Discover the Top 9 Things to Do in Wayanad

Discover the Top 9 Things to Do in Wayanad

Wayanad, an Indian state known for its natural beauty and rich history, is tucked away in Kerala‘s beautiful landscapes. Normally, it has been observed that people are confused regarding what to do in Wayanad. We cordially encourage you to explore the most popular Wayanad tourist places in this article, each of which captures a distinct aspect of the area’s fascinating past. Let’s have a look at the top 9 things to do in Wayanad. Before that, let’s know a little bit about the place. 

Discover Wayanad: Kerala’s Hidden Gem for Nature Enthusiasts

For several years, the influx of people to Kerala has increased. Abundant rainfall, lush greenery, beautiful beaches, the mountains of the Western Ghats and the rain clouds hiding in them, boating in the backwaters, numerous springs and waterfalls, dense forests, and its diverse wildlife attract countless tourists to Kerala during the monsoon season. Many of these flock to places like Munnar, Alleppey, Periyar, Thekkady, Kovalam, Poovar, Kochi, etc. All these places have their own beauty and charm. But the province of Wayanad, which remains off the traditional package tour circuit, is a treasure trove for nature lovers. In other words, many natural features have naturally coincided with age.

Wayanad: A Tapestry of History and Agriculture

The word Wayanad is derived from the Malayalam words Wayala and Nadu. Wayanad means land of paddy fields. However, apart from paddy, coffee, tea, rubber, cardamom, pepper, etc. are also extensively cultivated here. Known as Bayalnad in ancient India, this verdant region has seen the invasions and coups of almost all the great empires of South India, like Kudamba, Hoysala, Vijayanagara, Wadiyar of Mysore, and Sultan. In the eighteenth century, Hyder Ali and then his son Tipu Sultan ruled Bayalnad (Wayanad). But then, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, England’s East India Company established its control over the Wayanad and started the cultivation of tea, coffee, and peppermint on the fertile land there. Even today, agricultural products are a major contributor to the vibrant economy of India.

Wayanad: Unveiling Hidden Beauty in God’s Own Country

As compared to other popular places in Kerala in the name of tourism, Wayanad earns a little less, which is surprising. Because, from a tourism point of view, Wayanad is a wonderful place. Covered with a mixture of perennial, deciduous, and montane forests, the region has the potential to attract tourists in every season. But during the monsoon season, the beauty of the region reaches its peak. The Wayanad region has many places to see and enjoy, some of which are detailed here:

1 Vythiri: trees in forests and houses on trees

As the region of Wayanad is at a minimum height of 700 meters and a maximum of 2,100 meters above sea level, the climate is generally pleasant. Located 63 km north-east of Calicut (Kozhikode) town, Vythiri is known for its dense forests and tree houses within the forests. Just as a houseboat is a floating house in the backwaters of Alleppey, a tea house is a giant cocoon in the branches of trees 40 to 90 feet above the ground in dense forests.

The local tribal people of Vythiri have been building houses on trees for years. The main purpose of living on high ground instead of on the ground is protection from wild animals and reptiles. Over time, this idea was adopted by some resort owners in Vythiri in the name of eco-tourism. Today, Vythiri is home to resorts that offer tree-house experiences to tourists in large numbers. A simple wooden tree-house structure built on a tall, sturdy tree is completely eco-friendly. A treehouse is prepared on a trunk-shaped pole of a living tree with materials such as bamboo, coconut, coir ropes, grass, etc. All natural ingredients! Even a small nail is not used anywhere.

After knowing all this, the question arises: how do I finally reach the tree house at a height of 40 to 90 feet? Via the wooden ladder! Some resorts have also kept a pulley lift. Standing as a guest in a wooden cage tied with ropes. A counter-weight is attached to the opposite end of the rope. Following the principle of the pulley, as one end of the rope is pulled downward, the counter-weight comes down, and the guest slowly climbs up to the house! To know what this experience is like, have a look at the below video:

There are a number of resorts with tree-houses located in the forests of Vythiri, information about which can be found at https://www.vythiriresort.com/. The price may seem steep, but there are reasons behind it. The main thing is that it is very expensive to create and maintain food, water, and shelter facilities in the middle of the forest.

Dense forest all around, 40 to 90 feet high shelter, chirping of birds, cool breeze, sound of streams flowing in the forest, melodious music of raindrops on the roof of the tree-house when it is raining gently refreshes the mind and body of the tourist. There are many trekking routes in the Vythiri forests, on which the resort management can arrange a guide if you want to enjoy a trek on foot. Boating can also be enjoyed by visiting Pukod (or Pukot) Lake, which is barely five kilometers from Vythiri.

