The best thing about Bangalore is that there are tons of driving trips that can be done by taking a day off and combining it with the weekend. Who then needs to wait for an extended weekend?
Wayanad in Kerala is one such getaway. As you drive in from Karnataka and you cross the Kerala border, you begin to notice the greenery. Lush green! If you do come in through the forests you might even drive past an elephant herd and you will definitely see deer and monkeys galore.
Aside, it is best not to stop to take pics of elephants, they have been known to charge and they are quite fast belying their size and please do not get out of your vehicle. It is dangerous. If you are for some reason face to face with a charging elephant, one recourse is to take an article of clothing and throw it down. The elephant will supposedly snatch at the cloth and tear it to shreds first giving you enough time to make a getaway. This is jungle folklore and I have never tried it (or come face to face with a marauding elephant.
There is not much to do here. The best thing to do is to take up one of the homestays, be away from the trappings of the tech world and unwind with a book. Take in the scenery, rest, eat, drink and chill. The Portuguese sossegado or the Dutch niksen are concepts to apply to yourself and this is just the place to do that. Of course, there are the mandatory plantation walks (watch out for the leaches in the rainy season), peaks to ascend (Chembra peak), caves (Edakkal caves) and dams (Banasura Sagar dam) but these are more for the ones with itchy feet for whom a holiday also needs some level of activity.
There are two homestays we recommend.
The first is Fringe Ford.
A cosy homestay higher up in the peaks. You will have to park your car below and take the homestay's four wheel drive to reach the place. It is a no nonsense, non luxurious place which is a 100 year old estate house. While it sounds grand, the place is very down to earth with basic amenities but neat and clean. Take in the wilderness all around, listen to a distant growl, walk through the inhouse treks, eat a lot of home cooked food, play board games at night - unwind and leave the city behind.
The other one is a more luxurious Amaryllis.
Run by Ranjini and Victor and a part of their own home, this is a little less 'wild' than Fringe Ford but has breathtakingly beautiful views of the backwaters of the reservoir. Set amongst mountains curtained by mist, it is named after the stunning red flower was the first one that we planted on either side of the driveway. There is a beautiful shot YouTube video where Victor talks about the place and should be a must watch just to get an idea of what you will get to see.
The rooms are cosy but luxurious and so well maintained. How many homestays do you know which will give you a french press in your room? As Victor says, if you are in coffee country, it is just criminal to give you a nescafe sachet, isnt it? There are a couple of long walks which can be done to get some great views of the area and the best thing is the old world style paper maps that you are given to 'follow the trail'. (psst - google maps works too!)
Whether you are the seasoned traveller, newbie traveller, road tripper, want to get out of the city person, a Wayanad trip is a must do. Good food, cut off from the city and a place to unwind - go now!
Getting there
The best way to get there is to drive down from Bangalore (7 to 8 hours, 280km and good roads). Bangalore airport is well connected to pretty much the world. Hire a cab, self drive car or if you live in Bangalore, just drive down. The nearest railway station is Kozhikode (Calicut) and so is the airport if you want to avoid 8 hour drives (that will cut your journey by around 150 km).
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