Tourist attractions in Wayanad
Wayanad is one of the most popular hill stations in Kerala and has a lot to offer for the visitors in terms of natural beauty in the form of hills, valleys, lakes and much more. I am sharing my recent travel experience to Wayanad.
While returning from our vacation in Ooty, we chose to drive via Gudaloor and spent a few days in Wayanad. Along with Munnar, Wayanad is considered as one of the best hill station destinations in Kerala. While going to Ooty, we drove from Kochi via Coimbatore and there was nothing much exciting in the travel other than the pleasant hills awaiting us! But the return journey was amazing. The drive from Ooty to Wayanad via Gudaloor can't be described in words. You must drive that route to enjoy the real beauty of nature in south India.
After enjoying a drive of about 4 hours through the mist and enjoying the beauty of nature to its best, we reached Lakkidy, which is considered to be the gateway of Wayanad. Lakkidi is a small town along the national highway and is located just above the Wayanad Ghat Pass (Thamarassery ghat) and is the first place after you enter in to the boundary of Wayanad. Wayanad town - there is no other place like this!
One interesting thing I learnt during my visit was, there is no specific town called "Wayanad". Instead, a large area of hills, valleys, villages and towns together are called Wayanad, which is politically called as Wayanad district. While driving from Ooty to Wayanad, we were asking for directions to Wayanad and different people showed us different directions since all those places were part of Wayanad.
During our visit, we stayed in The Wayanad Gate Hotel for a night and we really enjoyed our stay there. Read my review of Pepper Wayanad Gate Hotel and see how we liked the place. Also, check out the budget resorts in Wayanad, where you can experience a little bit of Wayanad within the property itself.Tourist attractions in Wayanad
We visited a few places and attractions and you can find the details of the attractions we visited.Pookot Lake
Pookot Lake is located near Lakkidi and is one of the most popular destinations in Wayanad. The Lake is very beautiful and spreads across about 15km of water body. I won't say the water in the lake is very clean and pure but the serene atmosphere around the lake is something that you would enjoy. There is a walking trail around the lake, which is about 2 km long. Once you reach about half way in the walking trail, there is a picnic spot where you can sit, relax and continue your walk. Activities in Pookot lake include boating in the lake, Children's Park, Fish Spa, Aquarium, Shopping of natural & herbal products etc. Plan to spend about 3-4 hours in the lake area.
Read more about Pookkot lake and nearby attractions.Chain Tree
This is a quick stop point in the highway and attracts a lot of visitors due to its proximity to the highway. Unless you explore the legend associated with the tree, there is nothing much to enjoy here. The tree itself is not different from other trees in that area but what makes it different is the huge steel chain hanging from the tree and the legend associated with it. Read more about the history of Chain Tree. We stayed in "The Wayanad Gate Hotel", located just opposite to the Chain Tree.Thamarassery Ghat Pass (Thamarassery churam)
View of the curvy ghat road from the view point in Lakkidi
"Churam" is the Malayalam word for "Ghat". The Thamarassery churam is known by many other names including Wayanad churam, Wayanad Ghat etc. No matter what you call it, the amazing panoramic view of the misty hills at this ghat pass can't be described in words. With nine hairpin curves between Lakkidi and the downhills, the drive through the ghat pass is an amazing experience by itself. Read more about Thamarassery ghat pass.Places to stay in Wayanad
I haven't stayed in many places in Wayanad. The only places I am familiar are the Wayanad Gate hotel and Orchard Holiday Resort. Both are excellent places. You can read my review of Pepper Wayanad Gate and Orchard Holiday Resort. If you know other good hotels and resorts in Wayanad, let me know by posting a comment below and I will be happy to list them here. If you recently visited Wayanad and stayed in a hotel, please share your experience briefly as a comment below.
Read more about Best 11 Family Resorts in Wayanad