The air—fresh and crisp yet misty from the previous day’s downpour—invigorates my lungs. The cascading water, glistening tropical foliage and a lush canopy of forests act like a balm for my pollution-fatigued Delhi eyes.

　　I’m in Ezhattumugham, a hidden gem 40 kilometres from Kochi, Kerala, which provides a delightful addition to my recent sojourn to better-known Athirapilly. Nestled in a forest glade near the Chalakudy River, the scenic hamlet offers a constellation of attractions for nature lovers, from a "hanging bridge" to a butterfly garden, a tribal museum, exotic flora and fauna and more.

　　A Hidden Gem Of Kerala

　　Having explored "God’s Own Country’s" myriad avatars—from palm-fringed emerald waters to backwater cruises, wildlife and bird sanctuaries as well as tours of tea/coffee/spice plantations on previous visits—I thought I’d ticked all boxes.

　　Until I stumbled upon Ezhattumugham. The hamlet’s signature attraction is a "hanging bridge" that connects the two banks of the Chalakudy River as it meanders from the Western Ghats through the Sholayar ranges. The 250-metre-long and 10-metre-high suspension makes for both a thrilling and a terrifying experience as it sways and shakes the moment you step on it.

　　However, after the initial trepidation, my paranoia vanished as I got engrossed in admiring a breathtaking panorama of the river and the forest glade that unfurled before me like a Bollywood vista. I ambled along, the breeze caressing my face and the sonorous soundtrack of the river below serenading my senses. I stopped, stood and stared, Prufrock-like at the scenery, occasionally risking a glance hundreds of feet below me (despite my vertigo) at the pebbles-encrusted riverbed.

　　“Although the river’s not in full flow now, a visual spectacle unfolds during monsoons when it hurtles down through the rocks, sweeping everything in its path,” my walking companion Dinuj Viswanathan, the manager of Sterling Athirapilly, a luxury resort nestled on the river’s banks, informs me.

　　The best time to visit, he adds, is from October to March or during the monsoon, when the weather’s pleasant and the river’s water level is in full flow. “That’s when one can also check out nearby places, such as Athirapilly Waterfall, Vazhachal Waterfall, the Valparai hill station and Kochi. There’s plenty to do as well. Birdwatching, personalised treks and trails, and river fishing are very popular recreations at our resort,” he says.

　　Luxury, Beauty And Splendour, All In One Place

　　The hanging bridge takes us to the Ezhattumugham-Prakriti Gramam, a nature park showcasing the region’s rich biodiversity and ecology. There’s a medicinal herb plants section, where one can learn about exotic herbs and their uses in Ayurveda and traditional medicine. A tribal museum showcases artefacts and lifestyle objects related to local indigenous tribes.

　　Not far away sprawls an oil palm plantation, considered Asia’s largest, peppered with towering, spiky trees whose oil sales keep the local economy humming. Close at hand is a butterfly garden, home to 140 endemic species, including the rare southern birdwing (Troides minos), lemon butterfly (Papilio demoleus), blue tiger (Tirumala limniace), common rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae) and dark blue tiger (Tirumala septentrionis).

　　The local children’s park is a fun zone that also hosts migratory birds and rare flora like the pagoda flower, Mexican heather, rattle pods, Rubiaceae and flame lily. School children run amok as we enter, squealing on swings, slides and seesaws, generating enough kinetic energy to power a ship.

　　There’s also a boating facility should you want to cruise along the river. For swimming enthusiasts, there’s a pool to dip in and cool off. The parks also have picnic spots and restaurants, while an ice cream shop sells unique flavours including chilli, coconut, honey and fig, banana, toddy and more.

　　Transfixed By The Meanderings Of The Chalakudy River

　　But for me, the star attraction is the serene Chalakudy River, a leitmotif in and around Ezhattumugham as it wraps its way around rocky terrain, hugging boulders and swirling around foliage, plummeting with full force down Kerala's narrow coastal strip. I see it flowing in all its silvery splendour from my two-bedroom Presidential Suite at the Sterling Athirappilly as well. Indeed, my mornings are spent staring at its glutinous surface from the balcony as I dunk crisp rusks into the hot masala chai the kitchen has graciously sent up.

　　I enjoy a traditional breakfast at the resort’s gourmet Waterfront restaurant watching—what else?—the river gurgle past me. Tucking into toothsome idiyappam with egg roast and puttu with kadala (black gram) curry rustled up by the gifted Chef Ratheesh V R was like a taste of manna.

　　“The river is also home to 85 endangered species of fish, but only locals are allowed to fish in its waters. Many species like mahseer, mullet, pearl spot, Malabar, jack and yellow catfish are found here,” Viswanathan informed as I savoured flavour-charged meen pollichattu (fish in banana leaf) with matta (rice) rice, washed down with a frothy filter coffee.

　　Net fishing at the Chalakudy River is done using cast nets called chilavara kettu, he added. This is followed by an interactive cooking session with the resort’s chefs where guests prepare a blend of many local spices. The fish is then marinaded with this mixture as well as tamarind and curry leaves, wrapped in banana leaf, and then grilled to perfection.

　　On the last day of my visit, I put up my feet at The Hornbill—the resort’s library-lounge—reading literature on the local flora and fauna. And guess what catches my attention from the window? The Chalakudy River! My constant and loyal companion in salubrious Ezhattumugham whose memories will remain etched in my mind’s eye forever.

　　Neeta Lal is a Delhi-based, internationally nominated editor and journalist who has travelled to 75 countries in search of good stories on travel, gastronomy and culture.