Wayanad
Wayanad District, Kerala
- Time needed
- 2 nights / 3 days
- Distance
- 290 km away
- Entry
- Varies by sight; wildlife sanctuary safari ₹400 – ₹600
- Best time
- Oct – May, avoid the heavy monsoon (Jun – Sep)
Wayanad sits just across the state line from Karnataka's Bandipur and Nagarhole reserves and shares much of the same forest and wildlife corridor, which makes the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary a reasonable bet for elephant and occasionally gaur sightings on an early safari. Edakkal Caves, with Neolithic-era petroglyphs cut into the rock, is one of the more genuinely unusual sights in South India.
Chembra Peak's heart-shaped lake and the Soochipara and Meenmutty waterfalls round out a fairly packed two-to-three day itinerary. Roads through the Bandipur forest corridor between Karnataka and Wayanad have night driving restrictions, so time your arrival and departure around daylight hours.
Highlights
- Edakkal Caves with Neolithic petroglyphs
- Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, part of the Bandipur-Nagarhole corridor
- Chembra Peak's heart-shaped lake trek
- Soochipara and Meenmutty waterfalls
Good to know
- The Bandipur forest road has a night driving ban, roughly 9pm to 6am — plan your drive times around it
- Chembra Peak trekking permits are capped daily and need advance booking through the forest department
- Carry cash for smaller homestays and forest checkpoints — card and UPI coverage is patchy in the interior
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