Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Calicut has a glut of autorickshaws and most are happy to use the meter. It's about ?30
from the station to the KSRTC bus stand or most hotels.
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Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
04936 / POP 816,500
Ask any Keralan what the prettiest part of their state is and most will whisper: Wayanad.
Encompassing part of a remote forest reserve that spills into Tamil Nadu and Karnataka,
Wayanad's landscape combines epic mountain scenery, rice paddies of ludicrous green,
skinny betel nut trees, bamboo, red earth, spiky ginger fields, and rubber, cardamom and
coffee plantations. Foreign travellers are making it here in increasing numbers, partly be-
cause it provides easy access between Mysore or Bengaluru and Kerala, but it's still fant-
astically unspoilt and satisfyingly remote. Importantly, it's also one of the few places
you're almost guaranteed to spot wild elephants.
The 345-sq-km sanctuary has two separate pockets -
Muthanga
in the east bordering
Tamil Nadu, and
Tholpetty
in the north bordering Karnataka. Three main towns in Wayanad
district make good bases and transport hubs for exploring the sanctuary -
Kalpetta
in the
south,
Sultanbatheri
(Sultan Battery) in the east and
Mananthavadi
in the northwest - though
the best of the accommodation is scattered throughout the region.
Most hotels and homestays can arrange guided jeep tours (7am and 3pm) to various
parts of Wayanad.
