Journeys are said to end in lovers meeting. The drive to Cherai from Cochin International Airport ends in a meeting of beach lovers and the ocean, passing coconut palms swaying in the sea breeze and the typical semi-rural small town landscape that borders the roads of Kerala.
Located on the Vypin Island, Cherai beach is secluded on weekdays and during mornings, but attracts people during weekends and evenings. But to feel the real magic, one should take a right turn at the beach and follow the road parallel to it. And a kilometre down the road is a place that is perfect bliss.
On the left is the Arabian Sea tirelessly rising and ebbing in a perennial Mexican wave, while hidden behind houses and farms on the right are the enchanting backwaters that make up the Cherai Lagoon.
The stillness of the dark morning is broken only by the sound of the oars caressing the waters here. At that magical moment, birds begin to stir and the morning orchestra of nature slowly builds to a crescendo.
An orange glow reflects from the dark waters heralding the rise of the sun, which slowly passes through the gaps between an endless row of coconut palms. Fishermen glide on the waters casting their nets and hauling in their catch. The scene that unwinds before the eyes is sublime and surreal.
Cherai offers many options to experience the symphony of nature that one associates with God’s Own Country, Kerala. Munambam beach situated four km from Cherai beach is a serene place for people who love to be alone.
Vypin Lighthouse is 40 metres tall; the tallest light house in Kerala is a 19-km drive away through paddy fields and coconut groves. It stands like a sentinel of centuries, overlooking the Arabian Sea and the surrounding backwaters and farms. Its gas light was formerly situated at Fort Kochi from 1936, which was shifted to Puthuvype in 1979. From its height, the green mantle of Kerala is spread out embellished with quaint houses, churches and local temples. As Barbra Streisand sang, on a clear day you can see forever.