2 Banasura hills and Dam

The dam built on the tributary of the Kimbin River flowing between the Banasura Hills in the Western Ghats is the largest earth dam in India and the second largest in Asia. This type of dam is constructed with earth and gravel. After the very wide base is prepared, it is covered with a thick layer of cement-concrete towards the bay. In addition to the Banasura Dam, the lake formed behind it is also worth seeing, where small and big islands have emerged in between. One can enjoy a speedboat ride in the lake. Trekking can be enjoyed in the green hills surrounding the lake. During the monsoon, the beauty of the Banasur hills increases many times.

3. Meenmutthi: The highest waterfall in Kerala

Meenmutthi falls in three stages from a height of about thousands of feet and ranks fifth on the list of the highest waterfalls in India. Yet it is unknown to many tourists visiting Kerala. In Malayalam, meen means fish, and mutti means to stop. It is said that the fish stop behind the rock before the waterfall falls. So, they do not fall off with the fall of water. For this reason, the waterfall has come to be known as Meenamutti. The ideal spot to view this waterfall from a distance is Nilimala, about 30 km east of Vythiri, while to enjoy it up close, one has to trek about 2 km through the forest from the Wayanad-Ooty road. The trek may seem tiring, but there is no sign of fatigue after reaching the falls. The forest department has arranged beautiful view points at different levels to watch the falls falling in three tiers. One can also camp for a night near Meenmutty Falls with the prior permission of Forest Department.

4 Chambra Peak: Challenging Trekkers

As mentioned earlier, the highest elevation of Vayanad in the Western Ghats range is 2,100 meters (6,890 ft), and that is the level peak known as Chambra Peak. Trekking enthusiasts must visit it. The foothills of this peak can be reached by an hour or so of highway from Vythiri via Meppadi and Keladi villages, from where one has to trek for about three hours.

Greenery all around, mountains, waterfalls, streams, clouds, dense fog, and cold wind blowing are the permanent nature of Chambra Peak. Apart from this, a special attraction of Chambra Peak is the naturally formed heart-shaped lake, which has become a selfie point for young

tourists. If there is less cloud cover (which is rare), the view of Banasura Dam from here is also mesmerizing. The Chambra Peak Trek is therefore enjoyable throughout the twelve months, but its beauty is more vivid during the rainy season.

The forest department has fixed the time period for this trek from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. However, if you want to spend the night at the peak, the state tourism department at Kalpetta has arranged for camping. More information: (04936) 203428, (04936) 282001 and 23517668O (Range Forest Officer) phone numbers by contacting the forest account.

5 Soochipara Falls: Minister of Kerala

In Malayalam, sochi means needle and para means rock! The falls are also known as Sentinel or Santri Falls, as they are situated on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. Parking the vehicle near the entrance on the way to the waterfall, purchasing a ticket for Rs 50/-, a twenty-minute walk through dense forest leads to the Soochipara Falls. The water of the waterfall, gushing from a height of about 200 meters (656 feet), forms a natural swimming pool at the bottom, which attracts a good number of tourists to enjoy the swim. It is possible to visit Sochipara Falls from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 PM.

6 Sultan Bathery: Tipu’s Armoury

Located at junction of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Sultan Bathery is the largest town in wayanad. In the 18th century, Tipu Sultan used the Jain temple here as a battery armory during his massive invasion of the Malabar province. The place has since become famous as Sultan’s Bathery. Situated at 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level, the plateau of Sultan Bathery is known for its green hills, pleasant weather, tea gardens, natural caves, and ancient temples. The major places to visit here include the Wayanad Heritage Museum, Jain Temple, Tovarimala Prehistoric Cave, Phantom Rock, etc.

7 Historical Caves of Edakkal

Eight thousand years of history is preserved in the Edakkal cave near Sultan Battery, which is seen in the form of engravings on the stones of the cave. Who and how would have created the wild animals and human figures, stars, chakras, triangles, pots etc. on the rocks is an unsolved mystery, to get which the archaeologists and historians of the country and abroad have been visiting and trying time to time. Some experts have also concluded from certain patterns of the carvings that it must have been influenced by the Indus civilization that settled here at that time.

This cave is one of the best prehistoric art galleries not only in India but also in the world due to the carvings that have been preserved for almost 8000 years. ‘Time travel’ in the era of eight thousand years ago in Edakkal cave while visiting Wayanad.

