Blogs from Wayanad, Kerala, India, Asia

Caves are cool in so many ways, from literal to geological to historical and the Edakkal Caves in the Wayanad district of Kerala are no exception. We find out that we are about to see unique neolithic rock carvings rather than the more usual paintings that were des rigour for the cave dweller artists of the day in other parts of the world. But first we find out from Suresh, our new guide for the day, a bit about the area we are in. Wayanad is at between 700m and 2100m above sea level and with its Chembra mountain rising to 5000 feet (strange mix of measurements I know but that's how we were given them) the area is known as a hill station. Wayanad actually translates as 'The land of rice paddies' but not so ... read more

At best a reluctant shopper, I have perfected the Miranda 'browse/sweep/leave' method of shopping with great expertise. Shopping malls are therefore usually hell on earth for me. Not so today as I discover that shopping malls are one of the few public spaces in India that are air conditioned! Suddenly I develop a huge interest in watches, shoes, designer bags and the like! There is both an Indian and Western clothing section in one department store in Sulthan Batthay whose cold air I am making use of, so I make a pretence of looking at some of the Indian styles only to suddenly realise that the prices are set, so no bartering! Yay, finally I can shop without the dreadful business of being expected to try and get a better price when it's already so cheap ... read more

21/02/16 Leave Aseem's and join a 11am bus to Mananvathady 100k away inside the north Kerala rural patch of Wyanad, bus to visit the local village of Peechangode for my stay with second (csurfing host) Niraz. 22/2/16 Move sticks south to Vythili and spend the entire day strolling the surrounding foresty, tea cropped areas. 23/2/16 bus to meppadi at the feet of chembra peak, minus the compulsory clingy guide an enjoyable steep assent with misty plantation views yet not actually to the "peak" as is sadly restricted. Back in time for a late lunch followed by an afternoon on the buses to Varnham homestay north west of mananthavady to enjoy a higher standard of stay, great meals, sanctuary safari with other guests & more walkies. I nip a super 24 hour stay in the bud & ... read more

The first night in the Wayanad hills, we are the only guests. We have a pleasant meal which is slightly marred by the fact that one or both waiters spend the entire meal watching us, and waiting to serve another spoonful of food. We’re not sure if this is the novelty value of having non-Indian guests, or if there is just a big cultural difference between India and the UK. The waiters serve us a spoonful of each dish, then hover nearby waiting for us to consume that, so they can serve the next spoonful. The constant scrutiny makes us feel slightly uncomfortable, but we’re starting to think that’s just expected behaviour here. David thinks any discomfort is due to the fact that we are not used to having servants; in the days of the Raj ... read more

Places Visited : Edekkal Caves Jain Temple Chembra Peak Soochimara Waterfall Pookade Lake Banasurasagar Dam Meenmutti Waterfall Kuruva Dweep Distance Covered: > 700 Km After a long wait I got the best conditions for my Wayanad trip particularly a hike to Chembra Peak. I always wanted to do it on my bike and do camping but that doesn’t look like to be possible any more. Lately I have got slip disk problem and hence no more biking for some years and camping has been to prohibited to preserve the area and terrain. Well, all this gave me a new friend my NANO. It looks small for such long and rough journeys but in actual I must say it has much more caliber then people oath it to have. With the route planned we (me and my ... read more