JOIN USWayanad is one of the perfect weekend destinations for Bengalureans because of its proximity. My wife Srilatha, and I had the opportunity to go to Wayanad recently for a weekend. We had booked our stay at a spa resort in Vythiri village, which is a six-hour drive from Bengaluru.
In order to beat the morning rush and to avoid driving at a stretch, we started one late evening and stayed in Mysuru that night. From Mysuru, my brother Sanjay and his wife Siri accompanied us to Wayanad.
Enroute we stopped at a 10th-century temple dedicated to Vijaya Narayana.
The temple was built during the period of Vishnuvardhan of the Hoysala dynasty. It is decorated with ornate metaphor in front and beautiful pillars support the bracket figures and warriors on lions.
We reached the resort by 1 pm. The resort is in the midst of Wayanad's pristine beauty and spread across 25 acres. It is packed with a lot of fun-filled activities like zip line riding, paintball shooting, fish spa, archery and cycling. We were given a warm welcome after which we proceeded to have lunch at one of the three restaurants. We were pampered with exotic cuisine including Kerala delicacies.
After some time, we set out to explore Vythiri. After a small trek and crossing the hanging bridge, we came across a natural waterfall where we could bathe. The steady and gentle flow of water had a massaging effect on our body. Later, we did zip line riding, archery and cycling.
We started the next day with a nature walk through the coffee estate and the spice garden. The two-hour walk in misty weather rejuvenated us. After a sumptuous breakfast, we set out to explore some of the prominent places in Wayanad.
The scenic Pookode Lake lies at a distance of 4 km from the resort. It is a perennial freshwater lake surrounded by flower meadows, hills and lush greenery all around and offers a breathtaking view.
Soochipara Falls, also known as sentinel rock waterfalls, is a spectacular three-tiered waterfalls in Vellarimala. It was about 26 km from our resort. It is surrounded by tropical forests.
The drive to the waterfalls offers a scenic view of some of the best tea estate in Wayanad. The sentinel rock waterfalls offer a cliff face ideal for rock climbing.
The uniqueness of the falls is that one can go till the foot of the falls after climbing the rocks and experience the tremendous pressure of water which is so soothing. I also noticed how clean the area near the falls was.
Kudos to authorities for implementing a strict ban on plastic bottles and eatables.
Edakkal Caves was 48 km from our resort. The caves are two natural caves located at a height of 1,000 meters on Ambukuthi Mala. Inside the caves are pictorial writings believed to be by a Neolithic man. This is an evidence of the presence of a pre-historic civilisation existing in this region.
Other places of interest in Wayanad are Banasura Sagar Dam (22 km), Kuruvadweep (45 km), Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary (50 km). Due to time constraints, we could not visit these places.
We started our last day with a morning walk in the misty weather. We cycled inside the resort premises. Another amazing experience for us was the fish spa.
After breakfast, we started our journey back to Bengaluru crossing wonderful Bandipur National Park. The trip was perfect for us to unwind ourselves.
(The author can be contacted at sridharnuggehalli@gmail.com)