Part II: Wayanad

So I recently made a third trip to Kerala. I have now covered Cochin, Trivandrum, Kovalam, and Wayanad. And this time true to my earlier stated intentions, we (me and twelve other members of my Family) stayed for longer and did not crowd the trip. Such an itinerary left us free to explore Wayanad at will and leisure over a period of four days.

Wayanad is a small but popular hill station in Kerala about 2,300 ft above sea level. Therefore, obviously, this place is a lot different from my earlier descriptions of the Kerala with the pristine sun kissed beaches, the unbroken line of coconut trees stretching for as far as the eye can see on one side, and the clear blue and green waters of the Indian Ocean or the Arabian Sea on the other. Wayanad brings forth and presents to us the other side of Kerala - the one which has Mountains, valleys, plantations and virgin evergreen forests, with beautiful lakes nestled in between them, again stretching as far as the eye (or even binoculars) can see. While the coastal side of Kerala is all about quality R&R, Wayanad gives you the option of either relaxing in one of the many beautiful resorts located here or choosing a more adventurous path and going on some truly challenging rock climbing and trekking expeditions to Edakkal caves, various waterfalls (we went to Meenmooty and were totally floored both by the trek as well as the indescribable beauty of the falls itself), Chembra peak (said to be the third highest peak in south India, this peak is always shrouded in mists and clouds and is a sight to behold!).

We chose the second option and hiked our way up to Edakkal caves and the rocks beyond and down a steep mountainside to the Meenmooty waterfalls. Unfortunately, we did all of this on the same day and thus had to suffer from mild to severe body ache (depending upon individual fitness levels) for the next day or two. That made up my mind for me and I decided to stick therein after to long walks on river islands and across tame looking rivers and the surrounding countryside and not attempt the 4 hour trek up Chembra Peak as did two of my more enthusiastic (and fitter???) cousins. My walks took me into plantations growing coffee, bananas, areka nuts, pepper and even some tea. Apart from all of this we also did the usual touristy stuff of visiting all the 'points' and 'views' around Wayanad. The whole experience was not only very rewarding but also strangely (in spite of the physical exhaustion of the first day) very relaxing.

My only disappointment was that because we went just when the tourist season in Wayanad was ending but had not quite ended, there were people and tourists at every spot we went to. I like the feeling of being alone and secluded and surrounded only by nature! This, was not always possible in all the 'touristy' spots of Wayanad. Of course, courtesy our always-ready-to-help resort owner, we also went to a few out of the way spots and they were fun, being all that I wanted them to be. But still, somehow I never felt 'away from civilisation' - if you know what I mean. Wherever we went there were either other tourists or locals living in quaint little cottages complete with electricity and telephone lines! Sure it denotes the development levels of Kerala, the fact that they have connected even the remote parts with electricity and phone lines, but somehow and for some reason it disappointed me!

But apart from that small almost forgettable bit, Wayanad was every bit as magical as it is said to be. I fall more and more in love with this state every time I visit it!