Trip 2 - Wayanad

I went for a trip to Wayanad again, and this time it was amazing, had an adventure. We went for a trip from the company, me and my team, the trip was fabulous partly because of the people who accompanied me and also the adventure we had. We went river crossing at Kuruva Islands.

Kuruva Islands

River Crossing Experience
The Water was freezing cold, and the speed of current was fast, so we crossed each river holding each others hands, but to feel the water rushing through you and the beauty of the running water,it's an experience for which you can stand the shivers of coldness you feel.

Trekking-Chembra Peak
Next day we went for trekking to Chembra Peak..which posed a challenge to the amount of stamina one had, I'm happy to say that I was among the first group of people to reach the destination..what a hike!! almost 2 hours..just to climb till a beautiful heart shaped lake, if you want to climb the whole peak, well my guide told me it takes a day almost to hike up and come down..so we finally reached our destination, the cool gust of wind made all the effort in climbing up disappear and as for the view from the top..absolutely breathtaking.

Chembra Peak

You can imagine, by the time we all came down again, it was a lot tougher than the journey up, cause it was very slippery and one can easily loose grip over the slimy rocks that filled the small path,there was a little stream from the lake running down our path,which made it muddy and very slippery, funny thing is, my shoes got worn out by the time I reached the lake, so I made my way down with only my socks..again to be among the first group to reach down..:)Then we went for Pookot Lake..

Inspite of all the tiredness we felt, we danced that night back at the hotel, enjoying ourselves so much, that even if our feet felt tired, we didn't feel it,ofcourse that's until we all went back to our room and crawled into our beds..:)

Day three-Banasura dam,Meenmutty falls

The Sun Rises and we're ready to check out from the hotel we stayed in, so first stop after that was Banasura Dam,where we went for speed boating, the water splashing on us.

Banasura Dam

Meenmutty Falls

Atlast we went to Meenmutty falls, nestled inside a protected forest, amazing...I stayed near the first level of the falls along with my friends, while others went on to the second level and the biggest. We spotted a Russel's Viper which swam past us in the flowing water to the river bank, and went under a rock to rest for the afternoon as he had done enough basking in the sun.

Then it was time to start for home, so we did a little shopping, i got some nik naks for mom,dad and my friend, and we were homeward bound.

The things about a trip that makes it so memorable are the people you go with and the time of the year you plan it, for me it was the people who made it special, apart from Wayanad being an almost exact copy of Forks from Twilight, with the woods and the atmosphere,making you feel as if you've escaped into some fantasy world from your dreams..:D It's an amazing place to spend with people who love adventure,nature and most of all having fun together...:)

My Trip To Wayanad..

I went for a college trip to Wayanad when I was doing my PG, and the experience was something amazing, truly rejuvenating and ofcourse it's all fun and laughter when you're with friends .

Wayanad is situated in the Western Ghats and provides a picturesque view of the green mountains, the weather is cold around the year and it rains most of the time, so if you're planning on a trip, you better pack some raincoats and some warm clothes. We took the Mangalore train, and all of us were screaming our heads out and singing until dawn, so we slept for just 3 hours, before we landed at our destination, then we took the bus, all the way to Wayanad...

So here are the places that we went to and a must see at Wayanad :

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary/ Muthanga

The entry fee for an adult is Rs. 10 and for a child is Rs. 5, for a still camera they charge Rs. 50. If you need f a guide you need to pay Rs. 100 and a Jeep for the safari costs Rs. 250.

The sanctuary houses many species of flora and is famous mainly it’s Elephants, although it is also home to Tigers, Panthers, Jungle Cats, Civet Cats, Monkeys, Wild dog, Bison, Deer, Bears, Monitor Lizards and a variety of Snakes..You can go on a safari inside the sanctuary, if you’re lucky you can spot a deer, elephant or even hear a Tiger growl, to get lucky enough I would suggest that you plan the trip some time during the summer, when the animals come for a drink near the water holes.

You’ll be taken only till a few kilometers into the sanctuary, cause beyond that is the real dense forest, and the protected area for the endangered species of flora and fauna is houses. We were lucky enough to spot a deer, peacock and even spot a tiger’s paw print and also heard one roaring. 

The jeeps we went in for the safari…

The Sambhar deer we spotted. 

Tiger Paw print, judging by the size of the paw it must have been a young one 

Next we were taken to a small museum where they had made taxidermy of the animals found in the forests, sloth bear (black bear), Tiger, Leopard and even had a cobra in a jar, don’t worry it was already dead.

Poor cobra in a jar…

They even had the skull of an Elephant, the jaw line of these humble yet mighty beasts can be quite frightening, ofcourse it is meant for chewing tough branches, cause they’re herbivores..;) 

The entire bone collection of a 6ft tiger, that’s taller than me, yikes... :o 

Edakal Caves:

 

It is a steep climb into the caves and the space is just about enough for two people to walk to and fro the caves.

