Wayanad Hotels - A Pristine Hill Station

By Author: Rashmiranjan Patil
Total Articles: 261
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Wayanad, clean and pristine, is a verdant hill station with plantations, deep valleys, rugged terrains, forests and wildlife. Wayanad hills are adjacent to Madumalai in Tamil Nadu and Bandipur in Karnataka. This stretch forms a vast land mass for wildlife.

Nestled among the mountains of Western Ghats, Wayanad district stands on the southern top of the Deccan Plateau. The place enjoys a strategic location since some of the major tourist centres like Ooty, Coonoor, Mysore, Bangalore and Kannur are situated near this region.

Established in 1973, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is rich in biodiversity and is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The sanctuary is very rich in fauna and flora. The management of sanctuary lays emphasis on scientific conservation of wildlife considering the lifestyle of tribals living on the fringes of the forest.

The star attraction in Wayanad is the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, which is home to many endangered species of flora and fauna. There is another Wildlife Sanctuary at Muthanga. North Wayanad has a sanctuary exclusively for the preservation of birds.

Wayanad ...
... has waterfalls at Chethalayam, Meenmuty and Soochippara. Edakkal caves have become popular among the tourists. Temple at Tirunelli attracts large number of pilgrims. Pookote Lake is popular among travellers. There is a Jain Temple at Sultan Bathery.

Among other popular destinations are Pazhassi Raja Museum, Kuruva Islands, Karappuzha Dam, Tiger Valley and Chembra Hills. The misty environs of the hill station offer a wide range of trekking opportunities and visits to plantations.

Wayanad enjoys a salubrious climate all round the year. High altitude areas experience severe cold. Wayanad district gets an average rainfall 232 cm. The dale Lakkidi has the highest average rainfall in Kerala (400 cm rains).

Kozhikode International Airport at Karippur is at a distance of 95 km from Kalpetta, the district headquarters of Wayanad district. The nearest railway station is at Kozhikode. Wayanad is well connected by road as Kozhikode-Mysore National Highway passes through it.

There is no shortage of hotels in Wayanad. There are five-star, four-star and three-star hotels in Wayanad besides a number of mid-range and budget hotels. Among the hotels which charges more than Rs. 2500 per day as rent are Karapuzha Village Resort, Planet Green Plantation Resort, Sharoy Resort, Treasure Trove Homestays, Vythiri Resort, Green Gates Hotel, Edakkal Hermitage, Ente Veedu, Blue Ginger, Green Paradise Resorts, Jungle Retreat, Olives Homestay, Banasura Hill Resort, Spice Garden and Sun Bird Gardens Resort.

Among the cheaper Wayanad hotels are Issac Hotel Regency, Blooms Green Farms, Kudajadri Drizzle Homestay, Heritage Resorts, The Woodlands Hotel, Wynberg Resorts, Green Mount Cottage and Tropical Forest Homestay. Travellers can also stay at the tree top houses and mud huts to enjoy the thrills of jungle life.