River Cruises are Coming up on the Malanad-Malabar Route

Kerala Tourism&rsquos Malanad-Malabar River Cruise project, launching next week, is aimed at attracting tourists to less-explored waterways in the regions of Kannur and Kasaragod.

The first cruise-boat ride is on February 15 in two districts of Kannur - Parassinikkadavu, and Pazhayangadi. 

According to Kerala Tourism, the river cruise project will explore lesser-known waterways and showcase the rich culture, art, and local traditions of the region.

The cruises will be covering seven rivers in Kannur and Kasaragod regions with 48 boat terminals and jetties. They&nbspwill be centred around different themes, there's one on mangroves, another focusing on music, others on handloom and handicrafts of the state, water sports, and even a yakshagana cruise.

Kerala Tourism is encouraging locals to participate actively in this project as it may increase  employment opportunities and bring more authenticity.

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Under the innovative project, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) will run six serviceable boats, which are currently getting manufactured by Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation.

According to Rani George, the Principal Secretary of Kerala Tourism, the state-of-the-art boat terminals will be run by both the government and private stakeholders. Under Swadesh Darshan Scheme, the project was approved and initiated in September 2018, and as of now 90 percent of the work is completed. In a PTI report, P Bala Kiran, the director of Kerala Tourism said, &ldquoThe Malanad-Malabar project will get world-class cruise packages once the Swadesh Darshan enters its second phase.&rdquo

Read Kasaragod Exploring North Kerala

The Malanad-Malabar cruise project will cross seven rivers, Mayyazhi, Valapattanam, Ancharakkandi, Kuppam, Perumba, Thejaswini, and Chandragiri. Each cruise package is carefully designed to provide the best experience to the tourists. For instance, the Mayyazhi cruise will showcase Kalarippayattu martial art, and the Anjarakkandy cruise trip will display Pazhassi Raja&rsquos anti-British struggles.

Through the Malanad-Malabar project, Kerala Tourism aims at exhibiting the rich culture of north Malabar.