Team-BHP - Wayanad - help needed!

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Hi guys, my wife and I along with another couple are planning a trip to Wayanad next weekend. I do not have much of an idea about Wayanad - just started going through some sites on the net. But, I would really appreciate if someone could help me with -

- route to Wayanad (Vythri is the town, right?). I have traveled up to Gundlupet, but am not much aware of the route beyond that
- decent place to stay (preferably a resort or even a good homestay)
- major attractions

thanks a lot!

the road to the right from Gundulpet takes you to Wayanad through the forest (ask anyone). Blore - Wayanad is the easiest route on earth. Total time should be 4-5 hours. There are tonnes of info. Wayanad itself is a town. Vythiri resort is one of the best ones.

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- route to Wayanad (Vythri is the town, right?). I have traveled up to Gundlupet, but am not much aware of the route beyond that

After Gundlupet town take the very next right and the road takes you straight to Wayanad from there. Vythiri is a small town there and the Pookod lake is just around the corner, you can never loose your way its well marked.

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- decent place to stay (preferably a resort or even a good homestay)

Quite a few travelogues available at your disposal. Else you always have HolidayIQ (HolidayIQ | India holidays, India hotels, Reviews, Maps, Packages, Weekend Getaways, Forums) with reviews.

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- major attractions

Depends on how many days you have and would like to spend there. However here goes the list

Muttanga Wildlife Sanctuary:
Suchipara Falls
Meenmutty Falls
Pookote Lake
Karlad Lake
Banasura Sagar Dam
Chempara Peak
Lakkidi (next stop after Vythiri enroute Calicut).
Edakkal Caves
Thirunelly - Close to Mananthavady
Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary - Close to Thirunelly
Kuravadweep (Kurava isle)
Ambalavayal Heritage Museum
Karapuzha Dam

Aah ok , now time to get back to work. Happy tripping !!

whoa .. thanks happywheels! i managed to find one of ur travelogues in the meantime :) a coupla hours of looking thru the net has got me a bit confused on where to go!

considering the grind i've been thru the last few months, i would rather prefer to spend a quiet time in lush greenery and maybe travel to some nearby attraction. i read about the peppergreen resort and it seemed quite interesting. do you know of the Chembra peak and accomodation over there?

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Originally Posted by royalcruiser (Post 1385767)

i juts saw that the ghat section on this route has been washed away partially by some flash floods, the traffic on this route has been stopped since afternoon today , all the Malayalm channels were flashing this new, the evening news reported that it will take another 10 hrs to clear this route to single lane traffic.

Since you are planning to visit during the peak of monsoon which it seems is just setting in on kerala be prepared to face eventualities of flooding on roads, and remember if the water is over 3/4 of your wheel you can be swept away if the flow is crossing your road

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Originally Posted by royalcruiser (Post 1385563)

Not a good time to visit Wayanad unless you like monsoon. if raining there you wont be able to go out anywhere ,
(August last week will be a lot better)

Now Route

Take right turn after Gundlupet RTO office. (NH 212) Very nice road, you love it but beware of huge unmarked speed breakers
45 KM you reach Muttanga Wildlife Sanctuary: (to be frank nothing to see there
But on the way if you are lucky you can see lot of Elephants and other animals on the road,( normally they are very friendly) if you want to take photos please switch of the flash

“Please note that there is no place called Wayanad in Wayanad”

Another 12 KM you reach Sulthan bathery (one of the 3 Major towns in Wayanad)
Stick on NH 212 for another ~5 KM then there is a small junction take left to Ambalavayal

Now you have

Edakkal Caves (must see, but you have to climb up)
Ambalavayal Heritage Museum (run by Govt kerala)
Enjoy !!!

