Wayanad Feel Nature Like Never Before

You can never leave Wayanad without assuring yourself that you are going to come back here again and again and again – to trek out to the isolated villages, paddle down rivers, and marvel at the monkeys and the wild friends of this remarkably diverse and enchanting ecosystem – that is the magic of this place.

- Arya Aravind

The moment I said Wayanad, I had been asked not to miss Chembra, Soochippara, Phantom rock, Muthanga sanctuary and many such wonderful but ‘usual’ places in a travel itinerary. But, before even planning the trip, I had decided to give such places a miss. Yes, I chose places off the beaten track, and was rewarded with a treasure trove of virgin and enchanting spots in Wayanad.

Wayanad is like a deep tunnel; the more you explore, greater the chances of you finding something new. And, that is the charm of this place. As Harish M, an avid traveller from Wayanad, aptly pointed out: “There are some locations which remain hidden from the travellers. After visiting such places, one can take back just memories and forget the name of the place and the location details.” There is a very important message in what he says; once a place is open to the public, it slowly loses its charm.

This is my fifth trip to Wayanad but it never fails to excite me. This place has many hidden treasure troves waiting to be explored and it is the way Wayanad is.

When I met K Raveendran, founder member of Wayanad Tourism Organisation (WTO), who also runs Pranavam Homestay, one of the first homestays in Wayanad, he voiced his concerns about the careless travellers who, he feels, are a threat to the environment of Wayanad. He said WTO members have decided to skip the usual locations and introduced their own small village tours and other adventure tourism activities joining hands with Muddy Boots, an organisation run by two young entrepreneurs, which offers zipline, kayaking, trekking, camping, cycling and other such activities in select areas of Wayanad.