Attractions in Wayanad

Wayanad - The Ooty of Kerala 

Wayanad is a hill station in Kerala, located at a distance of about 280 kms. from Bangalore. The place is famous for scenic beauty and pleasant weather. The best time to visit this place is during the months of winter. It is hot and humid during summer months. Monsoons are severe in these regions and hence it would be difficult to see places even though the scenic beauty is at its peak during these months.

Wayanad is a district located in the north-east region of the Indian state of Kerala, at the southernmost tip of the Deccan Plateau. It is known for its cool highland climate, misty peaks and its virgin forests. Wayanad also played a prominent role in the history of the subcontinent. It is often called the spice garden of the south, the land of paddy fields, and the home of the monsoon. It is set in the Western Ghats with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 meters above sea level. T he culture of Wayanad is mainly tribal oriented. Though considered as backward, this District is perhaps one of the biggest foreign exchange earners of the State, with its production of cash crops like pepper, cardamom, coffee, tea, spices and other condiments.

Wayanad – the name comes from the words ‘Vayal Nadu’ – land of paddy fields. It has lot of attractions, Lakes, waterfalls, Hiking, Temples, and lot. Here I have listed the Places To See In Wayanad to best of my knowledge.

Main Attractions In Wayanad 

Ø  Wayanad adventure camp,

Ø  Karlad lake

Ø  Kuruva islands

Ø  Edakkal caves

Ø  Kanthanpara waterfalls

Ø  Pookode lake

Ø  Banasura sagar dam

Ø  Karapuzha dam

Ø  Wayanad heritage museum

Ø  Tholpetty wildlife sanctuary

Ø  Muthanga wildlife sanctuary

Ø  Pazhassi raja tomb

Ø  Chembra peak

Ø  Jain temple, sulthan bathery

Ø  Banasura meenmutty falls

Ø  Thirunelly temple, papanassini and thrishilery temple

Ø  Ancient jain temple ruins, panamaram

Ø  Seetha lava kusha temple

Ø  Phantom rock

Ø  Soochipara waterfalls

Ø  Lakkidi - The Gateway of Wayanad

Ø  Meenmutty waterfalls, vaduvanchal

The natural scenic beauty of Wayanad and its rich natural resources offer several opportunities for adventure tourism. The hills rocks and valley which make the very unique character of Wayanad provide a lot for catering to the ever increasing demand for adventure tourist.

How To Reach : By Train - The adjoining Rail station of Wayanad is Kozhikode. To reach here you have to cover a distance of 110 km from Wayanad. One can also hire taxi to reach the station. Kozhikode has nice and frequent connectivity that provides regular direct train services towards Trivandrum, Kochi, Chennai and Bangalore.

Kanthanpara Waterfalls

Kanthanpara Waterfalls in Wayanad Kerala

Kanthanpara Falls, A beautiful waterfall situated about 22 km away from Kalpetta. Smaller than the Sentinel Rock waterfalls, the Kanthanpara Falls and its surroundings make an ideal picnic spot in Wayanad.

Kanthanpara Waterfalls, a splendid and picturesque cascade situated towards the south east of Kalpetta, in Wayanad. It is Surrounded by bamboo forests, the Kanthanparra Waterfall is more noted for the breathtaking beauty of the path leading to it. A major advantage of the Kanthanpara waterfalls is that it is an easy hike away from the main road, and even children and trekking novices can reach.

The Wayanad District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) is working to open the Kanthanpara waterfalls, a newly developed eco-tourism destination. A 20-minute drive from Mepadi through tea and coffee plantations would get one to the waterfalls located at two levels amid lush green bamboo gardens and natural forests.

How to Reach :  Kanthanpara waterfall is 22 km away from Kalpetta and 9 kms from Meppadi, Muppainad, Kalpetta, Wayanad District, Kerala, 673121, India. Kanthanpara Falls is easily accessible by road with the waterfalls a mere 100m away from the car park.

Wayanad Windflower Resorts

The Windflower Resorts & Spa Vythiri

With its green highlands, lush valleys and cool clime, Wayanad is one of the most beautiful retreats of Kerala. The district of Wayanad is spread over an area of over 2000 sq km and stands at an altitude ranging from 700 to 2100 m above sea level. Many people come to see the dramatic waterfalls, scenic tea plantations and caves. With many wildlife sanctuaries, visitors are drawn here to see many different species of animals. It is a very pleasant place to live or visit since it is so quiet and peaceful.

