Wayanad, is situated in an elevated picturesque mountainous plateau in Western Ghats.
Duration: 3 days
Group: 3 persons
Trip Cost: Rs. 1700/-per person
Getting there: Wayanad is accessible from all parts of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamilnadu by road.
Mysore – 140 kms, Kozhikode – 72 kms.
We took Mysore Express from Chennai to Mysore. We reached there at 8:00 a.m. After finishing our breakfast(Mysore Masala Dosai) at a hotel near by bus stand, we took a bus to “Sulthan Bathery” via Gundlapet. The road from Gundlapet to Sulthan Bathery was picturesque, which pass through Muthunga Wildlife Sanctuary. We were lucky to spot elephants taking bath in a pond on the roadside. After 3.5 hours of journey we reached sulthan bathery. We took a 3-bed room for just Rs. 200 in a place called Alfa Tourist Home, the room was clean with basic facilities.
Day1:
Meenmutty Waterfalls:
We had our breakfast in a small hotel in sulthan bathery, and took a bus to Vaduvanchal via Ambalavayal to reach Meenmutty Waterfall(Distance: 28 kms).
After an hour of interesting 4 km trekking in the jungle, off the main Ooty Road, we reached the main fall.
Meenmutty is the largest and most spectacular waterfall in Wayanad. A unique feature is that water drops about 300 metres over three stages. On the way back, we had buttermilk from a hillside shop, which was refreshing for our tired and dehydrated body. We reached back to sulthan bathery around 9 p.m.
Day2:
Muthunga Wildlife Sanctuary:
We wake up early in the morning, took an auto from Bathery to Muthunga WLS(fare: Rs. 100). We got the permission from the forest office and booked a jeep(Rs. 250), which took us inside the forest. To venture into the forest you need to accompanied by an experience guide(fee: Rs.100). The guide helped us spotting deer, bear, herd of elephants, malabar squirrel, peacock, monkeys.
Chembra Peak:
After light breakfast, we took a bus to Meppadi via Kalpetta from SultanBathery. From Meppadi we took a auto(Rs.70) to Chembra peak. Before heading to Chembra peak you have to get permission from the forest office located just 1 km. from meppadi. The auto driver took us to the base of Chembra peak. The route to the base via Chembra tea estate was a beautiful bumpy journey, surrounded by tea plantation. We saw a tamed elephant given a scrubbed bath in the pond on our way. At 2100 meters, the spectacular Chembra Peak located towards the southern part of Wayanad is the tallest summit in the region.
Climbing this peak is a easy for beginners and would take a full day. After 2 hour of trekking we reached a heart-shaped lake. Climb from the lake to the top of the peak is too steep. The view of the valley from the top is breathtaking.
It was a sunny day, we almost cleared all our water bottles that we took with us. while we are returning down to the peak's bottom, it took 1 hour 30 minutes to reach there.
Sentinal Rock Falls or Soochipara:
From Chembra peak we directly headed to Soochipara waterfall, which is around 18 km from Meppadi town. You have to walk 2 km from the car parking area to reach the falls, passage is paved with stones. When we reached the falls it was almost around 6 p.m., so very less group of people were there near the fall. We took a refreshing bath in the falls, all the tired of climbing the chembra peak vanished in a minute. We reached meppadi town around 8 p.m., from there we took a bus to manathanvady via kalpetta.
Day 3:
Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary:
Started off at 8 a.m. from manathanvady to Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary by bus. We reached the sanctuary at 9:00 a.m. Visitors must be accompanied by a guide. We were not lucky to spot many animals there, but the scenery inside the forest was a visual treat. we saw langoor monkey, bison, buffalo, malabar squirrel. After one hour of jeep safari into the forest, we finished our delicious breakfast in a small shop there and took a jeep(Rs. 25) to a small town called “Kutta” in karnataka which is just 5 km. from the sanctuary. From Kutta, we took a jeep(Rs. 170 to and fro) to Irpu falls.
Irpu Falls:
Irpu falls is 8 kms away, and is inside the Bhrahmagiri wild life sanctuary. The jeep took as to the Forest check post, where we have to get the tickets to visit Irpu falls. You have to walk 1 k.m. in the forest to reach Irpu falls, which was in less force in summer. To see Irpu falls at its best, you have to plan your visit between july to september, just after monsoon. You also have lot of home stay options near Irpu falls which serves traditional coorgi food. After our visit to Irpu falls, we directly headed to Mysore via Gonnikoppal->Hunsur.
