Wayanad- bullet, rain and unniappam

There is something about Bullet that makes people buy it. After 1000km trip in 4days, we would say it is worth the troubles of keeping it running. The story begins when two of our friends cancelled their motorcycle trip and headed in a car. The motorcycle was none other than Royal Enfield, Classic 350cc. We had the motorcycle for ourselves for four days. It made no sense staying back in Bangalore with it. Wayanad sounded the best place to make most of the high torque engine and rainy season was a plus.

On a Friday morning, we headed to Decathlon to buy rain gear for the road trip ahead of us. Next stop was at a friend’s home to borrow the saddle bag- ViaTerra saddle bags and really comfortable. We started our ride at 1pm and reached Bathery by 7pm and finally Kalpetta at 7.40pm after battling the traffic on potholed road. Bangalore to Mysore was a slow ride, we couldn’t even see the Dukes riding past us. Our motorcycle didn't have brake at the rear, only front disc which was making noise, so we didn't go above 80. But once we reached hills and bad roads, RE CL 350 was really another beast.  

Total distance was 325 km and the route taken was Bangalore-Mysore-Gundalpet-Moolehole-Muthanga-Bathery-Kalpetta. Day 1 Route

At Gundalpet there are two routes, one towards Ooty and the other to Bathery. Take right turn at Gundalpet to reach Kerala or continue straight if you are headed to Ooty via Gudalur. This route through Gudalur takes you to Meppadi, in Wayanad but would be a very long one. Once you pass the Bandipur Forest entry Check Post and until you reach Moolehole check post - which marks the border between Kerala and Karnataka - you have the herculean task of going over 37 speed breakers.  

On Day two, there was heavy rain throughout the day and we did a 170km ride on the Kalpetta-Meppadi-Vaduvanchal-Cherampadi-Pandalur-Nadugani route. This is a fantastic route to ride and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the sole reason we headed to Wayanad was to ride on this route. In 2011 when we had come to Wayanad we stayed in Valley View and the owner Jenoy had taken us to a nearby waterfall which he said no one knew about. Today the same waterfall, Kanthanpara is a tourist place and the Kerala Government has spent a good amount of money in providing facilities and safety precautions. 

Meeting Jenoy was like refreshing our memory of the first trip to Wayanad. After a cup of hot coffee we started our ride towards Vaduvanchal-Cherambadi-Pandalur-Devala-Nadugani. There are two routes from here -one towards Gudalur and then Ooty, other towards Vazhikadavu in Kerala. On our way back we stopped at Kaithakolli and relished fresh homemade lunch. We made frequent stops at tea shops to warm up with black tea. There are many boards warning about the elephants, so keeping an eye for them especially when we can't see the road ahead due to heavy mist. A short stop at Soochippara waterfalls, 13km away from Meppadi town - a dilapidated road where the RE was a joy to ride.  Day 2 Route

 It was pouring on Saturday and CL350 did not complain about it, though we were really worried about that. All the roads were potholed and filled with water. Our RE had dolphin exhaust, it makes a hell lot of noise! So honking was not required to make way in the congested town. The torque works wonders on inclines and saves you a lot of effort in riding on bad roads. Sunday morning welcomed us with a downpour, there was nothing to stop us from riding on. We headed towards Makkiyad, via Padijnarathara-Tharuvana-Vellamunda, the heavy rain with potholed road was manageable but the rash driving tourists bused made us think twice before heading further. So we got back to Mananthavady via Edavaka and set out in the direction of Thirunelly to satiate our palate with the famous Kuttetan’s Unniappam. It is at the junction where the road deviates to Thirunelly temple and other towards Tholpetty. After the finger-licking snack we moved towards Kuruva Island deviating at Kattikulam.

The Island was closed to visitors as expected. Unfortunately we have never been able to set foot on the island in the umpteen visits in different seasons. Very close to the island there is a clay art gallery, named Valmeekam Tribal Museum. It is a unique museum, with sculptures carved in terracotta. Each sculpture here portray innumerable stories about the relationship between man and nature. The place is worth paying a visit, as the art and spirituality are admirably blended. You feel instantly connected with the surroundings. 

