Travelling to Wayand..

Wayanad can be reached from different cities but all of them are by road.

Bangalore à Wayanad (6 hours)

Coimbatore (via Gudallur) à Wayanad (6 hours)

Calicut à Wayanad (3 hours)

Wayanad is best reached by taking a road trip from Calicut, which is 70KM from Wayanad. Calicut has an International Airport and Railway Station which gives connectivity to major metros like Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi etc .. Since Wayanad is in Kerala, there are no additional tourist taxes to be paid for the tourist vehicles, which is pretty high for other state tourist vehicles.

There is no particular place called Wayanad, it’s the name of the district and hence it’s virtual in nature. Wayanad has 3 main towns, Kalpetta (district capital), Sultan Battery, and Manathavady. The place is known for its waterfalls and the climate. The temperature is around 20-25C for most of the year except for March till May.

The places of Interest

1. Edakkal caves – It’s a trekking route with Edakkal cave at the culmination. There is a stone hanging in between 2 rocks. The entry to the cave is restricted till 4:30PM in the evening. 25Kms from Kalpetta.
2. Menumutty Waterfalls – The water fall is at the end of a forest trekking route. The trek route is very slippery during rain and considered dangerous. You can take bath at this waterfall when the water level is low. 20Kms from Kalpetta.
3. Soochipara Waterfalls – You can take bath at this waterfall. You ought to be careful during rainy season as the water level increases very abruptly. The road to the water fall is more of curves and should be careful while driving. 20Kms from Kalpetta.
4. Banasura Dam – You can see the dam and enjoy boating at this place. It’s good for photo shoot and is a ideal to visit during sunset. 25Kms from Kalpetta.
5. Muthanga Forest Reserve- If you are interested in watching the wild animals on the move, Muthanga wild life sanctuary is a good place to visit. You can travel inside a Jeep (provided by the forest dept) through the designated paths. Evening times are good for watching animals as they come to drink water.
6. Pookode Lake – This Lake is on the way from Kalpetta to Calicut. You can enjoy boat ride at this lake.
7. Bandipur National Reserve- Short travel from Wayanad. It’s a national park which is famous for the wild elephants. There is accommodation available inside the forest (you need to do advance reservation for this).
8. Ooty and Mysore are the tourist spots to which you can drive as part of your trip. It’s almost 100Kms away from Wayanad.
   

General Tips

1. Ideal place to stay is Kalpetta or Meppady. Most of the tourist spots are near to these towns.
2. It’s a good idea to try for resorts if you are in a family or a manageable group (approx 10). Resorts charge Rs.1500 to Rs 3000 per night stay for a family.
3. You can also explore home stays. This is a good idea if you are visiting for a calm stay. I’m not really sure about the rates.
4. Tourist homes are good options too, if you are interested only in sight seeing. It’s cheap and affordable. Typical rates are Rs. 250 per person/night (4 sharing room)
5. Try to arrange food at the resort itself in case you are staying in the resort as outside food is difficult to find.
6. Nature lovers have an option of taking a dormitory in Muthanga wild life sanctuary. You are not allowed to have camp fires or loud noises. Occupancy is Rs. 80 per person per night. It has all the necessary amenities. You will not get hot water or towels or soap or any thing for that matter. You are anyways allowed to carry it with you.
7. The nearest city is Calicut. If you are traveling by train, you should allot at least 5 hours travel time to Calicut (by tourist bus, 3 hours by car).
   

Hope this article about Wayanad was helpful. You can leave your comments here.