How to reach Wayanad?

The first place to reach in Wayanad is Kalpetta when you are coming from Kerala. It is a small town surrounded by dense coffee plantations and mountains and it is the headquarters of the Wayanad district. It lies on the Kozhikode-Mysore National Highway (NH 212) at an altitude of about 780 miles above sea level.Kalpetta is easily accessible by bus from Mysore, Ooty and Kozhikode. Rail link is not available. The nearest airport is Kozhikode. National Highway 212 connects Kalpetta with Mysore and Kozhikode. State highways connect the city with Ooty in Tamil Nadu and Coorg in Karnataka state. Night traffic is banned on the Mysore road. For those who are coming from Bangalore side, Sulthan Bathery is the first town of Wayanad. For those who are coming from Kannur and Mangalore, Mananthavady is the first town.

Where to stay in Wayanad?

Meppadi is the best place to stay in Wayanad because it has excellent transportation facilities to all parts of Wayanad. The town is not congested and you will feel like living in the middle of tea estates. Kalpetta is only 12 km away from Meppadi. If you are budget conscious, you can stay at City Tourist Home, Bus Stand Building (go down the basement) that offer clean rooms and good toilets. Dormitories are also available. Rooms have a good view and they charge only Rs. 500. If you want to economize further, K.M.H.Guest House, Opp. Bus station is the option where rooms are available even for Rs.100. They have dark and cosy rooms without windows and the bed is dirty. The bathrooms are cubicle like. But they clean the floor quite frequently. Metro Tourist Home, Near the Bus Stand offers better rooms at Rs. 1,500. You can also stay at Megha Residency, Opp. Bus station, Vaduvanchal for Rs.400 only. Vaduvanchal is 25 km from Kalpetta and very close to Tamil Nadu border. Kalpetta is not a peaceful option to stay but it has a number of cheap lodges like By the Way Dormitory near New Bus Stand, Chandragiri Inn, Main road (near Old Bus stand.), Megha Lodge, Near Old Busstand., Affas Tourist home, Near New Bus Stand and Hill View Residency, Opp. Fire Station (1 km on Calicut Road). The cheapest accommodation in Wayanad is available at Mananthavady. You can stay at Deluxe Lodge inside the Coffee House compound in the middle of the town for only Rs.270. The rooms are very clean with attached bathrooms and television.

Meppadi - the tea estate paradise

Meppadi is the most scenic village of the Wayanad District of the Malabar region in Kerala state, India. It has excellent opportunities for hiking and mountaineering. The main attraction of Meppadi are the undulating tea estates. Meppadi is an unspoilt and undiscovered tourist spot of Kerala. Not being a tourist trap, you can walk in the tea estates not being disturbed by touts and other visitors. Meppadi is 12 km from Kalpetta town. The main attraction of Meppadi is the Chembra Peak. At 2,100 m the spectacular peak is the tallest summit in the region. Climbing this peak is a tiring, but a not too difficult 4 km walk. It is worth it; the view at the top is mind-blowing, and you get to see a heart-shaped lake on the way. Camping on the peak is an unforgettable experience. It takes about 5-6 hr to go up and down. There is camping available at the peak. The cute campus of DMWIMS Medical College is also worth a visit. The five km road to the campus itself is a spiritual experience if you want to replace Nature for a god. There is nothing to see inside the spectacular hospital building, but their cafeteria on the mezzanine floor is worth a visit. Visitors are allowed inside if you have some excuse like inquiring about medical college admissions. Buses are available to and from the hospital from Meppadi town. The Supreme Court of India has recently issued a warning to the hospital for building in a environmentally sensitive area. You can also visit Karapuzha Dam which is a relatively small dam, but located at a very scenic site. Mostly unknown and thus unspoilt by a horde of tourists, it is a perfect way to spend a quiet evening during sunset time. Another popular destinaton is the Meenmutty Waterfalls (Makkiyad Meenmutty Waterfalls) (12 km from Meppadi). Very nice and very good trekking. You need to be fit and carry something to eat. You have to pay the forest entry fee and secure a guide. This waterfall is in 3 steps. You can visit the second step (only in Dec- Apr). It involves a good trek through some difficult terrain, but the end result is breath-taking. Not only is the view of the waterfall amazing but you can get wet too. One has to trek inside the jungle for approx 1.5 km to get a view of waterfalls. It passes through coffee and tea plantation. It has an entry fee of Rs 300 for a group of up to 10 people, and you get a very skilled guide to help you to hike to the waterfalls and back up. Inside the town itself you have the St. Joseph Shrine, Mooppanad (1 km). Built in 1954 this majestic church gives very good view of the hills around. There are trekking opportunities like the short Ambalakkunnu Walk. Walk upto Nellimunda busstop on Chooralmala route one km from Meppadi. Turn second right from the junction. Walk upto Ambalakkunnu Masjidh and Madhrassa. There is a Jaffer tea shop at the end of the hill. If you descend forwards, you will reach a little cute Srambia masjidh. Turn right and you will reach the post office road at Meppadi junction. The entire route is very scenic and takes around 40 minutes to walk. Meppadi town is a trekker's paradise. The best views are on the post office road. The road to the Meenmutty Waterfall is also very scenic. You can also walk up the 3 km road to the Chembra peak.

