Wayanad is a district in the north-east part of Kerala, a state in south-western part of India. It is the only plateau region of Kerala. Kalpetta is its capital town. It is 85 KM (3 Hours drive) from Kozhikode, a major city of that state. Wayanad district is bordered by Karnataka to the north, east and north-east, Tamil Nadu to the south-east. In addition, it is bordered by other districts in Kerala such as Malappuram to the south, Kozhikode to the south-west and Kannur to the west and north-west.
Wayanad has more than 20 places worth sightseeing as a Tourist. One could start with Edakkal Caves. The Edakkal caves are two natural caves at a remote location situated at 1200 metres (3900 feet) above sea level. Inside the caves are stone carvings on the walls, believed to be drawn from 6000 BCE to 1000 BCE, which is equivalent to Neolithic era of Stone Age time. These caves were discovered by the British in 1890. The carvings are of human and animal figures, tools used by humans and of symbols yet to be deciphered, suggesting the presence of a prehistoric settlement. Some Historians claim that those drawings are somehow connected to Indus Valley Civilization.
To enjoy natural beauty, Wayanad has a few beautiful waterfalls. Two of them are Soochipara Falls and Kanthanpara Falls. Soochipara Falls, also known as Sentinel Rock Waterfalls, is a three-tiered waterfall. It is 200 Metres (656 Feet) and offers a cliff face that is used for rock climbing. Kanthapara Falls has a total height of around 30 Meters (98 Feet). Kanthanpara Falls can be seen like a silver thread when it is viewed from Soochipara Falls.
Pookode Lake is a scenic freshwater lake in Wayanad district. It is situated within evergreen forests and mountain slopes at an elevation of 770 Meters (2526 Feet) above sea level. It is 12.5 KM (25 Minutes drive) away from Kalpetta, the district capital. It is spread across an area of 8.5 Hectares (9.15 Lakh Square Feet) and with a depth of 6.5 Metres (21 Feet). It is the smallest and highest elevated freshwater lake in Kerala. For tourists, it offers activities like pedal-boating and a perimeter trail to walk on, with a lush backdrop of trees.
Kalpetta has very good road connectivity with the rest of Kerala and neighboring South Indian cities. NH766 connects Kalpetta with Kozhikode and Mysore. State Highways connect Kalpetta with Ooty in Tamil Nadu and Madikeri in Karnataka. Buses are available to Wayanad from Bangalore, Mysore, Kozhikode and Kannur. The nearest airport is Calicut International Airport, about 91 KM (3 Hours drive) from Wayanad. This Airport has multiple connections to Domestic and International destinations.
