Sir, you can definitely stay of the main road closely follow the coastal road after calicut but u may need to ask the locals occasionally for directions better to ones on motorcycles everyone will help someplaces u may get ferries as well ....All the very best ...
Please do visit my hometown Mahe which is 30km from Kannur..you may visit some of the pubs which not only serves some good craft beer but also some excellent food..Lighthouse and ritz are my suggestions..
try to find out and take the B roads as often as u can Sir...or the district roads as they are called ..a wide network that take you to the interior scenic country away from the traffic...the real India ..these roadssalways run parrallel to the main national and state highways....also all along the coast of India is a road that runs close to the water ...best for cycling...try to visit coonoor, wellington...for a hilly adventure in the nilgiris region of the southern ghats....also Hampi in Karnataka
Those are the canal system of the kerela backwaters, which are used as a transportation medium and access to brackish water, fishing and stuff. These large and small canals combined are about 900kms in length.