Details about Waynad (Kerala) 

Wayanad hill station is 280 kms from Mangalore and 230 kms from my place, Puttur. It is 280 kms from Bengaluru. From Mangalore side, Madikeri is 90 kms. The road is good, scenic through sampaje that.. There are good food options at Madikeri.  You can enter Madikeri, take second right and head towards Virajpet (30 kms) where also you have good Udupi hotels. From there Kutta, the border town is 50 kms and if you take left steep turn you can enter Nagarahole Forest sanctuary. Bit since you have to exit from the opposite hunaur side. You can not club it with Wayanad trip. Once you cross Kutta check post and go left you are in Kerala and there is an animal safari in jeeps facility. It is available in morning and evening time. 

The road goes through beautiful thick forest and you may encounter wild animals also. We had a chance encounter with four wild elephants right in the road. From here  you proceed and about 15 kms before waynadu take left turn, drive for 10 kms and you are in kuruva island, which is scenic with boat ride and all. Return back to the high way go towards waynadu and in 25 kms you are in kalpetta where you have any number of hotels of all range..5 kms from kalpetta you reach vaithiri and you find pookade lake and boating. 

25 kms to east of kalpetta you reach edakallu caves which is atop a huge rocky mountain.. Climbing the steps is very tedious and is not advisable for old, sick and even fun loving folks.. Even the site at the top is not so impressive.

15 kms to south you have chembra peak which is meant for trekking..proceed further you find suchupura falls, 20 kms to west of kalpetta you have Vanasura dam site, which is fairly impressive. If you are returning from there to coastal Karnataka, you need not go back to kalpetta, instead you can proceed further and rejoin madikeri route.

If you are from Bengaluru, you need to take Mysore.. Gundlupet.. Sulthan Batheri.. Wayanad road.. From Wayanadu you can drive east and go to Ooty (120 kms) also.

For tourists who are looking for one day outing, wayanadu is an option. Resorts, trekking, ziplines , boating are available.. 

Courtesy: Vishweshwara Bhat (April 2022)