Wayanad Tour

About Wayanad
Location : North Eastern tip of Kerala in South India.
Altitude : 700 m to 2100 m above Sea Level
Known As : The Green Paradize of Kerala
Best Time to Visit : August to April

Explore The Charms of The District

The best place to start your itinerary in Wayanad is surely Lakkidi, the gateway to Wayanad, located at 5 km from Vythiri. Interestingly, this 2297 ft high pad of survival registers the second highest degree of rainfall in the world, only after Cherrapunji! Drive out of Lakkidi towards the 'ghat' pass. Just before the 'ghat' begins, you'll come across a curious sight - the chain tree of Lakkidi, a banyan tree with chains wrapped around its trunk. Ask the locales and you will come across the interesting legend of a restless spirit that used to wander in the woods a few time back. Three km from Lakkidi, the small, placid and lotus-covered Pookote Lake, offers a pleasant picnic spot and memorable boating options. If you are staying in one of the tree houses in Vythiri, take a walk to the lake amidst the tall trees until the serene lake unveils its dark beauty in front of you.

While you are at Pookote Lake, a visit to the Uruvu Eco shop is a must. Check out products made out of two dozen varieties of bamboo. They are mostly made by tribals and women of the area. Get a few pieces of alluring bamboo shirt hangers and wine bottle covers. If this shop interests you, then you should visit their factory (open from 9 am to 7 pm), 26 km away en route to Suchipara Falls. You will find them experimenting with some new products and design. Thirunelly, 34 km from Mananthavady on the northern side of Brahmagiri hills, is a place that have been unianimously referred to as the Heal station. Spend some time at the Thirunelly Temple, known for its tough, unpolished architecture and shielded by 30 granite columns. Male devotees can enter the temple only if they are bare-chested and carry a mirror at a side.

Edakkal Caves - Art In Stone

If you are intersted in primordial history and want to read a book with fantastic pictures, visit the world-famous Edakkal Caves, located at 3 km from Ambalavayal which is 25 km from Kalpetta. Edakkal literally means 'the stone in between' in Malayalam, and is a fissure made by a corner of rock splitting off from the main body due to some natural causes. What makes it a cave to the ordinary observer is the fact that in the other portion of the large cleft, an enormous rock, weighing several tonnes, has fallen forming a roof over a large part of it. The caves, located on an ancient route connecting the high ranges of Mysore to the ports of Malabar, are a source of mystery to archeologists. Though the origins of the engravings in the cave (generally depicting images of tribal kings, queens, elephant, deer and wheeled carts) are still unknown, but they are attractive enough to entice a visitor. The cave immortalises the memory of a tribe that hunted in the forests, tamed and bred animals, and farmed on the hill sides. You can take your vehicle only up to the first kilometre of the gradient. Park your vehicle at the notified common car park and hire a jeep thereafter. Begin your climb where the jeep stops, after buying your entry ticket. It's an adrenaline pumping scramble to the top, but the view is worth it - acres and acres of green forest and hillocks greet you as you reach there. Don't forget to peep through the telescope that has been thoughtfully provided midway.

When you visit the caves, try the special ginger sherbat and the special herbal masala soda, sold at the place where the jeep drops you. Remember to stop by at the numerous handicraft shops on your way back from the cave for carvings made from coffee wood.

Tribals of Kuruvadweep - The Darker Sights of Your Own Isle

Rafting on the ebullient waters of the Kabini river would eventually fetch you to the 950-acre island of Kuruvadweep, an island that has the power to put you into a Mowgli mindset. The deep thickets forces you to think like a denizen of a jungle. Deep and dark, thick and sinister. Except for the Katunayika tribe, the island is uninhabited and untouched by modernity. You have to cross shallow streams of water to reach the land and by the time you experience the firmness of ground beneath your feet, there is a marshy patch that you must negotiate by climbing over the branches of a dead tree. Take a pleasant bath in the running waters of the Kabini river and later dry off in the mild sun. Observe the white floral patterns caused by dried up algae on the rocks here. Its better to keep aside half a day for this wonderful stream-green trekking exercise. Even long after you return, the rustle of dry leaves and the mellow music of the stream will keep ringing in your ears.

Stay In A Tree House
Spend romantic nights in tree houses, washed in the sweet scent of forest flowers. Let the solitary silence of the forest fill your dreams. Enjoy staying in ethnic styles in bamboo huts perched high on the tree tops, but completely furnished to meet the needs of a traveller.

Hear The Voice of The Caves
Visit the world-famous Edakkal Caves in Wayanad. Actually a fissure made by a corner of rock splitting off from the main body due to some natural causes, these caves afford some magnificent carvings dating back to the primordial era. Yell at one of those grey stones and see how they reciprocate to your welcome.

Tribe Your Way
Visit the dark patches of Kuruvadweep island, uninhabited and untouched by modernity, except for the Katunayika tribe, who dwell in the interiors of this vast jungle. Feel the pleasure in crossing shallow streams of water to reach the land and the enjoyment in finding firmness beneath your feet. Climb over the branches of a dead tree to cross a wild river. Take a pleasant bath in the running waters of the Kabini river and later dry off in the mild sun.