Kerala, often referred to as "God's Own Country," is a stunning destination renowned for its serene backwaters, picturesque beaches, lush tea plantations, vibrant cultural performances, and rejuvenating Ayurvedic wellness. The state also boasts delectable cuisine, historic forts, fascinating heritage boat races, and captivating houseboat cruises. Moreover, it is gaining acclaim for its thrilling adventure sports. The Kerala government has initiated various adventure sports events and festivals to showcase its standing on the global adventure tourism platform. One such upcoming event is the 10th edition of the Malabar River Festival, scheduled to commence next month. This festival guarantees exhilarating kayaking expeditions on the Chalipuzha and Iruvazhinji rivers.
The Malabar River Festival, set for July 25-28, aims to elevate Kerala Tourism as a premier destination for adventure tourism and garner global attention for the state. The event, featuring kayak slalom, boater cross, and downriver competitions, will attract participants from around the world. Also known as Malabar’s Kayak Championship, this festival will draw kayakers from across the globe to compete in the challenging waters of Iruvazhinjipuzha and Chalipuzha in Kozhikode.
With world-class athletes participating in events like The Extreme Race, Boater Cross, and Giant Slalom, the festival also offers activities such as whitewater rafting, kayak training, and local slalom competitions. The 2024 festival will host over 100 national-level kayakers from India and professionals from more than 20 countries. Exciting events like water rallies, swimming championships, water polo, and fish bait contests will be on offer. The festival is being organised by the Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (ATPS), the District Tourism Promotion Council, and the Kozhikode District Panchayat, with technical support from the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association.
The festival will be held in Thusharagiri, Chalipuzha, and Iruvarinjipuzha, and competitions will be conducted to encourage local people and professionals to excel in kayaking. Leading up to the main event, various pre-event activities are planned, including an MTB (mountain bike) water rally, water polo, state and national-level swimming competitions, fishing-bait contests, rugby matches, and off-road rallies.
Minister for Public Works Department and Tourism, P.A. Mohamed Riyas, said in a virtual meeting that the state government will be trying to showcase our rivers as tracks for kayaking at the international level. Earlier, Riyas stated that the renewed focus on adventure and camping tourism is attracting a wave of visitors to Kerala, which has tremendous potential to emerge as a global adventure and eco-tourism hub. Riyas had emphasised that the state government’s focus is on developing world-class infrastructure and making Kerala the finest destination for thrill seekers and adventure lovers.