Pulpally, the little town deep inside the forest

Pulpally is a small town in Wayanad district of Kerala state, India. It is situated between Sultan Battery and Mananthavady towns. The place is thickly forested, with a lot of tribal population.Buses are available from Mananthavady, Sultan Battery and Kozhikode The forest road between Pupally and Suthan Bathery is very scenic. Kabani river flows through small town of Perikkalloor. There is also one Sita Devi temple in Pulpally. It is one of the few temples in India devoted to Sita Devi. You can stay at Navins Wayanad Luxury Inn, Pulpally or the Shanthi Hotel on Chekkadi Road.

Sultan's Battery: Gateway to Karnataka state

Sultan Bathery, previously known as Sultan's Battery, is a town in the Malabar region of Kerala, India. The town in olden days served as a military post of Tipu Sultan and the Sultan had a battery placed here, hence the name Sultan Battery. The town was previously called Hennaradu Peedike (Twelve Shops). The town is at an altitude of 930 meters. The place is famous for its Jain temple. Sultan Bathery is almost centrally located between Mysore and Kozhikode. Sultan Bathery is the biggest transport hub of Wayanad district. It is located near the border with the Karnataka state. There is a major Kerala Transport Depot in Sultan Battery. Most of the long distance buses to Kozhikode, Ooty and Bangalore start from this depot. The town also has two smaller bus stations for local travellers. Main attaractions include: Bathery St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral (Chungam, 1 km from the center of town). The oldest Malankara Orthodox Christian settlement began in the 1915's. Edakkal Caves are a cleft about 96 ft long and 22 ft wide in the rock. It is a fissure made by a corner of rock splitting off from the main Entrance to Edkal Cavesbody due to some natural causes. The depth of both the cleft and the fissure is 30 ft. 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 rock wall contains some interesting carvings, which represent human and animal figures and objects of human use and symbols. These carvings speak of a highly civilized people of pre-historic age and inspires the archaeologists and historians to rewrite the history of Wayanad and Kerala as a whole. The caves are now accessible now with steep but strong steps. Then there is the Jain Temple (Chandranatha Swamy). The temple is believed to be built in the 13th century was a place of commerce and worship until Tipu Sultan made it his military hangout where he placed a battery and hence the name Sultan Battery.

The Majestic Maze of Mananthavady

Mananthavady is the third biggest town in the Wayanad district. It is a transportation hub of Eastern Wayanad and buses to Kozhikode, Kannur, Thalassery and Mysore start from the KSRTC depot here. The town is built around an ancient Latin church. The church is on a beautiful hillock and the whole city traffic flows around the hill. Mananthavady is the gateway to the Wayanad, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Mudumalai sanctuaries. Mananthavady is accessible by bus from Mysore, Kozhikode, Kannur and Ooty. There is no rail link. The nearest airports are Kozhikode and Bangalore. The attractions in Mananthavady include the Bavaly Dargah on Mysore Road and the Chettappalam Village (3 km)with a Church, River, Bridge, Scenic paddy fields. The Kuruva Islands (Kuruvadweep) are 17 km eastwards that offer 950 acres of protected river delta system. There are many rivulets and tiny islands in this forest area. The Latin Church is on a hilltop in the exact middle of Mananthavady town. Unfortunately the ancient church is now 'renovated' into a concrete building. There is a museum dedicated to Pazhashi Raja near the bus station. It is open 9 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm and Mondays are holidays. The is a very famous temple at Thiruvelli, some 36 km insdie the deep forest. You can also visit Boys Town also called 'Nalpathirandu' at Thalappuzha (15 km). There is a herbal garden, nature care centre, sericulture unit, perma-culture centre etc., established by the Wayanad Social Service Society and Gene Park (the Indo-Danish project for promoting herbal gardening) here. You can also find a church and orphanage. The locals call this place '42' denoting the distance in miles to Kannur. If you are a forest bum, take the 6.10 a.m. bus to Kutta or the 6.15 a.m. bus to Thirunelly Temple. Both buses goes through dense forests. You can choose a window seat and enjoy the scenes. If you are interesting in maze walking, Mananthavady town has a very confusing maze like layout. It is only six sq. kilometre area but the little town is extremely confusing even to those who have visited the place several times. In the evening traffic it is very unpleasant to walk as sidewalks are extremely crowded and the maze doesn't give a clue. But early morning walk can show you that the town is built in the shape of an enormous digit ' 8 ' . The bigger circle of the digit eight encircles the Latin Church Hill and the smaller circle encircles the Government Offices Hill. You can also spend an evening at the Valliyoorkkavu temple which is dedicated to Mother Goddess and is worshipped in three principal forms of Vana Durga, Bhadrakali and Jala Durga. It is the most important place of worship for the tribal communities. The annual 15 day festival is in March/April and is the grandest of all festivals in the district. Slave trade used to take place here during the festival. It is still the largest congregation of all tribals of Wayanad.The Valliyoorkkavu Temple area is ideal for unpacking your picnic basket as the whole locality looks like a lush green lawn. There are two ancient temples, one orthodox church, foot bridge and river in this place in addition to an expanse of greenery. Good accommodation is easily available in Mananthavady. The cheapest accommodation in Wayanad is available at Mananthavady. You can stay at Deluxe Lodge inside the Coffee House compound in the middle of the town for only Rs.270. The rooms are very clean with attached bathrooms and television. There is also one Dew Drops Rest House on Mysore Road. The rooms are spacious and they charge Rs.400 per night for a double room. The government is managing a KTDC Hotel inside the Thirunelly forest. For the shoestring budget travellers, there is the St. Sebastians Dormitory, Kutta Road, Kattikkulam.

