The Year 2017 has plenty
long weekends, one of them is this one. When you have three days to plan your
travel, why not cover the nearby areas. Wayanad (Kerala) is one of the most
beautiful districts of Kerala. And to plan for this amazing place is not the toughest
job in the world.
About
Wayanad
Derived from the word ‘Vayal
Nadu’ which means land of paddy fields, Wayanad is a magnificent plateau
situated at a height of 700-1200m. With a rich cultural heritage and mysterious
legends, Wayanad is adorned by the natural beauty. Hills, Peaks, Caves, Lakes
and Forests- all these make this place worth a visit. Here is a two-day
itinerary for exploring Wayanad and enjoying the serene and calm brilliance of
nature.
Places
to see in Wayanad:
1. Chembra Peak
2. Edakkal Caves
3. Ambukutthi Mala Waterfalls
4. Sochipara Falls
5. Pookode Lake
6. Wayanad Heritage Museum
7. Chain Tree (Big Banyan)
8. Meenmutthi Falls
9. Kanthanpara Falls
10. Heart Lake
There are many other places
that can be visited if you have more than 2-3 days.
Day
1
To start with, book a hotel
near the Sultan Bathery as that is the central point of the district. You can
cover 4 places on day one:
Sulthan
Bathery
This can top your list because
it won’t take much time to explore the Jain Temple and know the history.
After a quick tour of Sulthan Bathery, you can head towards
the Wayanad Museum and then Ambukuthi Mala Mountain (12km from
Bathery). The Edakkal Caves are
located at a height of 1000m on this mountain.
Sulthan Bathery
Relics of the ancient Jain
Temple in Sulthan Bathery
Ambukuthi Mala
The
Edakkal Cave Trek: You can opt for this trek as it is not so
difficult. Fine weather and good company can keep you going. At the base, you
will have to buy the ticket to the caves and then continue walking and
climbing. The passage is through numerous smaller caves, through the rocks and
boulders. But the installation of steel staircase and presence of the admin
staff ensures that the crowd moves safely and there is no mobbing.
Carvings on the rocks
Entry point to reach the
Edakkal caves
After spending quality time
on the dry rocks, the urge to dip your feet in cold water will definitely be
high. You can opt for the Sochipara
falls next. These Falls provide water rafting, bathing, swimming, etc. The
tree top huts give a splendid view of the Western Ghats.
Sochipara Falls
If there is still time, you
can go ahead with the itinerary and end the day with your visit to the Kanthanpara Waterfalls. These falls are
relatively smaller and form an ideal picnic spot.
Kanthanpara Falls
Day
2
After the night’s rest,
either you can opt for a day’s trek to Chembra
Peak, stay there overnight and then climb down. Or you can visit the
following places.
Banasurasagar
Dam:
This is the largest earth dam in India and offers a soothing sight for the sore
eyes. For cutting the transport cost, you can book the hotel in/ near Kalpetta
for the second day.
Banasurasagar Dam
After Banasurasagar Dam, you
can see the Chain Tree, followed by Poodoke Lake. With lush green trees and
mountains surrounding this fresh water lake, you can enjoy boating facility
too.
The Chain Tree
Further towards the south is
the Lakkidi View Point which
inhabits the huge mountains and the bird's eye view of the valley in the south.
The road to this viewpoint is composed of nine hairpin bends and the journey is
sure to pump up the adrenaline rush.
View of the hair-pin bends
from Lakkidi View Point
View of the southern valley-
western ghats from Lakkidi View Point
Day
3
The last day can be either
kept as a buffer day for the return journey, or it can be used to explore the
North of Wayanad- Pazhassi Raja Tomb and Kuruva Island.
Hope this information comes
handy to all the nature lovers!
All Images: Courtest Google
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