Best Places to Visit in Wayanad
To most people, Kerala is synonymous with lofty coconut trees and pristine beaches, but the real beauty of Kerala lies in its hills. And amongst all hill stations of Kerala, Wayanad is truly worth visiting once in a lifetime.
The natural beauty of Wayanad is so rich that visitors from the world over come to experience the enchanting views. Positively, its huge stretches hem in foggy mountain peaks, interesting meadows, streaming water springs, and entrancing gloriousness.
With blue water lakes and ultimate beauty of the mountains, Wayanad is definitely a spot to explore the natural beauty. However, the beautiful town of Wayanad is loaded with magnificent places to visit; most of them are surrounded by greenery all around. This interesting hill station is certainly an ideal way to reduce stress. The assortment of outings guarantees an ideal vacation for travelers.
Best time to visit Wayanad
The temperature in Wayanad stays pretty much steady consistently, so one can pick any month to visit this place, however a superb time to visit it is from October to May. These months are the winter season and the start of the summer season.
Wayanad should definitely be your next choice of destination if you are looking for a less explored yet beautiful place to visit. Below are some popular and offbeat places to visit in Wayanad:
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Eddakal Caves
Pic Courtesy: EKeralaToursim
Situated 10km from Wayanad, these caves are said to be the best instance of human existence in pre-historic time. The cave carvings feature the lifestyle of people of pre-historic ages. Undoubtedly, you will feel closer to the medieval age, which is very captivating.
Driving Directions to Eddakal Caves
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Chembra Peak
Situated at a height of 2100m above the sea level, it offers ample views of Western Ghats. You would get a genuine calming feeling on watching lush green mountains. This spellbinding spot is viewed as a perfect picnic spot. Other than simply being viewpoint or a picnic spot, Chembra Peak is additionally notable as a perfect place for trekking and enjoying the staggering nature through nature walks.
Driving Directions to Chembra Peak
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Thirunelli Temple
30km from Wayanad, Thirunelli temple is situated on the Brahmagiri Hills and viewed as the “Kashi of the Southern Region”. The Papansini River encompassing it adds to the beauty of the spot as green fields are spread to invite visitors from throughout the world. This temple named after Nelli, which is the Malayalam word for Amla or Indian gooseberry. You can also visit the surroundings of this temple; there you will also find ruins of two ancient villages.
In fact, you can reach here in private cabs and also local transport. Certainly, one can feel in a state of harmony with the nature at Thirunelli temple and understand the traditional practices led by the people.
Driving Directions to Thirunelli Temple
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Banasura Sagar Dam
The second biggest dam in Asia, the Banasura Sagar Dam is viewed as the top tourist spot around Wayanad. What draws in the traveler to this amazing spot is boating service in the dam also the trekking choices for adventure lovers. This enables them to come in close contact with the magnificent natural beauty dotted around. The sanctuary and the g park look amazingly delightful.
Driving Directions to Banasura Sagar Dam
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Meenmutti Waterfalls
Said to be the biggest and the most beautiful waterfall in Wayanad. The sightseers need to trek 2km t reach this waterfall that is stunning and offers remarkable vistas of pristine nature. The water drops from an altitude of more than 1000 feet in three steps offering a breathtaking impact. You will surely have an amazing time being here.
Driving Directions to Meenmutti Waterfalls
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Sentinel Rock Waterfalls
These pictorial waterfalls have pulled in the travelers with their enthralling beauty. The pool at the base of waterfalls enables the travelers to take a dip and get refreshed. Surely, it is the perfect way to enjoy the lavishness of nature and the stunning magnificence of the waterfalls.
Driving Directions to Sentinel Rock Waterfalls
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Sunrise Valley
The additional advantage of visiting this valley is that the views of sunrise and sunset are simply beyond articulation. They are staggering in a unique way and can’t be alike anywhere else. What’s more, the foggy mountains with mists covering them have gained importance for being a standout amongst the most amazing spots around Wayanad. So this place is a reminder of why Kerala is known as God’s Own Country.
Especially, in the evenings, when the sun is about to set, the entire valley beneath is covered in this golden sunrays which looks spectacular. Sometimes, you will see the whole valley covered in thick mist, which makes for an ethereal experience.
Driving Directions to Sunrise Valley
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Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
Another exciting place is Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary –it is the second largest sanctuary of Kerala. It is home to a large number of animals such as elephants, Indian bison, and tigers and rare birds such as Peafowl.