Keep going to Meppadi route (Scenic route) once you reach Meppadi
Ask for Suchipara Falls (if you are ready to walk almost 2 KM on uneven walk path )

Come back to Meppadi
Then comes "Chempara Peak" This is on the way to Kalpetta from Meppadi
(You might need a help of official Guide to Climb up. If you are not ready for trekking, ignore this place, but worth going up)

Now move on to Kalpetta ( capital town of Wayanad) nothing much to see here
You are back on NH212

Move on to Vythiri same Calicut (NH212) highway 13 KM from Kalpetta you reach "Pookote Lake" Pedal and roving boats available from 9 am to 5 PM, its a natural lake

if you are ready to shell out 7k per day then vythiri resort is the best place to stay

Come back to NH212 stick to calicut route, another 6 KM you reach "Lakkidi view point" try to be here by 4.30 PM (My favorite place)
Now you reached one end of wayand

Come back to Vythiri on NH212
from Vythiri take a left turn traval another 20+ KM you reach
Banasura Sagar Dam, (Speed boat service available)
On the way you see ONLY Tea estates & catchment area of the Dam (another scenic journey)

After this you have to travel to Manathavady side

Once you reach Tharuvana ( ~10 KM from Dam) take a left and travel to Makkiyad ( 10+KM) to see Meenmutty Falls

Again Come back to Manathavady ( 1 of the 3 big town in the district)

Now you go to
Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary (~15 KM ) ( this is better than Muttanga Wildlife Sanctuary)
You can rent Safari Jeep
There are some good resorts here

Go to Thirunelly (~ 10+ KM from Tholpetty) ( there is a very famous temple and scenery ) This is the other end of Wayanad.

Temple has guest house facility they charge 650 per day
Tree house available here

If you want to see more wildlife go to Nagar hole national park , then back to Mysore

else come back to Manathavady - then take valliyurkkavu road towards Panamaram

Once you reach Koileri ( ~7 KM from Manathavady) take a left

Another 8 KM you reach Kurava dweep (Kurava Island)

Once done back to koileri then Panamaram (8KM) then back to Sulthan bathey ( NH212), Guntilpet , mysore , Bangalore
Enjoy !!!

I did this few weeks back but it was all together differnent route. Will update the travelouge soon. Basically my main destination was Kurava dweep (Kurava Island)

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Originally Posted by hellstar (Post 1386032)

thanks, hellstar! could not check the news last night, but i intend to go next weekend. I guess i'll monitor the rain situation next week and if its too bad to drive, would rather go a bit later.

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Originally Posted by vvvinod (Post 1386158)

Wow, vinod, Thats quite some information :thumbs up Looks like Vythiri is the place to base my stay - this will come in very handy to me:) I should be deciding on the place later today and will come back again to check on any further details!

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Originally Posted by royalcruiser (Post 1386563)

thanks, hellstar! could not check the news last night, but i intend to go next weekend. I guess i'll monitor the rain situation next week and if its too bad to drive, would rather go a bit later.

Wow, vinod, Thats quite some information :thumbs up Looks like Vythiri is the place to base my stay - this will come in very handy to me:) I should be deciding on the place later today and will come back again to check on any further details!

thanks

As per todays news update NH212 is closed near Muthanga due to flood.

uurgh .. I think I should keep another place as a backup, just in case the situation is as bad next week as well!

Actually we also had planned for Wayanad trip for this weekend but because of rains have changed the plans and want to to head to Coorg but even there its pouring so..

yep, its pouring in Coorg as well! I am beginning to think of Nagarholle/Kutta - not that we'll be spared from rains there, hopefully it wont be too much of an issue getting there:)

@ Royal cruiser - I think you should stay away from anywhere that part of the Nilgiri Biosphere and Coorg on account of the monsoon. I doubt you would be able to take the safari inside the forests in Nagarhole. With the rains it would be difficult to sight animals as well.

If you get accomodation at JLR you could possibly look at BRT Hills. Alternatively look at going to Ooty and just laze around though it could be biting cold because of rains.

Monsoons in full swing right now in Wayanad !! Just spoke to my dad who is there and was told its complete mayhem. So postpone your plans for some time in August.