Kudayathoor Valley, India’s answer to Tuscany

They say the name Kudayathoor was born from the way the mountains rise gently, protectively like an umbrella (kuda) over the valley. On either side, hills hold the land and river in their quiet embrace, as if sheltering it from haste, from noise, from forgetting.

To some like Baiju, this valley is the Tuscany of India. Baiju and family left behind the bustle of Mumbai and Nagpur, found in Kudayathoor not just beauty, but belonging. And those who arrive never quite leave. Not in memory. Not in longing.

From Neethu’s hillside retreat, you can watch the monsoon arrive like a love letter from the sky. Rains sweep in with a soft roar, veiling the hills in grey silk. And when they lift, you can see several waterfalls shimmer down the cliffs like diamond necklaces to the mountain, gifted by the clouds.

The air carries the call of faraway travellers: the black-tailed godwit from Northern Europe visits the valley, as if drawn by an ancient promise.

The valley has its quiet fame. Malayalam film shootings are regular in the valley, their stories cradled by these hills. Locals and film producers say the valley is lucky, as every film born here has become a box-office star.

And when someone from the valley meets a stranger abroad, they smile and say, “I come from the place where Drishyam was filmed.”

Here, the rambutan grows red and radiant, its skin spiked like laughter, its sweetness unmatched.

There are whispers of a rambutan wine in the making, tropical, bold, and full of song. It will pair well with the cheese made by the hands of returning children and grandchildren who come back each summer, chasing the scents and stories of their ancestors.

Just 70 kilometres east of Kochi airport, the valley is not a detour; it is a destination. A dream waiting to be dreamt aloud.

In time, the valley may host music festivals beneath the stars. Kayaks may skim the valley’s river veins. Hikers will trace ancient goat paths to secret heights. Birdwatchers, poets, and wanderers will gather at quiet cafés, not to rush, but to rest, to taste and to feel.

Kudayathoor valley is not just a place you visit. It is a place that visits you in your dreams, long after you’ve left.