Exploring the Green Paradise of Kerala: WAYANAD (2-day Trip)

"

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 Images

Exploring MYSORE in a day!

Our trip to Mysore was an unplanned one. This itinerary is in continuation of the trip to Chikmagalur.

One day- 10 hours- five people and Mysore, the cleanest city we have ever been to. Mysore is well- maintained and clean- this would be an understatement, for the way the things fall in place in this city is sure to make you do a double take.

We started at 4:00 AM for Mysore and reached by 7:30 AM. There are three major attractions in Mysore- The palace, zoo and Chamundeshwari Temple. Apart from these, there is ‘Brindavan Garden’, Tipu Sultan park, Wax museum, Sand museum, Nandi bull (on the way to Chamundeshwari temple). But the latter places can be skipped if your travel itinerary is made for one day. We targeted Zoo first because it opens early.

Zoological park: This is worth visiting. The entire zoo is spread across 2.8 km and it will take not less than 2.5 hours to explore it completely. The ticket is economical: Weekends- Rs. 60 + Rs. 20 (for camera). You can carry water bottles, shades and caps but no eatables are allowed.

Next, we went to Mysore Palace. On weekends, this historical place is really very crowded. But thank the Mysore Government for their efficient management and maintenance, that you will finish the tour of palace in an hour. The ticket is cheap (Weekend: Rs. 30).

The ticket price might increase if there is any flower show or any other attraction and the sad part is that you cannot opt out of it. The price has to be paid whether you go for the attraction or not.

Last but not the least, we went to Chamundeshwari temple, which is located on the Chamundi Hills. The road to the temple is finely decked out, so much so that you will fall in love with the city. The roads are wider, there are separate lanes for ascending traffic and descending traffic.

Points to remember when visiting Chamundeshwari temple:

·       Do not buy the VIP ticket worth Rs. 100 because if you do, you will regret it later.

·       The temple is beautiful, with perfect carvings and architecture. But the fact that the priests literally ask you to put money in front of every idol of God, is very baffling. So, try to avoid this.

·       There are various shops that sell memoirs and other girly stuff. BARGAIN for 50% lesser price.

·       There is huge parking space near the temple, so you need not worry about your vehicle

I hope this information comes in handy.

One liner for the trip: Had a whale of a time!

“Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God.” – Kurt Vonnegut

Backpacking Hacks- Stage 2

After having decided the destination, cities and the number of days you want to spend in different cities, it is time to get to Stage two.

Here is a checklist of things to do:

STAGE 2

1. The Order

This step is a tough one. You need to decide in which order you would be visiting the different tourist attractions. For this, you can try googling the city map and then compare the distance and location of the attractions from your place of stay. It would be better if the hotel (or the place you opt to stay) is near the city market. This would cut down on the transport cost.

2. The Timetable

It is important to manage time and also keep a buffer gap. Especially when traveling to foreign countries for the first time, it is important to read as many blogs and reviews as possible. Collecting information based on others' experiences is always a wise choice. Generally, more than four places cannot be covered in one day. But this count can vary from person to person.

3. Bookings

After having the blueprint ready, it is time to start with the bookings. Book the flights first (following all the hacks to get cheaper tickets) and then book the hotels. The preferable sites for booking hotels are Expedia, Tripoto, Airbnb, Bookings.com. When going for a hotel selection, browse through the photographs and the reviews to get a fairer idea. Before finalizing the booking, check the location of the hotel and keep these two points in mind:

A) If you are visiting a land-locked destination, ensure that your hotel is near the main market

B) If you are visiting a beach/island, ensure that your hotel is near the pier

This would not only cut down on walking miles and help you save energy. Also, in the case of emergency, the market area always comes handy.

Another important point to keep in mind is that whenever you are pre-booking hotels abroad, go for the option- "Pay Later". The website will ask for card details; you can safely enter your details.

4.Run-Through of the Plan

After all these steps, it is important to do a quick run through of the plan so that nothing is missed out. Visa related information needs to be found out prior to booking any tickets (Obvious fact, isn't it?).

5. Final Checklist

Make a final checklist under the following headings:

·       Clothing

·       Documents

·       Footwear

·       Accessories

·       Gadgets

Hope this information comes in handy. For any other query, please email at ejblog12@gmail.com

Backpacking Hacks- Stage 1

When life throws lemons at you, it is its way to tell you that making a lemonade and taking that with you on a trip is what you need at that moment. We love travelling and thus, we wanted to share our planning strategy with all you folks. With backpacking comes a lot of responsibility and freedom. But planning a trip on your own is not a piece of cake.

Therefore, we have divided the procedure into two stages. Read on to know more:

STAGE 1

1.   Deciding the destination

Dos	Don’ts
Decide the month and then choose the destination based on the popularity and temperature	Don’t get carried away by the off-season sale. Do your homework
Keep the time frame in mind so that Visa and other formalities can be done at ease	Do not depend on other to plan the trip for you
If you are planning to go to a different country, then decide on the cities that you want to visit	Do not opt for the places that are too hyped and crowded

2.   Understand the map

After deciding the destination, it is very important to understand the map. Download city-wise map and get a rough idea of the locations and the main roads.

3.   Make a list of the places to visit (city-wise)

Google will come to your rescue for preparing this list. Do not skip the name of any attraction. It is better to make a note of all the place to visit. Search for the entry fee and the other charges that you might be asked to pay. Identify any particular rules that need to be followed and make a note of that too. Eg. Temples in Bangkok allow the visitors only if they are dressed properly (shoulders and knees covered). Last but not the least, note the opening and closing timings of the place.

PLACE

TICKET PRICE

RULES

TIMINGS

4.   Decide the total number of days for each city

You can only work on this point once you have finished doing (3). Reading blogs and Vlogs will help you get a fair idea about how much time you will spend at one place. There are certain places that are not listed on Google and hence, it would be better to read as many blogs as possible and check others’ itineraries. Keep the evening hours for exploring the night life of the city. Trust us, it is fun to meet the locals and learn about different cultures.

For the next stage of planning, click here.