Wayanad
A Western Ghats plateau in northern Kerala with spice and tea plantations, prehistoric rock-art caves and forests roamed by wild elephants — ideal for a nature getaway.
Wayanad is an upland district in northeastern Kerala, ranging from 700 to 2,100 m in elevation. Part of the Western Ghats and the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, it borders Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to the east. The landscape is covered with tea estates and coffee and spice plantations, its evergreen and bamboo forests shelter large numbers of Asian elephants, and it is rich in tribal culture and prehistoric sites. Sightseeing usually falls into three areas: the south around Kalpetta and Vythiri (Lakkidi Viewpoint, Pookode Lake, Chembra Peak, Soochipara and Kanthanpara falls); the east around Sultan Bathery and Ambalavayal (Edakkal Caves, Phantom Rock, the Jain temple, Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary); and the north around Mananthavady (Kuruva Island, Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary, Thirunelli Temple). Banasura Sagar Dam and Karlad Lake on the western side make a separate half-day trip. The best time to visit is October to May, when it is cool and dry; the southwest monsoon of June–September brings heavy rain — waterfalls are at their fullest, but the risk of landslides and road closures is high. In July 2024 a massive landslide struck the Meppadi area, and some attractions were closed for a long time. The nearest airport is Kozhikode (Calicut), about 90 km away, reached by climbing the Thamarassery Ghat road; you can also come by road from Mysuru or Bengaluru, though the highways through the wildlife reserves are closed at night. Allow 3–4 days; hiring a car with driver is the most convenient way to get around. Most treks and wildlife excursions require Forest Department permits and are often suspended at short notice, so check before you go, and never get out of your vehicle on forest roads at night.
Top sights
- Edakkal Caves – A natural rock-crevice cave on the summit of Ambukuthi Hill, its walls covered in Neolithic rock carvings. It's Kerala's most important pre…
- Banasura Sagar Dam – One of India's largest earth dams. The reservoir is dotted with islands formed by submerged hills, with Banasura Hill rising behind.
- Chembra Peak – Wayanad's highest peak, at about 2,100 m. On the way up you pass a small alpine lake shaped like a heart.
- Soochipara Falls – A three-tiered waterfall in the forest, where water drops about 200 meters between needle-like rocks, with a pool below for wading.
- Pookode Lake – A natural freshwater lake surrounded by forest, shaped roughly like a map of India. Row boats and walk around the lake. It is the first sto…
- Kuruva Island – A river delta forest of more than a hundred small islands in the Kabini River. Take a bamboo raft to the island and wade among streams and…
- Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary – The eastern section of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, where jeep tours through teak forest look for Asian elephants, Indian gaur and deer…
- Thirunelli Temple – An ancient Vishnu temple at the foot of Brahmagiri Mountain, known as the “Kashi of the South.” Devotees perform ancestral rites in the nea…
- Meenmutty Falls – One of Wayanad’s largest waterfalls, its roughly 300-metre drop split into three tiers through dense forest. Reaching it requires a trek th…
- Kanthanpara Falls – A small waterfall among tea gardens near Meppadi, dropping about 30 metres. It is a few minutes’ walk from the car park and quieter than So…
- Lakkidi View Point – The gateway to Wayanad at the top of the Thamarassery Pass, overlooking the nine-hairpin mountain road and the deep valleys of the Western…
- Phantom Rock – A giant boulder shaped like a skull, near Ambalavayal. Climb to the top for views over rice paddies and mountains.
- Jain Temple, Sulthan Bathery – A granite Jain temple dating from around the 13th century. In the 18th century Tipu Sultan used it as an arsenal, and the British called th…
- Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary – The northern section of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, bordering Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka. Jeep tours often encounter elephant…
- Karapuzha Dam – Another large earth dam in Wayanad. Below it lie gardens and an outdoor adventure park, making it ideal for a half-day outing with children.
- Wayanad Heritage Museum – A small museum in Ambalavayal displaying tools and artifacts of Wayanad's tribal peoples, ancient hero stones and excavated relics.
- Karlad Lake – A small forest lake near Banasura with zip lines, kayaking and lakeside trails, one of Wayanad's most popular outdoor adventure spots.
- Pakshipathalam – A cluster of giant rock caves and a bird habitat on the summit of Brahmagiri hill, reached by a one-day guided hike from Thirunelli.
- Neelimala Viewpoint – A hilltop lookout near Vaduvanchal from which you can take in the full sweep of Meenmutty Falls and the valley below.
- Kurumbalakotta – A recently popular sunrise hill where, on winter mornings, clouds roll over rice paddies and villages below.
Where to eat
- 1980s – A Nostalgic Restaurant – A retro-themed restaurant in a restored old Kerala house on the Kalpetta bypass, popular for banana-leaf grilled fish a…
- Wilton Restaurant – The most reviewed restaurant in Sulthan Bathery, popular for seafood platters, biryani and Arabic mandi.
- Jubilee Restaurant – A Malabar restaurant in Sulthan Bathery open since 1996, famous for biryani and clay-pot seafood rice.
- Affas Udupi Vegetarian – A long-running vegetarian restaurant opposite Kalpetta's new bus stand, offering good-value banana-leaf meals and ghee…
Itineraries
- Malabar Coast & Theyyam Ritual Dance – Explore North Kerala via Beypore, Wayanad, Kannur Theyyam, and Bekal Fort.