A privilege to do is not to be missed. It takes about two and a half hours of trekking to reach the cave, which is about 4,000 feet above the surface, but the surrounding natural beauty is so beautiful that it makes the trek refreshing.

8 Wayanad wildlife sanctuary

There is so much diversity in Flora and fauna in the forest region of India that Kerala, as well as most of South India, is the biggest natural museum of plants, pepper-spice plants, herbs, birds, mammals, reptiles, etc. That is why this area has been given a place in the world heritage list under Natural Heritage by UNESCO. Wild animals and birds like tigers, elephants, leopards, wild cats, wild dogs, jackals, bears, deer, gazelles, peacocks, woodpeckers, owls, pheasants, parrots, etc. are found in the forests of Wayanad. This area, which has existed as a sanctuary since 1973, is known as the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is a region of Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu and Bandipur in Karnataka.

This protected area of about three and a half square kilometers is divided into two divisions, namely Mutanga (Upper Range) and Tolpetti (Lower Range). Mainly Euciliptise and bamboo trees are found here in abundance. Enjoy Jeep Safari can be enjoyed at two times: 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Along with this, one can also experience wildlife trekking, bird watching, visit to elephant breeding camp, visit to tribal area, etc. For more information, contact:

The Wildlife Warden.
Wayanad Wildlife Division,
Sultan Bathery,
Phone : (04936) 2620454
Mobile: 8517603561,
Email: ww-wynd.for@kerala.gov.in

9 Kuruvadweep, an island on the river

This island on the Kabini River on the border of Karnataka and Kerala is one of the major attractions for tourists visiting Wayanad and a great option for a one-day picnic. Spread over an area of ​​about 950 acres, the island is actually a group of small islands formed at the confluence of the Kibini River and its branches. There is no human habitation or settlement in the area of ​​9 kilometers from this island. Reaching the river after passing through dense forest all around, one has to board a bamboo raft made by the forest department to go to Kuruwa Island.

Unveiling Wayanad’s Hidden Treasures: Nature, Waterfalls, and Temples

Some rare species of flowers, asparagus, herbs and birds are found in the forest here. If luck is with you, you can sometimes see an elephant during the forest trek. Kuruwa Island Visiting Timings 9 am to 5 pm. The island is closed to visitors from June to September.

Also the waterfalls in Kantanapara Wayanad, Chetalyam Falls, Historic Vishnu Temple of Tirunelly, Luv-kush Sita Temple, Pakshipatalam Bird Sanctuary, Chain Tree, Lakkidi View Point, Tamrasari Ghat, Karapuzha Dam, Puliyarmala Jain Temple, Kottamundu Glass Temple, Glass Bridge in Forest near Meppadi etc. There is a treasure trove of sightseeing places. However, all those places remain unknown to most of the tourists visiting Kerala through package tours. If you are planning a trip to Kerala this monsoon, make a special program of separate visits to the state’s natural jewels, like the old province.

Good to know:

The nearest major railway station and airport to Wayanad is Calicut (Kozhikode). Places like Chaitri, Kalpetta, Sultan Battery can be reached by local taxi or bus.

Many beautiful resorts, hotels, and home-stay facilities are available for booking online. For convenience, staying near Kalpetta, which is in the center of all sightseeing spots, is recommended.

Some tree house resorts have restrictions, such as not allowing children under 12 years of age, limiting guests to two, and restricting heavy luggage. Extra-heavy luggage must be deposited at the reception. Bookings should be made after necessary inquiries.

Light or moderate trekking is necessary to reach many places in the valley. It is essential to carry an umbrella, raincoat, or poncho during the rainy season.

Certain places, like Kuruwa Island and the sanctuary, are closed to tourists during the monsoon. However, the rainy season is the best time to enjoy the true natural beauty of Wayanad. Plastic is completely banned in almost all natural places in Kerala.

Wayanad Tourism Website: www.wayanad.org

Conclusion

The main tourist attractions in Wayanad reveal the historical strands woven throughout this charming area, offering more than simply breathtaking scenery. Every location contributes a different chapter to the tale of Wayanad, from the summit of Chembra Peak to the depths of Edakkal Caves, and from the technological wonder of Banasura Sagar Dam to the cultural treasure trove of Wayanad Heritage Museum.

Therefore, Wayanad welcomes you with open arms and is ready to share its rich history and timeless charm, regardless of your interests—you may be an avid trekker, history buff, or nature lover.

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