The little village of Vythiri

Vythiri is a hill station at 1,300 m and has coffee, tea, cardamom, pepper and rubber plantations and mountain scenery. Vythiri is 66 km (2 hours) from Kozhikode. The mysterious Chairn tree of Vythiri is very famous. There is a story behind it. The road up was built by an English engineer as per the information given to him by a local tribal youth. Once the route was made the tribe was killed by the English Army . Afterwards there were many accidents in this ghat road which was supposedly due to the activity of the "ghost or spirit" of the tribal. It is believed that his "spirit" is being chained to the tree. Most of the driver pray and do offerings as they pass by the tree to make their trip accident free. Another story goes, that when the British first came to Wayanad the locals helped them and it was the Adivasi Mahouts who took them to the top the mountains. As the Portuguese were close behind them, they did not want the Mahouts to go back and get the Portuguese. Hence they killed the Mahout and soon after that, there were many accidents in the area and the Mahout's spirit was believed to be the reason. A local priest contained the spirit to a tree and hung a chain over it so that the spirit would not escape. Hence the name. The governmnet has set a Coffee Research Station at Chundale. Lakkidi village is situated 700 m above sea level, at Thamarasseri Ghat pass. It is on the border of Wayanad district, and the view of the valley is superb. It can get a bit busy (and littered!) during peak season, though. The telephones Microwave station, Hotel Management College and a couple of resorts are situate here.There is also a sprawling Veterinary University campus at Pookode (2 km). You can find good accommodation in Vythiri like Annapara Home Stay, Breeze Valley Dormitory, Grace Residency, Jungle Park Resorts, Lakkidi Grace and Raincountry Resorts.

Delicious delicacies of Wayanad

There are four Indian restaurants in Meppadi town. They all serve Kerala-style food with meat and fish. Breakfast is dosa and porottas and at lunch time delicious vegetarian thali with fish is available. Chappathis and fried rice are offered for dinner. Grace Bakery and Restaurant, near the post office junction gives upmarket Vegetarian food. Hotel Paris, near the post office junction has meat and fish dishes. Metro Hotel, near the bus stand has a big dining hall offering a variety of non-vegetarian food. There are a number of fine restaurants in Kalpetta like ''1980s Nostalgia'', Indian Coffee House, Kalpana Restaurant,Lunch n' Dine Restaurant and finally theNew Hotel, Near New Bus Stand. They are calling it 'new' since 1957. There is one Swamy's Udupi vegetarian restaurant, near Old Bus stand.

Tourist attractions in Kalpetta

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is 23 km from and it is home to large population of elephants, and other wildlife, including some tigers. The Agriculture University at Ambalavayal has beautiful gardens and farms. The Banasura Sagar Dam (24 km) is the largest earthen dam in India. Muthanga Sanctuary (42 km) offers wild Life tours. Pookode Lake (10 km) is a very scenic place with boating facility. Puliyarmala Jain Temple (6km from Kalpetta) is a very famous Jain temple dedicated to Anantnath Swami. It is a large temple complex, built in Dravidan-Hoysala style. Tipu Sultan used this temple as an ammunitions storage and stationed a large battery of arms and ammunitions inside this temple, which resulted in naming the city as Sultan Battery. A must see for tourists, with large number of Jain statues and sculptures and many relics in ruins. You can also go for a walk inside Kalpetta town. Start from Kalpetta Bus Station, head south towards on Calicut road, turn left at Jana Maithree Park toward Meppadi. Walk in the scenic road for three km and come back in the same route. You can also try Myladippara for trekking. Myladippara is a cliff located to the east of Civil Station, adjacent to the new NH bypass road. Trek to the Myladippara offers a charming experience.