Wayanad - Kerala trip

Wayanad, the green paradise is positioned among the mountains of the Western Ghats, forming the border world of the greener part of Kerala. Clean and hypnotizing, this land is filled with history and culture. Located at a distance of 76 km. from the sea shores of Calicut (Kozhikode), this hill station is full of plantations, forests and wildlife. Wayanad hills are contiguous to Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu and Bandhipur in Karnataka, thus forming a vast land mass for the wild life to move about in their most natural abode. Regarding geographical location, Wayanad district stands on the southern top of the Deccan plateau and its chief glory is the majestic Western Ghats with lofty ridges and rugged terrain interspersed with dense forest, tangled jungles and deep valleys. The place also enjoys a strategic location as the leading tourist centres of South India . Covering an area of 2132 Sq km, within a population of 780,619 people (2001 census), Wayanad consists of 3 taluks - Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery and Vythiri. Wayanad enjoys a great climate throughout the year. The mean average rain fall in this district is 2322 m.m. Lakkidi, Vythiri and Meppadi are the high rainfall areas in Wayanad. Annual rain fall in these high rain fall areas ranges from 3,000 to 4,000m.m. High velocity winds are common during the south west monsoon and dry winds blow in March-April. High altitude regions experience severe cold. At Ambalavayal in Wayanad, the mean maximum and minimum temperature for the last five years were 29oC and 18 oC respectively. This place experiences a high relative humidity which goes even up to 95 percent during the south west monsoon period. The misty environs of Wayanad offer a wide range of trekking opportunities, plantation visits and wildlife tours. It was at Mananthavady (35km N) that Lord Arthur Wellesley fought a guerilla war with the Pazhassi Raja and British supremacy marked the region for two centuries. Kalpetta, the region's district headquarters (15 km N), used to be a major Jain centre. Lakkidi, its gateway town, is popular for its plantation Backstays. Tipu Sultan, the legendary ruler of Mysore who valiantly opposed the British, built a fort at Sulthan Bathery,Wayanad 10 km away, in the 18th century. Established in 1973, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is contiguous to the protected area network of Nagarhole National Park and Bandipur national Park of Karnataka on the north-east and Mudimalai of Tamil Nadu on the south-east. Rich in bio-diversity, the sanctuary is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve,Wayanad, Which has been established with the specific objective of conservation the biological heritage of the region. Consisting entirely of notified reserve, the sanctuary is very rich in fauna and flora. The management of the sanctuary lays emphasis on scientific conservation with due consideration to the general lifestyle of the tribals and others who live on the fringes of the forest . See Video Botanical Developement, Wayanad, Kerala Tourist Attractions at Wayanad: Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Chethalayam Waterfall, Sri Mahaganapathy Temple at Thiruvangoor, Pazhassi Raja Museum, Pookote Lake and Edakkal Caves are the prime tourist attractions of Wayanad. Beisdes, Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, Tholpetty, Karappuzha Dam, Jain Temple at Sultan Bathery, Tiger Valley, Meenmutty Falls, Soochippara Waterfalls, Chembra Hills, Bird Sanctuary in north Wayanad, Thirunelly Temple and Kuruva Islands are the other nearby tourist destinations in and around Wayanad.