With monsoon knocking on our doors and few days of leave... we planned a visit to Wayanad also called as kashmir of kerala. We planned to book a homestay but instead booked a cottage with Yatra.com. We departed from chennai early morning at 0300 hrs and reached Kalpetta at 1500 hrs including meal breaks. The route was Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysore-Nanjangud-Gundulpet-sultan bathery-kalpetta. The road was good and dark monsoon clouds ensured a scenic journey. The stretch through Bandipur forest was the best and we spotted some animals like elephant and deer. We rested a bit in the cottage then went around the local market in search of food. The food choices are really limited in kalpetta with only few decent places available . We realised everything here closes by 1900 hrs. Also to our utter disappointment we came to know that Chembra peak is closed fr last few months due to forest fire. Chembra was one place we really wanted to visit. We should have checked this as part of our planning. We did a little shopping and then rested.
After a refreshing night rest we had breakfast at our cottage and headed for local sightseeing places. Pookat lake is a beautiful picnic spot with boating available. Just as we had finished boating, we were greeted with a heavy down pour. The natural greenery of the place along with a dash of monsoon showers was really delighting. We then headed to Meenmutti falls and realised that its been closed too!! The drive through the hills with a veil of clouds playing hide and seek, flashing breathtaking views of hill peaks was a reward in itself. We had lunch in a local eatery which served fresh hot rice n sambhar. We then reached soojipara waterfalls. A short walk of 1 km and we were witnessing the falls at full vigour. It was really exhilarating to witness cool water falling down the rocks. A short dip in it washed away all our fatigue abd we headed back. Hot maggi and tea close to the parking spot was very refreshing. We headed back mesmerised by the sheer beauty of God's own country.
Second day we went through the list of local attractions and homed on to Banasura dam. Fresh after breakfast we headed to the dam which is 20 km from Kalpetta. Its the second largest earth dam in Asia and provides scenic view. The motor boat ride in its waters was enthralling. As luck would have it, the trek to banasura hill was closed due to incessant rains. Thus we kept looking at the inviting peaks without ever being able to conquer them.
Thus came an end to our holidays at wayanad. Certain tips fr ppl planning to visit wayanad are:
1. Monsoon is off season here. It really rains a lot. Best way to have fun is to book a retreat with tea farms/spice gardens amidst nature.
2. Shopping enthusiasts must keep their expectations low. Really limited choice fr shopping both in kalpetta and sultan bathery.
3. Try d local cuisine than going fr regular meal options. You will b surprised by it.
4. The place is infested with mosquitos. Take proper care in the evenings.
5. Do go in fr a jungle safari in d nearby forest areas or explore d plethora of trekking options in the area.
With proper planning and a gud company, you can have d best times of your life in Wayanad. My trip rejuvenated me to the core n prepared me to take on the challenges of daily mundane life. And as they say its not about the destination but the journey that counts!!! So i wish we make d best of the limited time available to us by seeing things that really makes us euphoric.
