Images – A Foggy Morning in Wayanad
Images of a foggy morning in Wayanad, shot a few days ago.
A lone Robin contemplates, sitting on the power line.
Tall trees in mist
Power lines fading into the mist..
Sorry, the hill is closed!!!
Bandipur -> Wayanad -> Kozhikode -> Guruvayur -> Cochin -> Periyar
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This is an experience we had in Wayanad the last time I was there.
We were on our way to birding in Edakal hill. Birding is an early morning activity, and we were there as early as 7am. When we arrived and parked the car at the base of the hill, some locals told that the hill is closed and opens only at 9.30!
Next day we were at Phookot Lake, again for birding. It was around 8am when we reached there. The lake was closed too and it was to open sometime later.
I have a few questions to ask about this.
I understand when a museum is closed, or a temple is closed. They have to be closed because the caretakers have their working hours and it can’t be kept open when there is no one inside. And going one step ahead, we can even say it is up to the museum authorities because they have built the museum and they can do what they please with it. But can we apply the same logic to a hill or natural lake? The people who ‘close’ this did not build it, nor do they own it. They ideally have no authority over that.
There is some good logic in restricting entry to ticket holders or making some money by selling entry passes. The tourist spot, be it a hill or lake needs some maintenance and protection when there is an inflow of people. This needs money, and collecting it from visitors is fair. The people who collect money may also have provided some facilities to tourists like drinking water, a place to rest, steps to climb the hill, etc.
But does all this give them authority to prevent a tourist from enjoying the beauty of sunrise from the top of the hill because the hill is not open, or sunset because the hill is closed?! If they can’t have a ticket vendor up there on a time when someone wants to go up, at least they should keep it open. There should be some sense to think of people who wake up before the ticket vendor does. Again, I would not have complained, were it not a natural structure which was built by nature many millenniums ago. I don’t see how some one suddenly gains authority to ‘close’ such structures.
In fact, the hill or lake being closed did not bother us much, as we spent a lot of time birding around the area and arrived at the ‘closed’ place much later. But it definitely hurts if I wanted to spend a serene early morning hour sitting and enjoying the beauty of the lake, but was denied access because the ticketing guy is not yet out of his bed.
Travelling through Wayanad
Bandipur -> Wayanad -> Kozhikode -> Guruvayur -> Cochin -> Periyar
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Although we passed through Wayanad, a beautiful place in itself, we had not made plans to explore much of it. With nearly a week to spend, we wanted to travel down south to Cochin and Periyar to explore places far from our base. This was my third visit to Wayanad and we did not spend much time here.
Around ten in the morning, we visited the beautiful Phookot Lake, took a stroll around the lake and before we drove further to Kozhikode. Below is all the information about travelling in Wayanad. Also see:
Wayanad Travel Information
You can read about my previous visits to Wayanad, which are detailed trip reports, at Birding in Wayanad, and hill stations of South India tour.
Wayanad is relatively less touristy, unexplored and unexploited area of Kerala. This lies high in the Western Ghats, and is home to a few wildlife sanctuaries, tall hills and tea estates. Kalpetta is the largest town and district headquarters of Wayanad. There are many places to see and activities to do. Directions and tourist information is easily available once you reach there, so don’t worry much about the homework and just arrive here to explore more.
Places to see and things to do.
TREKKING AND WALKING
Chembra Peak: This is the tallest peak in Wayanad district, and is a day’s climb. To climb the peak, you need to get permits from forest department office at Meppady village. To reach Chembra, take the Kozhikode road from Kalpetta and turn left just after the town. You will hit Meppady village after a short drive where you can get your permits, ask for directions and proceed. Start early, since the trek up and back will take six hours or more. See more about my experience on trekking up the Chembra here.
Landscape on the way to EdakkalEdakal Caves: Caves may be a misnomer, they are actually a bunch of rocks which form a shelter. Inside the shelter are a few prehistoric inscriptions and pictures, about which a guide gives you some vague explanations. The real attraction is the hill on which the rocks are located. It is a good climb that gives you uninterrupted views of the surroundings from the top. See more on Edakal on my birding trip report.
Pakshi Patalam or Narimale Caves, and Brahmagiri Peak: This is a trek up the Brahmagiri ranges. What is called Narimale in Karnataka is called Pakshi Patalam in Kerala. The trek requires permits an escorting forest guide, for which you need to contact at their office on the way to Tirunelli. Arrive early at the office, since the trek can take the whole day. Trek up the Brahmagiri peak is much shorter, but there is a longer approach from Karnataka. You can also walk along river Kalindi, which flows down from Brahmagiri ranges. Another attraction is the Tirunelli temple at the base of the hill. See a brief on my visit to Tirunelli on my birding trip report. Also see a detailed report on climbing Brahmagiri from Karnataka side.
Meenmutty Waterfall: Plan this as a full day activity. This is a 30-minute drive away from Kalpetta, followed by a long trek into a valley. Some locals may be willing to guide you through the walk, though hiring one is not really necessary. The waterfall is in a deep valley which also has some amazing views. You need some degree of fitness, as the trek to the valley takes you through a very steep bridle path.
WILDLIFE AND BIRDING
Birding around Wayanad: With Wayanad having some thick evergreen vegetation and hills, you can see many birds of the western ghats in this region. Here a small incomplete list of birds I saw when I made a birding trip to Wayanad: Asian Fairy Blue Bird, Scarlet Minivet, Emerald Dove, Yellow Browed Bulbul, Bar winged flycatcher shrike, Black lored tit, Chestnut tailed starlings, Forest Wagtail, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Plum headed parakeets, lorikeets, and many many more. Edakal caves and Tirunelli are great places for birding, where we saw many different species.
A Yellow Browed BulbulWildlife sanctuaries: Wayanad has many wildlife sanctuaries. Muthanga wildlife sanctuary is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, and is contiguous with Bandipur National Park. You can go into Muthanga with your own or hired jeeps(which are available in Sultan Battery), with a forest department escort. Other sanctuaries include Begur Wildlife Sanctuary and Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary.
SIGHTSEEING
Phookot Lake: A beautiful natural lake amidst dense forest, this is around 15 minute drive from Kalpetta and is a short deviation after Vythiri on Kozhikode road. A must visit place in Wayanad.
Phookot LakeTea Estates: There are many hills south of Kalpetta where tea is cultivated. The road to Chembra from Kalpetta, Kalpetta – Ooty road, and the road towards Meenmutty falls are good choices if you want to drive around tea estates. The road to Chembra peak takes you inside a private tea estate, which is worth a look.
Tea estates on the way to Chembra PeakOther than these, Soochipara waterfall is another well known tourist destination. The road to Kozhikode near Lakkidi is scenic, where you drive through winding roads which quickly drop down to the plains before you hit the sea.
ACCOMMODATION
Kalpetta is a good place to stay and explore Wayanad. It has a few hotels from budget to mid-range. Green Magic resort near Vythiri has made a name for itself for its tree house accommodations.
MORE INFORMATION, ELSEWHERE
1. See Wayanad.com and wayanad.net for tourist information, hotels, and more information on Wayanad district.
2. Wayanad Tourism Organization is a non-profit organization to promote tourism in Wayanad.
3. Wayanad District on Wikipidea
To be continued..