offers tourists a wide array of options to rediscover nature by activities such as trekking, Aurvedic massage, river rafting, yoga lessons, visiting a spice plantation, learning the basics of Kerala cuisine, climbing a coconut tree, and sailing on a houseboat.
The website www.keralatourism.org has been conceived, designed and developed to provide Kerala Tourism an online edge, befitting a premier travel destination in India. The website had 10 million visits during FY2018-19 and is one among the top 10 tourism websites in Asia. It also hosts almost one lakh web pages and major sections of the site are available in 23 languages. The portal now competes with the tourism websites of countries like Hong Kong, New Zealand, South Korea, and Australia for higher ranking.
The highly-contested awards, selected by an eminent international jury, were announced in Bangkok in July. This year’s awards attracted 197 entries from 78 organisations and individuals worldwide.
Last year, Kerala Tourism bagged two PATA gold awards for its Yalla Kerala print media campaign in the Gulf countries and for an innovative poster it had made for the third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), the biggest contemporary art show in South Asia. The poster showed a colourful boat and fishermen.
Founded in 1951, PATA is a not-for-profit membership association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region.
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