We then visited a friend’s home at Dasankkara. Shorter route to Panamaram sounded like end of journey, and it was not difficult to lure Romin into taking a longer route through Pulpally-Nadavayal and then reach Panamaram. This route winds thorough the spellbinding Padiri Reserve Forest. It is not a tourist route and is taken only by locals, so there is hardly any vehicular movement thereby you get to enjoy the serenity of the jungle. On the Panamaram-Nadavayal-Benachi road we stopped at a small tea shop to warm ourselves with black tea and feed our stomach some snacks. This was right opposite to the new Padre Pio Ashram on the aforesaid main road. Total distance covered was 180km.  Day 3 Route

Both evenings, Thoufeeq was our dinner destination to recover from the daylong fatigue. Monday morning was time to head back to Bangalore. Bidding adieu to the pristine nature, the refreshing rains, we headed to Muthnaga. Just before the Karnataka border we refreshed ourselves with tea and prepared for the upcoming arduous task of tackling the 37 speed breakers. 

Kotagiri - walking along the ridge

Image Courtesy: Vijay Chandran

BMC started a new trek at Kotagiri from this August - http://bmcindia.org/events/bmc-trek-to-kothagiri.html. We were excited to go to Kotagiri as our previous visit in 2013 had been very pleasant. Unlike Ooty, Kotagiri is still away from tourist crowd and touts.

We boarded the BMC-organized minibus from Indiranagar at 8:30pm on a Friday night. After picking up a few more from Domlur and LifeStyle, the bus was zooming past the Friday night traffic towards Hosur. Since the Bandipur forest is closed to night traffic, the only other option is to go via Salem -Coimbatore-Mettupalayam. Kotagiri is 30km from Ooty, famous for International Schools and tea/coffee estates, including newsworthy Kodanadu estate.

All of us were sleeping like babies until Kotagiri, thanks to the expert driving of our driver. After reaching Kotagiri town, Shivaji escorted us to our camping site. Ayyappan welcomed us with hot tea and allocated the tented accommodation amidst tea plantations. We soon learned that Ayyappan is a  full-time serial actor and busy on weekdays at Chennai.

After morning ablutions, we got ready for the trek. Then comes the best part of this trip- the hot sambar/idli combination was so delicious that we couldn't satiate with one or two serving. After packing our lunch, we started walking towards a cliff.

Image Courtesy: Vijay Chandran

A huge tree was uprooted in the recent cyclonic storm in July, Shivaji explained. Mesmerized by the fog covering us, we got thrilled to climb down the cliff to a nearby cave. After spending a few minutes there, we started climbing up through a rough patch to a house occupied by locals. Many affluent businessmen from Chennai make Kotagiri their vacation home, obvious by the unoccupied palatial houses along the road.

The native tribal people of this area are called Badugas -http://www.badugaa.com/  - . and they speak a language by the name Badugu - a mix of Kannada and Tamil. No script and if you know Kannada, you can understand 70% of it. The local children walk 30minutes to get a school bus and educated at an English medium school. Shivaji also explained that government runs many welfare schemes for them. He mentioned that there is no birth control practices among them, intentionally to have more population of this indigenous tribal group. The school going children could use a few basic phrases to communicate with us, though they were too shy to see a big group of city-dwellers.

Image Courtesy: Vijay Chandran

After resting for a while on top of the peak, we marched along the tea estates towards Catherine Falls. A horde of peace-loving wild gaurs greeted us on the way. Occasionally a snake slithering away from our group of trekkies. Shivaji spotted poop of bear and cheetah on the trail, which accentuated our wild-life experience on the borders of a thick forest.