These caves date back to Neolithic age, and you can find carvings inside the cave made by the stone age people who once made these caves their habitat.

 View from high above the caves. 

Soochipara Falls:

 

Soochipara Falls also known as Sentinel Rock Waterfalls is a spectacular three tiered waterfalls in Vellarimala, it’s quite slippery here and most of us had to take the help of the local people there to climb up and down to the falls. The descent to the falls was quite easy, but the ascent back up got quite difficult with the mist covering the whole place.

Banasura Dam:

 

 

Bansura dam is towards the north west of Kalpetta.Bansura dam is considered to be the largest earth dam in India. 

Sulthan Bathery Jain Temple

Sulthan Bathery, earlier known as Ganapativatom, is a quaint town in the Wayanad district of  Kerala. The place became known as Sulthan Bathery after Tipu Sulthan of Mysore invaded the  region and used the Jain temple here as a battery. During Tipu Sulthan’s invasion in the 18th century an imposing fort was built here, but unfortunately there are no remains of the fort to be found.

Chain Tree: 

This Ficus Tree is considered to be most sacred and a scariest place to visit at Wayanad bound by chains..  It is believed that a priest chained the soul of a Adivasi youth, who guided a British Engineer through mountain terrain into Wayanad. The British Engineer killed Adivasi to take the credit of discovery of the way. There have been reports of countless accidents that have happened near this tree and on this road, most of them have been associated with the Adivasi’s soul, who’s still wanting his revenge.

Pookkot Lake:

A natural fresh water lake surrounded by evergreen forest and rolling hills, 3 km south of Vythiri town, Wayanad district. Tourists can also avail of boating facilities, children's park, and a shopping center for handicrafts and spices.

We couldn’t go for a boat trip cause the lake was closed. So I went for a shopping spree, I got myself some home made chocolates, some coconut shell pendants (which you cannot find anywhere else, there were also beautiful mini models of the famous Kerala house boats. Then we headed back home to Chennai by Mangalore Express again.

 

Grandma...My Inspiration and My Motivator...

I guess I inherited the passion for art and sketching from my grandmother.I'm missing her now.:(.she used to do masterpieces with her needle and thread..pictures that are not painted but threaded...stuffed dolls that look so life like..Grandma you're a wonderful person and I love you..this is dedicated to her, though she left this world, she remains in my heart and in my art work..as an inspiration for not only artwork that i do, but also for dishing out a variety of dishes, cakes and sweets.....love you grandma..:)
My works

ATV ride

Next on my fun list would be the ATV ride I had...Offroad Sports located near Muttukadu and Toll Gate is a must if you're on the ECR, it's a privately owned area. They have ATVs of 150cc,200cc and 300cc..you can go for a single lap or three laps..I tried out the 150CC ATV, the suspension isn't that good, the 200cc and 300cc have better suspension. You can also go for a 25 km ride at the beach which will cost you 5000rs, or a ride in the woods which is roughly 2000rs..the regular single lap ones will cost you somewhere between 200-600 depending on the type of vehicle you choose(depending on the CC) and 3 lap rides around the track will cost you anywhere between 300-800 or more..I had fun riding the 150CC ATV, and loved the thrill of it....:)

Here's their website
http://offroadecr.com/index.html





Next best place for a ride in ATV, adventure and  pumping the adrenalin would be Wild Tribe Ranch, Located 30 km from Chennai on the NH5, though i haven't been there, their website is inviting and the choices they have are huge..May be I would go there the next time.
Here's the link
http://www.wildtriberanch.com/

Trip to Mudaliarkuppam

Mudaliarkuppam is an amazing place for all those who wanna experience some adrenalin rush, adventure or just a plain fun day out with family..Mudaliarkuppam is located in the district of Kanchipuram, 92 km from Chennai and 36 km down Mamallapuram on ECR (East Coast Road). They've got Kayaks, Motor Boats, Water Scooters, Row Boats, Pedal Boats.

I went for a ride in the water scooter..and believe me its an experience you don't wanna miss..Riding the waves..twists and turns, where you fear you may tumble over into the water...Absolute Fun and Adrenalin Rush..You can Ride the Water Scooters if you like with the instructor sitting behind you or you can let him do all the driving and have fun clinging on...:) There is also an Island from the  place 4 km approx ,with tents for tourists..you will be transported there in a motor boat..If you wanna go for a ride in the water scooter you gotta pay around 450Rs and you'll be given a ride for a span of 5mins..kayaks cost around 150 or so with 30mins duration..pedal boats also amount to the same amount more or less..But a ride on the water scooter is worth every penny, cause the sensation you feel after the ride is amazing...

MY FIRST BLOG

hey there,
this is my first time blogging..my name is Gayathri Raghavan..I've finished my Masters and am currently on the look out for a job..I love Music, dancing, reading, sketching, cooking ,playing on the ps2..n more...I love to Travel, and would love to travel to Peru some day...