Wayanad is located in the heavenly Western Ghats, which makes it more delightful than other spots in Kerala. The magical mountains, the misty weather, the picturesque vistas of Western Ghats, the gushing waterfalls, and the green valleys add to the overall magnificence of Wayanad. The places that you can visit in and around Wayanad are no less delightful, you can explore them by walking. In the event that the distance is not walk-able; then you can get onto the local transport or hire a cab to reach the most excellent territories around.
Driving Directions to Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
View the best places of Wayanad on Google Maps
Bonus Read: Activities to Do
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Bamboo Rafting in Kuruva Island
Famous for bamboo boating in the midst of the picturesque environment, it is amongst the best activities in Wayanad. The island offers you pleasant views of bamboo bridges, and umpteenth number of chances to spot varieties of trees, enjoy bird watching.
Driving Directions to Kuruva Island
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Go Caving At Edakkal Caves
Located at an altitude of 1,200m on the Ambukuthi Hill, visiting the Edakkal Caves is amongst the best activities in Wayanad. Being one of the oldest examples of ancient inscriptions, these caves are rocks that are wedged between two monstrous stones that seem like caves. Every surface of the cave has carvings of inscriptions and paintings that are an absolute must-visit.
Driving Directions to Eddakal Caves
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Camping
Camping in the entrancing hills of Kerala is without a doubt one of the best activities in Wayanad. Aside from amazing camping spots, one can likewise enjoy refreshing exercises like trekking, fishing, evenings loaded with music, and bonfire, and a lot more.
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Boating On Pookode Lake
Boating on the Pookode Lake must be one of the fun activities in Wayanad. This lake in Wayanad is known for an assortment of fishes, birds and blue lotuses. Boating here is absolutely a fun thing to do for everyone. You can also visit the close-by freshwater aquarium, kids’ park, and shop for spices and crafts.
Driving Directions to Pookode Lake
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Trek to Chembra Peak
Perched at 2103m, the Chembra Peak is a top trekking destination in Wayanad. You need permission from the Meppadi Forest Department to trek to the peak in around three hours and enjoy astounding views of Nilgiri districts, Kozhikode, and Malappuram. What’s more, on the way, you can likewise visit the captivating heart-shaped lake that never dries and furthermore happens to be amongst the best activities in Wayanad.
Driving Directions to Chembra Peak
 Where to Eat
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Jubilee restaurant
A standout amongst the most well-known restaurants in Wayanad, Jubilee Restaurant is located in the Sultan Bathery neighbourhood, at a height of 1000m. Encompassed by a pleasant view, this eatery serves a wide scope of dishes that include regional delicacies in India. From the North Indian dishes including the parathas and different types of bread to the local favourites, such as avial, vellarika kichadi, payasam, and much more are available here.
Driving Directions to Jubilee Restaurant
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Clayhut a village restaurant
Pic Courtesy: JustDial
This eatery takes you to Kerala’s traditional roots. The décor is done such a way that the spot makes you feel as though you are sitting in a village setting with bamboo decorations and ancient art enhancing the walls. The restaurant serves the absolute best dishes from the local delicacies. All the food you to eat here are rich in flavors and feel as though they are straight out of the kitchen of a Kerala household.
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The royal hotpan
Situated in the Kalpetta neighborhood of Wayanad, The Royal Hotpan is a multi-cuisine restaurant. It has been well known among travelers for the last couple of years. The eatery is known to have specialization in South Indian, North Indian, Tandoori, Chinese, and Grilled in both veg and non-veg choices. The absolute most suggested dishes from the eatery incorporate chicken biryani, masala dosa, chemmeen roast, as well as gobi 65 among other delights that are present in the menu. While the eatery has simple décor, the food is known to be delightful and very affordable.
Driving Directions to The Royal Hotpan
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Udupi pure veg restaurant
The Udupi Pure Veg Restaurant is only the sort of eatery most tourists would find in the southern part of the nation. Simple and straightforward, this pure vegetarian eatery serving the absolute most basic dishes of the district and also, some more varieties offered through the menu. The eatery is known to have constantly satisfied the guests who enjoy eating at a typical South Indian restaurant. You can have dosas, sambars, idlis, curd rice, etc here.
Driving Directions to Udupi Restaurant
Also, have a look at the best accommodations in Wayanad.