Image Courtesy: Vijay Chandran

Catherine Falls was not blessed with much water, thanks to deficit monsoon this season. We had our packed lunch and then started walking back. The locals were greeting us and asking about our whereabouts. Some of the ladies told us about their sons working or studying in Bangalore. Visiting  a tea-factory was a nice experience . The tea-leaves are collected by women who work for Rs 350 per day plus incentives. The huge bags of tea leaves are transported to the local factory where it is dried using huge fans and then powdered through a long mechanical process to various forms based on the granularity.

The tea sacks of 35kg each go to the town and are auctioned and processed and packaged by different brands.

Later at the campsite, we had a sumptuous dinner around the campfire. By this time, we were all friends who have never met before. The mercury dropped close to 15C and we were ready to snore and rest our aching legs. We really didn't want to leave the misty morning next day, but life is not  a dream. We returned through Gudalur- Mudumalai- Bandipur-Mysore.

If you are driving or riding to Kotagiri, contact Ayyappan for tented accommodation, food, trekking - Mobile: 9840909470

We had lunch at Thorappally Post, Gudalur. Hotel Regency owned by Sabeesh offers good meals.He also owns a lodge above the restaurant (dbl Rs 700) and a resort at Ooty. Mobile: 9487-866238

 

www.Lastforest.in - an NGO working with the tribal groups for a sustainable trade of forest products at Kotagiri.

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.

Fort Kochi to Vagamon - motorcycle trip

(C) Surabhi Rajan

 

 

Gokul was fantasizing about riding a Royal Enfield for a long time. Amer added momentum to plan this trip from Kochi with caferides.com. But working hours and terms and conditions of caferides.com did not match our requirements. Gokul did a bit more research and found out Arafath Bike Rental (Mob: 9947478328,  9995784000), Princess Street, Fort Kochi. RE Bullet 500, Bajaj Avenger and Yamaha FZ150- we completed the formalities and got the bikes one day earlier. FZ150 needed a bit of service. Surabhi sponsored his brother-in-law's RE Classic 500. And that was it!



(C) Surabhi Rajan



All of us started riding on a fine Saturday morning towards East from Alleppey via picturesque Changanassery road. After a few pit-stops, we were at Mundakkayam for breakfast. A brief stop at Panchalimedu was enthralling to watch the panoramic view of “high-range” of Kerala. Local shop owner Shanthamma gave us hot black coffee and salted mangoes to go with her stories of migration to the hills for farming. The locals still get water from the streams and we ventured into the dense forest to have a look at their infrastructure to siphon the water down to their homes. Shanthamma's family hails from coastal regions of Kerala, her husband was lured by farming opportunities while working at Sabarimala as a guard. There is a route to Sabarimala which is not motorable from Panchalimedu. Further, the roads were excellent for cornering and we reached Vagamon by 2pm. Misty clouds and a light drizzle satiated our wanderlust.



(C) Surabhi Rajan



After lunch, we decided to find a shelter and Amer had a good recommendation to stretch our back at KMK Resort at Kottupara. Call manager Ravi (Mob: 9495927417, Tel: 04869 248222) for rooms (dbl Rs 1500). It was a serendipitous finding that 30min ride from this resort will take you to a forest near Uluppunni. We walked along the stream into the forest but couldn’t go too far as it was getting dark. Make sure you return before dark, or you may get lost in the jungle. There are many routes in the vicinity, tempting the off-roading enthusiasts.



(C) Surabhi Rajan



Next morning, we decided to take the shorter route to Kochi via Eratuppetta-Kottayam-Thanneermukkom-Cherthala. We had a bit of adventure on the way climbing a steep hill 20km from Vagamon town. Bumpy ride until Erattupetta and further the tarmac is really good. By evening 4pm, we were at Fort Kochi. Sipping Kahwah tea at Loafers’ Café near  Tourist Information Center on Princess Road, we were contemplating next motorcycle trip.

 

 

 

Kumara Parvata - trekkers' ecstasy

 

Kumaraparvata fondly known by the acronym KP among the trekkers, is a strenuous trek in South India.  There are two trails to reach the peak, one starting from Kukke and the other from Somwarpert in Coorg. The peak is at 1712m. The trail from Somwarpet is not so difficult as the base is already at 1100mts and we cover a mere 600m altitude in 7km. Kukke on the other hand is at 125m, requiring us to cover 1500m in 15km. The region falls under Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary.

