Spots we missed at Wayanad

Though we saw all the important spots at Wayanad, we missed a few fantastic sights. ‘Edakkal Caves’ was one of the most important spots to trek at Wayanad. We could not visit the caves because, the month we went, the place was closed for maintenance. We could not help it. One other spots, which my friends suggested as quite interesting, is the ‘Sunrise Valley’. ‘Chembra Peak’ is another spot we missed. I am now giving a short description about those places here.

Edakkal Caves:

Edakkal literally translates into 'a stone in between' in Malayalam. The two Edakkal caves are not caves in strictest of sense since there is merely a 96 feet long and 22 feet wide split in the rock. The caves, that stand on Ambukutty mala (a mountain) at a height of 1000 m, were discovered quiet accidently by the F. Fawcett, the then superintendent of police. The caves preserves prehistoric rock engravings including a human figure with headgear, a human figure on wheeled cart, images of a tribal king & queen, a deer and an elephant. The caves are situated at a distance of 12 kms from Sultan Bathery and can be reached by bit of effort. You can take your own vehicle only for the first kilometre. From there, a jeep has to be hired and then a trek of one kilometre will take you to the caves. Apart from the engravings, the views from atop is also splendid.

Etchings found on the walls of these caves have drawn the serious attention of archeologists and historians worldwide. It is assumed that the Edakkal had been inhabited at various stages in history. A telescope installed a panoramic view of the surrounding country is another attraction.

Chembra Peak:

To reach Chembra peak, we need to first reach a place called Meppadi, that is around 17 kms from Kalpetta. From Meppadi we can see the Chembra estate direction board. Once we reach the Chembra Estate Entrance, we need to get the pass. To reach the peak's bottom we need to walk 7kms and from the bottom, the peak is around 3kms. If we walk through the estates, it takes around 2 hours to reach the bottom of the peak. Alternatively, a vehicle can be arranged. The walk is really energizing with the greenery around us.

From there the trekking uphill begins. It will be a difficult climb, people say. It takes around forty five minutes to reach the top. There lies a small lake at the top of the mountain, which is the most beautiful at that spot. Again, more trekking is required to reach the top. The trek to this peak is told to be the most exhausting of all, as it takes a long time to reach the bottom of the peak and then start the trekking.

Sunrise Valley:

This is located 20 km south of Sulthan Bathery at Kadasseri. Sunrise valley is a great place to watch the rising and setting sun amidst dramatic mountain scenery. It also offers a panoramic view of the valley beneath. We need to reach the place early, climb up the hill. From the hill top, we can see the valley.

The sun seems to rise from beneath the valley. That’s the whole point in visiting this place. We can see sun’s rays spread around the place distinctly. How beautiful it should be! We missed it terribly.

I feel I ve missed some important places of interest at Wayanad, and one day in my life, I will make a trip back to the Green Paradise. :)

Hope you have developed some interest in visiting Wayanad now. So, What are you waiting for?! Gear up!!