Untouched Kumbalangi

A trip to Kumabalangi reveals a village preserved in tradition and the wisdom of past generations.

- Akhil Joshy

While battling existential questions that were overpowering the optimism that I sought and temporarily found when I was home for a small vacation, the universe reponded to my exasperation in the form of a call from Narayana Menon, alias NM, a friend and my boss at Wandertrails. I had hardly heard the words, “You up for a trip?” when my thoughts began soaring, contemplating about the places we could visit.

We didn’t choose our destination; it chose us, in the form of Kumbalangi. A suburb of Kochi, Kumbalangi is the first integrated model tourism and fisheries village of India. It is a paradise with water and lush greenery consuming the sins of ‘modern development’ and striking a critical balance on behalf of nature.