The mystic quality of mountains has inspired many an author and artist at Vythiri, a hill station in Wyanad, Kerala. Catch awe inspiring mountain views in this land of plantations where tea, coffee, rubber, pepper and cardamom gently coexist with the rich diversity of tranquil sub tropical forests. Undulating paths lead you breath-taking altitudes. Where, finally, from the top, you can look down and marvel at nature's prowess as a landscape painter. With a cool climate and lush greenery year round, Vythiri affords the weary traveler blissful advantage of being only 3 hours from Mysore in distance and leaving city life - far, far behind in spirit.

Wayanad offers many Top Resorts,  There are a lot of refreshening Luxury Resorts in Wayanad, we can experience the perfect nature in its purest form, staying in a Small resorts, surrounded by green highlands and lush valleys.

I stayed in, The Windflower Resorts & Spa Vythiri. Here I am sharing the Photos and Resort review.

The Windflower Resorts & Spa Vythiri, set atop a small picturesque hill carries a rich legacy of being a tea and coffee estate. The resort with its signature Buddha statue, its water bodies and the mesmerizing view of the Chembra peak, is something words cannot describe. The resort boasts of “power of space” in traditionally designed rooms which you would call yours. Dining with a view in addition to the scrumptious and tasty food is what our Bistro is all about. For those who seek inner peace Emerge the Wellness Spa offers an opportunity to experience signature Ayurvedic therapies, in wait of which you can relax and take a break while you float in our swimming pool surrounded by Silver oaks. The resort offers a host of fun and adventure in terms of activities, cultural and a lot more that we would like you to discover. 

Address: Windflower Resorts, Annapoorna Estate, Vythiri Taluk, Achoornam, Kerala 673575, India

Wayanad Tea Plantations

Wayanad Tea Plantations 

Wayanad is a beautiful hill station in the Western Ghats Mountains of Kerala. This area is known for its beautiful greenery and perfect climate. Many people come to see the dramatic waterfalls, scenic tea plantations and caves. With many wildlife sanctuaries, visitors are drawn here to see many different species of animals. It is a very pleasant place to live or visit since it is so quiet and peaceful.

Wayanad has a good deal of tea plantations. Many times your drive through this district would be through the rolling hills packed with tea estates. Vythiti and Meppadi are areas if you are keen to see some of the tea plantations in Wayanaad.

The best time to visit a tea plantation is those post monsoon seasons. Harvesting typically is an early morning affair, much before the sunrise. The tender leaves are manually plucked.

Those sparsely spaced Silver Oaks are essential for the plantation's survival. Tea is a rainfed crop. The efficiency of tea plantation's output depends on the adequate and uniform yearly distribution of rainfall and soil moisture. The Silver Oak does give the shade, but doesn't compete with the tea crop for the soil moisture. Tea plants are bushy and pruned typically to your midriff level height, making the plucking easy. During the plucking, one will squeeze through the narrow gap between the plants.

Many resorts and home stays arrange plantation tours in Wayanad. It's peculiar Wayanad has plantations of Tea, rubber, coffee and spices, especially cardamom, though they grow in distinctively different soil and environmental conditions. Of all these plantations, tea estates steals to show, thanks to the spectacular patterns it create on those rolling hills.

Wayanad Pookode Lake

Pookode Lake in Wayanad - Scenic Fresh Water Lake

Pookode Lake is a scenic freshwater lake in the Wayanad district in Kerala, South India. Pookode is a natural fresh water lake nestling amid evergreen forests and mountain slopes at an altitude of 770 meters above sea level. It is 15 km away from Kalpetta.

Panamaram, the rivulet which ultimately becomes Kabani River, originates from the Pookode lake. It is spread across an area of 8.5 hectares and with a maximum depth of 6.5 metres. Lying 3 km south of Vythiri town, the lake is one of the most popular tourist spots in Wayanad. The lake has the shape of India's map. This perennial fresh water lake, nestled among wooded hills, is only one of its kinds in Kerala. Pethia pookodensis, is a species of cyprinid fish known to occur only in Pookode Lake. The lake has abundance of blue lotus and fresh water fishes. The forests surrounding the lake hold many wild animals, birds and flies.There are groups of Blue water lily flowers scattered here and there in the lake.

While reaching at this gorgeous lake, you will be experiencing a calm and peaceful environment around. The lake is surrounded by forest and you will see green and green all around, making this place an ideal location for photographers and nature lovers. One of the main tributary of Kabini River, the Panamaram rivulet originates from here. The Lake is Nestled between evergreen forest and Western Ghats, the lake is spread over 13 acre and is 40 m deep. This is one of the most preferred tourist destinations in Wayanad.

