Monsoon Magic in Wayanad

Monsoon in Western Ghats and Kerala is something one should never miss. In the six years I have been coming – irrespective of weather - Wayanad never disappointed me. Lush greenery around in the monsoon was the best welcome back! Busy traffic on the Kalpetta – Bathery route at 5.A.M made sure there was enough light to enjoy the green hue with the rain drops. Staying awake on this stretch, I was longing for a black tea (preferably the Malayalam word “kattan”). It was a perfect way to celebrate our 6 years of marriage, rain in Western Ghats and Ayurveda massage.  Wayanad is the first place I visited in Kerala and each time we get here, I can feel the Goosebumps. 

Massage at Kannur Ayurveda Clinic  was relaxing and refreshing. They have variety of Ayurveda therapies as well as a homestay. I thoroughly enjoyed my three day session of Full Body Massage and Shirodhaara. 

The comfy rooms come with attached bath (with hot water shower). They have a limited collection of books and a few games, in case you don’t want to step out during the rains. Right next to Kannur Ayurveda Clinic on Emily road, Hotel Kukku named after the owner’s grand-daughter, dishes up basic meals including seasonal fish fry. Hurry for breakfast and lunch, it gets over really fast.

This vacation was a big gastronomical therapy as well. After every session of therapy, we marched to the nearest ‘thattukada’ (cart on wheels) which serves ‘ennakkadi’ (fried snacks) and ‘kattan chaya’ (black-tea) throughout the day. We also raided other bakeries on the main road. Hotel Thoufeeq adjacent to the mosque, opposite to Sindur Textiles, was the best place for breakfast.  Affas Udupi Hotel, opposite to HDFC Bank on the main road serves the best vegetarian meals in town. On Sunday, there are many retailers offering spices and organic vegetables arranged in front of the closed shops. 

The ride to Dasanakkara to meet our friend was a gripping story-telling session, it was a really long distance auto rickshaw ride -52 km round trip. The view was mesmerizing with the continuous rain and our new local friend, Samad kept us entertaining with stories and current affairs. During our Northeast backpacking trip we had met Jobin and Varghese in Menchukha. Jobin was riding home from Bangalore and decided to catch up at Wayanad. This rendezvous was after a good 5 years and it was nice recalling the old stories and sharing new travel stories.

How can we leave Kerala without riding a KSRTC bus? We boarded the first bus that came our way at the Kalpetta bus station. The bus was headed to Vaduvanchal, we bought the ticket for the last stop. The ride was ravishing, with occasional downpour enhancing the freshness and green hue. After contemplating on whether to get off the bus and take a different route back, downpour helped us make up our mind to return in the same bus.