Kuruva Island

Kuruva is a protected delta on the Kabini — a cluster of wooded islets covering roughly 950 acres, uninhabited and reached by raft across a channel of the river. It is one of the quietest places in Wayanad, and the rules that keep it that way are strictly enforced: limited daily numbers, no plastic, and a guide with each group.

The forest inside is evergreen and genuinely old. There are orchids growing on the trunks, medicinal herbs underfoot, and birds you will hear long before you see them. Narrow channels run between the islets, and in places the water is shallow and clear enough to wade.

Before you go

The island is closed during the monsoon and after heavy rain, when the river is too high to cross safely — check before setting out. Wear shoes you do not mind getting wet, and carry nothing you would mind carrying back out again.