There are boating facilities for the tourist in the Pookode Lake. Pedal boats are available. Boating in the lake, viewing the stunning beauty of the lake is a unique experience. You can also make a visit to the nearby freshwater aquarium, children's park and shopping centre exclusively for handiwork and spices. The shopping centres are owned by District Tourism Promotion Council. You can get plenty of things made up of bamboo and coconut husk at this shopping centre.

A visit to this lake at the time of dawn or dusk is always recommended. The lake is maintained by the South Wayanad forest division. There are frequent bus services to this place. The timing is from 9 am to 5 pm and nominal fees needs to be paid.

The beautiful freshwater lake in Wayanad, Pookode Lake lays 15 kilometre away from Kalpetta.

Valmeekam Tribal Museum

Valmeekam Tribal Museum and Art Gallery

Valmeekam clay art gallery is a Unique Realization of Clay Sculptury. First Ever Terracotta Sculpture Museum in Kerala. Valmeekam art gallery is an exquisite display of finely carved terracotta sculptures. Each sculpture, displayed in the museum, can tell a thousand stories about man’s relationship with nature and his/her unending pursuit for spirituality.

The open terracotta sculpture gallery, located near the peaceful Kuruva Island, a tourist attraction in Wayanad, Kerala, is first of its kind in India. The museum is arranged in a unique manner so that a visitor can feel and experience the mysticism of nature, the inspiration behind these pieces of art.

When you step into the gallery, you are stepping into a world that resonates with your inner voice. Carving man’s quest for spirituality into an art form is seen as impossible, but through his terracotta sculptures, George kutty has in fact made it possible.

Based on the central themes, the sculptures carved in terracotta can be broadly classified into:

Tribes: The designs that fall under this category mirrors the unique characteristics of Wayanad’s tribal culture, customs, rituals and their timeless relation with nature.

Love: Love and passion is considered as the essential nature of all beings. Sculptures that imprison passionate relationship between men and women and the divine love of Mother Nature are showcased in this category.

Buddha: The inspiring life cycle of Budha is the predominant theme of Buddha terracotta sculptures. There is a rare sculpture that portrays Buddha with a beard.

How to Reach :  Valmeekam Art Gallery and Museum is very close to Kuruva Island. It is 35 km from Kalpetta and 45 km from Bathery. The closest big towns are Calicut (Kozhikode - 115 km) and Mysore (105 km). 

Valmeekam Art Gallery and Museum - Near Kuruva Island, P.O.Bavali, Mananthavady, Wayanad, Kerala, India

Edakkal Caves

Edakkal Caves, Nenmeni Near Wayanad

Edakkal Caves are the natural caves at a remote location at Edakkal, 25 km from Kalpetta in the Wayanad district of Kerala in India's Western Ghats. They lie 1,200 metres above sea level on Ambukutty Mala, beside an ancient trade route connecting the high mountains of Mysore to the ports of the Malabar coast. Inside the caves are pictorial writings believed to date to at least 6,000 BCE, from the Neolithic man, indicating the presence of a prehistoric civilization or settlement in this region. The Stone Age carvings of Edakkal are rare and are the only known examples from south India.

Edakal caves are famous for its pictorial paintings (cave paintings), which are considered to be of 6000 B C. To reach the caves, one has to trek through the Ambukutty Mala. It will take around one hour to climb the hill to see the historic caves.

Inside the cave, you can see two chambers. The lower chamber is 18 ft long, 12 ft wide and 10 ft high and the upper chamber is 96 ft long, 22 ft wide and 18 ft high. You can sight carvings of human, animal figures and objects used by humans, on the walls of the caves. These carvings give great evidence for a highly civilized society who lived in the pre-historic age. Edakkal caves have drawn great attention of archeologists and historians worldwide.

Edakkal is the only known place in India with Stone Age carvings. You can see here carvings belonging to Neolithic and Mesolithic age. The human figures of these caves have raised hair and some have masks. They all have archeological significance and are interesting too. Along with these pictorial carvings, you can also watch Tamil and Brahmi Script in Edakkal caves.

Edakkal is said to have some links with Indus Valley Civilization too. Around 400 signs were discovered recently, which had shown its relationship with the ancient civilization.

While trek to Edakkal Caves, we can see the Edakkal Amma open church on the foot path to the  caves, Many stone carvings can be seen there. The pictures of Mother Mary, Jesus Christ, Adam and Eve Forbidden fruit etc., are carved on the rocks.

The visiting time to Edakal caves is from morning 9:30 to evening 4:30. You can reach the lower part of the Ambukutty hills via bus or car and from there you have to climb the hills. Till mid way of the hills, you can make use of the jeeps arranged by the DTPC. To enter the caves, you have to pay a reasonable entry fee.