A Weekend in Wayanad

A long weekend should never go to waste, especially if you've been left breathless by the corporate grind. So, last weekend was no different. Though I was feverish just before the weekend, as soon as I felt a little better, I booked an impromptu trip to one of the most beautiful places around Bangalore - the quaint little paradise in Kerala called Wayanad.

I was part of a huge group of Bangaloreans (mostly the IT crowd trying to get some relief over the weekend). An overnight bus ride took us to the misty green heaven of Wayanad.

The moment we reached our resort, it started to rain. And little did we know that the rains wouldn't leave us alone till the very end of the trip.

Nonetheless, the trip began...

The first spot on our itinerary was what is touted as the longest ziplining experience. Though I skipped the ziplining, I took a casual stroll along the lush tea gardens and clicked some awesome photos.

Post some hot Maggie amid occasional showers, we headed to the most-awaited destination- the 900 Kandi glass bridge. A 40-minute rigorous and back-breaking off-road jeep ride took us to the 900 Kandi park. But the rains played spoilsport, as did the long weekend crowd. While it rained cats and dogs, we put on our rain jackets and rushed to the glass bridge, only to be told there would be no time given for individual photos. So, we hardly spent a couple of minutes, before being shooed away by the guards, as there was a long queue waiting.

Massively disappointed, we headed back, as the skies poured mercilessly.

Day 2 too began with rains. But we could thankfully visit the places we had marked on our itinerary. At Edakkal Caves (a rare cave which houses engravings from the Stone Age), the entire group trekked up, while I skipped the trek and did a solo recce of the area. So, for 2 and a half hours, I went around the cafes, souvenir shops, and a local chocolate factory (where I gorged on cake and cinnamon chocolate).

We then headed for the British-era Rippon tea factory where, for a decent entry fee of 100 bucks, we were taken around the factory and told about the entire process of manufacturing tea. The trip around the factory ended with a tea-tasting session.

The day ended with a quick visit to the Kanthanpara falls.

Day 3 started with a visit to the enchanting Banasura Dam. Again, the day was mostly rain-washed, and almost all of us got drenched in the massive downpour that ruined our day as we descended Banasura.

After rounds of tea and Maggie, we headed towards the Meenmutty Falls, which again I skipped because of the rains that had turned the rocks super slippery.

Nonetheless, the bittersweet trip ended with a wholesome dinner at the Wilton restaurant, a legendary eatery that has served scores of public figures. In spite of the goof-ups and bad weather, the overwhelming beauty of Wayanad made sure we had some memorable moments to cherish.

PS: Special mention must be made of the Banasura Mountain View Resort, which had its own view point.