Palayi Kadavu - 9 Things to Know Before Visiting

Visitors can take a dip, and admire the beauty of the Tejaswini River, the coconut plantations leaning to its sides, and the small island in the middle.

It is alright to swim in the smaller part of the river at Palayi Kadavu, but only locals can swim in the larger river without any problem. The smaller river is swimmable with shallow waters and weak currents. It's pretty nice to take a dip here, especially in the summer months. The water will be salty and will help you float easily. The larger one -although looks quite calm- is deep with strong undercurrents. It is not recommended to venture out there.

Recently a small dam has been constructed to store water for the dry season, and the reservoir of the dam has facilities for kayaking. 

Palayi Kadavu, meaning 'Palayi ghat' is a small landing spot in the Tejaswini river for small boats as well as a place to bath. What makes the place special is the island which splits the river into two. The only connecting infrastructure between the island and the mainland is a narrow bridge made of Areca palm wood on which only a single person can walk at a time. There are people living on the island and they use small boats called 'Thoni' to transport goods back and forth between the lands when needed.

The best time to visit Palayi Kadavu is during the months of October to March. The currents won't be too strong and visitors can also escape from the summer heat by taking a dip here. It is also recommended to be here at evening to view a nice sunset.

1. Bring your bathing suits. It is refreshing to take a dip in the shallow water
2. If you are coming with friends, highly recommend kayaking here. It will be a very fun activity to do.
3. Visit the dam and the bridge right near Palayi Kadavu. The machinery used to control the water is very fascinating.

One hour is plenty to visit Palayi Kadavu. However, if you decide to do some Kayaking, 2 to 3 hours can be spent here.

Palayi Kadavu is located in Kasaragod District of Kerala State in Southern India. The nearest town and the railway station is at Nileshwar (6km). Take any of the buses to Chittarikkal or Parappa from Nileshwar and alight in Palayi, its only 10 minutes away. From Palayi you would have to take a rickshaw to reach here as there is no public transportation to this place.

There are no entrance fees for Palayi Kadavu. However, if you decide to do Kayaking, one hour will cost INR 200 per person.

Palayi Kadavu has no time restrictions, however, it is not recommended swim here after sunset as it is highly unlikely that visitors will be spotted if they are washed off by the currents.