 

We joined the BMC India group to do the trek. Trekking began at a narrow trail near Kukke Subramanya Temple at 8am after a nourishing breakfast. The first stretch was 7 km which we could cover in two hours and reached the famous Bhattara Mane at Girigadde by 10a.m. This stretch goes through dense forest, hence most of the trail is covered. It was disappointing to see plastic littered all around, spoiling the serenity of the jungle. The climb is steep and the added weight of tent and sleeping bags made it a bit more strenuous. One can't miss the Bhimana Bande (Bhima's rock) on this route, a favourite for group photo. 

 

Image courtesy: mytrekperiences.wordpress.com

 

Bhattara Mane is a time warped house of Narayana Bhatt. Built in typical Malanadu style, this house can accommodate any number of people with lots of food and hospitality. Like in any Malanadu region, there is literally 24hrs running water - cool and tasty. There are 4 restrooms to complete your abulitions. Typically they will dish up meals for 200+ trekkers on the weekend. Upma for breakfast and wholesome rice sambar pickle, with lots of buttermilk to wash it down, for lunch. It is a great place to feel nostalgic about childhood, if you grew up in rural village with cows and dogs running around and unpretentious people . The tea here reminded me of my ancestral home adding to the feeling at home. Remember, they carry all the supplies walking up the trail. We relished the meals with lots of respect thanking their hard work. 

(C) Vimal Samuel

Following an early lunch at 11a.m. few of us went ahead to unload the weight of sleeping-gear at our campsite near Forest Office, 5min walk from BhattaraMane. Keeping our bags as light as possible we commenced at 11.45am on the trail towards Shesha Parvata, the peak before Kumara Parvata. After a short ascent we came across a resting place with benches - this could be a brief stop to catch your breath. Next milestone is the stunning Kallu Mantapa. View from here is breathtaking. Just before reaching Kallu Mantapa there is a stream -a good refuelling stop. This trail between Kallu Mantapa and Shesha Parvata is the toughest with steep climbs and loose rocks. The view from Shesha Parvata is dazzling, if the sky is clear. Part of the trail from Somwarpet is visible from here.

A thick forest separates the two trails. The walk through this forest  gave us respite from the sun . A small stretch in this trail excited me a lot taking back to rock climbing classes, desiring for more of it. It was a huge rock we trudged on the extreme end pushing ourselves up with whatever we could get as support. It was very short but fun. It didn’t take much time to reach the peak from this point and we made it by 2.45 pm.

 

The cut off time to start our descent was 3.30p.m, as the clouds start covering up and gets darker, making it tricky to cross the forest.  We started to descend by 3.15pm, as the leaders were with the rest who were just reaching the peak. Keeping up with the tradition of getting lost we deviated the wrong way. After descending quite a distance we realized that we were on wrong trail. Shesha Parvata was on the opposite side so we had to wade through the enthralling jungle to get on the other side. There was no clear trail through this really thick forest, but what seemed to be an elephant trail with some dung (not fresh though). We decided to head back as the time was short. When we came out of the forest it surprised me to see some people. Talking to them we understood it was the Somwarpet trail. Pushing our limits and performance to the maximum, we reached the fork just in time to join the rest descending from the peak. The whole adventure took 45 minutes with minor ascends and descends.

 

 

 Descending to our campsite from the peak took two hours.  The trail seemed more pleasing with the sun turning orange and hiding behind the clouds intermittently. Watching the moon rise between the mountains was eye-catching.  Full moon was just 2 days away thus making it bright enough for us to get back to campsite, though we had to switch on our flashlights at some points.  Pitching our own tent gave a gratifying feeling. Wolfing  down a sumptuous meal we crashed into the sleeping bags and the next thing we knew it was morning with the birds chirping - and lot of people chit chatting and planning their day. It was surprising to see around 150 enthusiastic trekkers in one place. 

