Want a weekend gateway to forest areas from Bengaluru? Look no further—Wayanad in Kerala and the adjacent district of Karnataka, that is, Coorg is waiting for you.
Reasons why you must visit Wayanad and Coorg:
- Abbey falls, or Abbi Falls, about a km from Madikeri, is a must-visit waterfall in the Coorg district.
- There are some historical places in Madikeri which offer stunning views of valley from top at the same time like Nehru Mantap, Raja’s Seat.
- Bylakuppe near Madikeri is known for its famous Namdroling Monastery with Tibetan influence. You’ll have the same feeling if you were in a monastery in Leh. Yes, I have visited both of these places!
- Banasura Sagar dam across the Karamanathodu River on the foothills of Banasura hills is very scenic and lovely!
- If you love walking around streams amidst forests and having a picnic, too, reach out to an island named Kuruva, which is in dense forest. You’ll get the feel of being very close to nature.
- It would be best if you had trekking on your list.
- Pakshipathalam, Kumara Parvatha, and Brahmagiri of the treks of many out there.
Location : Wayanad is 300 km west of Bengalauru and Coorg is 260 km west of Bengaluru.
Tourist Attraction on the spot:
For Kodagu these are the places of interest: Nisargadhama, Mallalli Waterfalls, Triveni Sangama. In addition, Lakkidi View Point.
Tourist Attraction in Vicinity:
You can visit Mysuru, Ooty, Palghat, Kochi.
Distance Charts:(Kalpetta | Madikeri)
- Chennai(640 | 590 km)
- Mumbai(1100 | 1010 km)
- Pune(950 | 870 km)
- Bangalore(300 | 270 km)
- Rameswaram(570 | 670 km)
- Cochin(250 | 360 km)
- Kanyakumari(630 | 730 km)
- Delhi(2500 | 2430 km)
- Hyderabad(900 | 820 km)
- Ooty(120 | 250 km)
- Munnar (330 | 450 km)
- Mysuru(170 |120 km)
How to Reach Wayanad and Coorg:
Road Routes:
Bengaluru- – Channarayapattana – Kusalnagar – Madikeri – Kutta – Mananthavady – Kalpetta – Sulthan Bathery-Gudlupet-Mandya – Bengaluru. And then, Pookode lake – Vyithri – Wayanad
IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MY EXPERIENCE:
1) Wayanad and Coorg both are trekking hotspots. So spend some days just after the September-October monsoons to finish those treks -they are heavenly! Some of them are Pushpagiri, Tadiandamol, Pakshipathalam, Kumara Parvatha, Brahmagiri, and Chembra.
2)Have an umbrella at all times to protect yourself from scorching, humid heat or rain.
3)Some places like Edakkal caves and Kuruvadweep have public transport frequency issues. You will find buses every 2-3 hours and forget if it is a Sunday or holiday. So be careful if you are in a bit remote area, especially in Wayanad.
4)June-August and April-May are better avoided as it’s very humid during these months, and rains cause landslides and floods.
5)Ooty is an excellent lookout from Wayanad District via Sulthan Bathery and nearby. So you can plan accordingly.
6)Language will be a big issue in Wayanad, so try managing in English. Even English doesn’t help all the time! But you have to manage ;;;
RAIL:Nearest railway station for Coorg and Wayanad is Mysuru or Kozhikode depending on whether you are on Karnataka or Kerala side .
AIR: Kozhikode/Mysuru are nearest airports
ROAD: You can visit Wayanad via Lakkidi from the Kozhikode side and Sulthan Bathery from the Mysuru side. For Coorg / Kodagu, the best way to be is from Mysuru via Hunsur. You can even cover a 120 km ride from Wayanad district to reach Madikeri. You can use Kerela SRTC or KSRTC buses at your disposal, which are efficient and quick.
Map:
Time to Visit:
September to March is best time to be here.
Spend Time With:
Family, friends, solo, couple, groups
Food and Lodging:
There are plenty of hotels all over the place in both the Coorg and Wayanad districts. So that’s never an issue. You DON’T need bookings here. Food is also not an issue in both districts; you’ll find small shops for snacks all the way.
Expense:
A 3 day trip to Coorg and Wayanad ,the expenses will be:
Food: INR 100/person/day(3 times a day)X3
Transport: INR 350 from Bengaluru to Madikeri by KSRTC state bus; INR 200 from Madikeri to Kalpetta and INR 400 from Kalpetta to Bengaluru; For local sightseeing, buses do help, and we assume INR 350 for that.
Lodging: INR 700/day.
Entry Fees include various places (varies): Assume INR 500 as there are entry fees in several places. Especially in Wayanad.
Total: 4800 INR
Total: 4800 INR
Nearby Attractions(Kalpetta | Madikeri)
- Ooty(120 | 250 km)
- Munnar (330 | 450 km)
- Cochin(250 | 360 km)
- Mysuru(170 |120 km)
- Murudeshwara(410 | 130 km)
- Gokarna(490 | 370 km)
- Chennai(640 | 590 km)
- Bangalore(300 | 270 km)
- Rameswaram(570 | 670 km)
- Kanyakumari(630 | 730 km)
- Alappuzha(290 | 400 km)
- Highways(460 | 550 km)
- Ponmudi(330 | 440 km)
- Jog Falls(430 | 350 km)
