Wayanad

It was a three-day tour from Bangalore by road in May 2019. It was an extended weekend, and the temperature was manageable. The destination was Wayanad, and we also visited Srirangapatna on the way.

Route

We went from Bangalore to Mysore to Nagarhole to Wayanad. The road condition was decent. Crossing the Nagarhole was certainly enjoyable by the sight of wild elephants and dears. It was a little more adventurous than we expected, and you can find here why.

Stay

We stayed at Varnam Homestay. It is a Kerala-style home, made of concrete and wood. They had their own farm around the place, and most ingredients of the food they were serving came from their firm. My family roamed around the farm for hours and was amazed by the variety of plants they had. Their hospitality was exceptional. If not for anything in Wayanad, it is worth visiting this place to stay there for a couple of days. They arranged breakfasts and dinners for us; the food was homemade and excellent.

We went by a hired taxi, and they also provided a driver’s stay without any additional cost.

Places to visit

Kuruvadweep

It is a river island in the Kabini river. We rode on the bamboo-made boat, which went through the narrow waterways through the branches of the submerged trees. They didn’t let us get down on the island, as it was muddy and packed with tree roots. It reminded me of the boat ride to the limestone caves on Baratang island in Andaman. It was a pleasant experience in a calm environment while listing to sound made by different birds.

Banasura Sagar Dam

This is one of the main attractions in Wayanad. As the name suggests, it is a reservoir created by the dam. The boating facility was there, and we took the standard boat. The view was quite good with the combination of water and hill and small island-type things. It takes at least 2 hours to fully view the place.

Edakkal Caves

This cave is claimed to have one of the oldest, a couple of thousand years old, pictorial drawings and engravings that indicate the presence of ancient human settlements in the region. To be specific, it is not a cave. It is a kind of shelter created by huge boulders sitting crisscrossed.

Let me brief the warnings we didn’t receive before going here. From the parking, you have to climb uphill at least 1.5km, if not more, to reach the ticket counter. The path is well maintained to walk and has shops for different juices and all. From the ticket counter, the stairs start. They are steep and around 300 in number, if not more. Towards the end, the steel stairs are clamped to the bolder. So, if you have doubts about your fitness or knees or have toddlers with you, I suggest skipping this adventure. Also, we haven’t observed any water options after the ticket counter, so it is better to carry your own.

The view is certainly good from the top, and if you are a history buff, the place must carry significant value for you. In any case, it is a good place to visit, but only if you are okay with the struggle to get here.

We climbed this while carrying our 2.5 yr old daughter in the baby carrier bag. We didn’t get a clue about the path, as every time we asked shopkeepers how far it was, the response was, ‘just a couple of hundred meters more.’ While coming down, my legs were shaking, and I was still carrying my daughter. I felt I had taken it too far and should not have climbed.

Karlad Lake

It is a nice park beside the lake to spend an hour or so. There was a boating facility here too, but we already did boating two times on the trip, so we were not interested. If you decide to skip this place, you will not miss much.

Sree Thirunelli Mahavishnu Kshetram

It is an old Kerala-style temple in the hills. The view from the place was nice, but otherwise, I found nothing special about it. We visited here while coming back.

Places we skipped due to distance and time:

• Chembra Peak (Kalpetta)
• Lakkidi View Point (Kalpetta)
• Soochipara Waterfalls (Kalpetta)
• Meenmutty Falls (Kalpetta)

Food Options

We took most of our meals at the homestay itself. The sightseeing places are scattered here, and most of the roads were through villages or forests. So, food options were scarce. So, we took lunch in whatever place we got.