 

A healthy breakfast from Bhattara Mane and we started our descent towards Kukke. A little after reaching  the base, we drank tender coconut which gave us the much needed electrolytes. We were reminded of our trek to Sohkhmi (in Sohra) - though Kumara Parvata is not as strenuous as that - which had really tested our endurance. KP trek requires good endurance, it is like running a marathon, you need to keep going at a slow pace without stopping. This was a well deserved welcome back trek for us - three years since we did serious trekking. Now we are not able to rest our feet on ground and are already planning for the next trek!


How to reach: If you are driving from Bangalore, you can reach Kukke in the afternoon, post-lunch climb until Bhattara Mane and stay overnight. Start climbing at sunrise and reach the peak and descend which gives you lot of extra time.

KSRTC runs AC and Non AC buses to Kukke (Rs 600, Rs 300 respectively)

Where to Stay: There are many lodges around the temple in a wide range of prices, to stay at Kukke. Call up BhattaraMane if you need meals/stay. Carrying own tents is highly recommended. Mr Bhatt's contact number is +91-9448647947.

Forest Permission fee: Rs 200 per head, none is going to accompany you on the trail.

If you don't want to bother about these things, just join BMC on their well-planned trek by paying Rs 2700 per head.




Image courtesy: vishwanaths.wordpress.com

Day 1: Bangalore to Kukke overnight bus trip

Day 2: 6am : reach Kukke
8am to 10am:  reach Bhattara Mane and have lunch.
12noon - start from Forest Office and reach the peak by 3pm
3:30pm - ascend and reach Forest Office by 6pm to pitch the tent.

Day 3: After breakfast start at 8:30a.m and reach Kukke at 10a.m.
Leave Kukke by 12noon to reach Bangalore by 9pm. 

Banasura Hills and Thirunelly - serenity meets divinity

"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves" - Edmund Hillary

Hoping to conquer ourselves after a gap of three years , we set out to Wayanad. This time we had a joyous company of Gokul. Pakshipatalam was the destination but the trek is cancelled indefinitely (Contact Begur Forest Office at Mananthavady for more details). Hence we decided to trek the Banasura hill. Thirunelly temple was another place of interest for us.  

Ancient Thirunelly Temple is around 30km from Mananthavady (Rs 27, 1hr). This temple is inside the Tholpetty forest range. A short walk from the temple premises will take you to Papanasini river. Panchatheertham Tourist Home will offer basic rooms for Rs 300 (Tel: 04935 210201/ 04935-210055). There are many other options around - Ambika Tourist Home (Tel: 9747 916355/9495280427). Brahmagiri trek also starts from Thirunelly.  Check the status with Forest Office in advance as there is news that trekking is cancelled due to wildlife.

While waiting for Gokul, we enjoyed testing our glucose and cholesterol at the bus stand - a small kiosk run by the Govt of Kerala to monitor the health of God's Own People.

As we didn’t get a direct bus to the temple, we boarded the one towards Kutta and got down at the junction where the road deviates to Thirunelly temple . Crunchy and juicy Kuttettan's Unniappam welcomed us and kept us occupied until we got bus to the temple. There was a long queue of people near the temple waiting to meet a herbal medicine practitioner. We walked barefoot around the ancient temple taking-in the divine atmosphere and then walked to Papanasini. This temple is not so commercialized and still offers a serene atmosphere.  Gokul forgot his kaalankuda (single fold crook-handle umbrella) at many locations which gave us ample time for photos.

Evening was free and after a not so nice experience of watching movie in Wayanad, I was hesitant to give it a third try. Convincing me took a while and we opted to watch Pulimurugan (Malayalam movie starring Mohan Lal).  It was an entertaining movie but it was the experience which was incredible.  Starting from waiting in the ladies queue for the tickets - which is possible only in Kerala I am sure - to the non stop whistling ( by me of course ) during the movie, I was totally immersed in the world of cinema.  

Banasura hills are around the Bansasura Sagar Dam - constructed in 1979 across a tributary of Kabini river. Known as the largest earth dam in India, this dam recently made news as the first Solar project atop a hydel dam.  Legend says that the Asura king - Banasura, (the son of King Mahabali)undertook a severe penance on the top of these hills and thus it was named after him.

There are many hills around which are worth hiking up for a bird's eye view of the dam and the green mountains soaked in the morning mist. Easiest is to hike to Kattukunnu which would not take more than 90min of ascent. Another trail of 3hrs hike will take you to an altitude of 6800ft if you are blessed by good weather and wild animals - elephants, wild boars and gaurs (Bos gaurus) roam around in this area.


You can reach Kappikkalam to obtain your permits and start your trek. Padinjarethara is the nearest town and Kappikkalam is easily accessible by an auto-rickshaw (Rs 50) You can take a KSRTC bus starting at 7 a.m. from Mananthavady which loops  Mananthavady- Padinjarethara-Banasura-Panthipoyil-Vellamunda-Tharuvana-Mananthavady.

Trekking fee needs to be paid at Vana Samrakshana Samithi office of Varampetta, near Kappikkalam - depending on the duration of the treks starting at Rs 750 for 3hrs for a group of five and the guide's charge is extra. At 8.30 a.m, we started walking at a good pace and reached the peak by 9:45am, despite Gokul's selfie-stops with his new Decathlon shoes. Watch out for leeches in the first phase going through a dense forest with many damp areas. At the peak, while we were soaking in the greenery around, we chatted about early migration to Malabar, global warming, real estate and education. After having packed breakfast (puttu/kadala)  we returned to the VSS office by 11:30am. 

On our way back we made a stop at the Meenmutty Waterfalls and the swim in the pool was revitalizing. This is not the big Meenmutty falls, but a smaller one near Banasura Dam.

We walked back to Kappikkalam bus-stop but there was no bus showing up for a while. We got a free ride by a truck (TATA 1016) and the driver was happy to take us until Padinjarethara.  After a quick lunch, we visited Gokul's friend's family at Tharuvana. While relishing a delicious snack called Pathal and black coffee, 82year old grandmother fondly called Achamma (father's mother) had many stories to share about her childhood which gave us a glimpse of past lifestyle and education at Malabar. She never went to school but she was taught by a visiting teacher to read/write/arithmetic writing on palm leaf using 'naarayam' (stylus). Achamma was the first native person we met in Malabar; where most of the locals are second generation migrants from Kottayam.

We walked back to the CITY through the fields and enjoying the evening sun. Later in the evening we returned to Mananthavady riding another KSRTC bus for a good night's sleep and Gokul returned to Vadakara for his journey to Alleppey.  Next morning, we returned bus-hoping to Bangalore via  Kutta-Ponnampet-Gonikoppal-Hunsur-Mysore. Stopping at Kuttettan's was highly tempting!

How to reach:  An overnight KSRTC bus from Bangalore to Mananthavady costs Rs 390 (Non AC- Rajahamsa Executive) If you have lot of time, you could take a bus from Mysore via HD Kote-Bavali during the day. Better roads to drive is via Mysore-Hunsur-Gonikoppal-Ponnampet- Kutta-Tholpetty.

Where to stay: Kabani Tourist Home at VC Road Mananthavady (Rs 400 dbl) is easily accessible and one of the cheapies. Hot water and clean toilets, but carry some extra bedsheet.

Where to eat: A small but clean restaurant by the name Kabini is hidden next to Parayil Tourist Home very close to Kabini Tourist Home dishes up usual Kerala delicacies cooked using firewood. Puttu/Kadala/Egg Roast Rs 40. Vegetarian Meals Rs 35.

Going Around: Plenty of KSRTC and private buses from Mananthavady bus station to any direction in Wayanad. There is a direct day bus at 10:30am to Bangalore - a favorite of the students.