Travel Ideas & Trip Inspirations | South India
Day 1 – Calicut/Wayanad
Your tour commences as soon as you arrive at the Calicut airport or railway station. You will be met and then driven to the hill station of Wayanad, home to sprawling plantations. It is a four hour drive. You meet the rest of your travel mates at an orientation at the hotel. You have the rest of the day to wander around, do a little shopping and enjoy the good weather. You stay two nights at Wayanad.
Wayanad is characterised by mountainous vistas, tea and coffee estates, as well as cardamom, pepper and rubber plantations and is a trekker’s paradise. Some of the villages are Meppadi, Sultan Bathery and Vythiri. Sultan Bathery, was once the armaments store for Tipu Sultan in the 18th century. At a height of 1000 metres above sea level, the area is carpeted in rolling hills and green vales interwoven with naturally sinister cliffs. Today it is a very popular tourist destination for the nearby city slickers of Mysore and Bangalore.
Day 2 – Wayanad
You start your day off with a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel before setting off for a day of light trekking, and other adventure activities. There is no shortage of excellent views for those who have a passion for photography.
Some of the various places you can visit while you are in Wayanad are the Chembra Peak which is the highest peak in Wayanad at 2100 metres above sea level. It is a mountaineering endeavour for those into rugged adventure and is great for camping and photography. Pookot Lake is a fresh water lake fringed by green hills. Rock climbing is also great to try out at the Sentinel Rock waterfall also known as Soochippara is excellent for rock climbing with a three step waterfall measuring two hundred metres in height. The trek offers some excellent wildlife viewing. Close by are the impressive Edakkal caves is an interest to archaeologists as there are numerous etchings on the walls of the caves.
Apart from this there are many other places to see like Muthunga Wild life Sanctuary, Veera Pazhassi Rajah’s tomb, Wayanad Heritage Museum and the Kottamunda glass temple. Activities like bird watching, angling and nature walks are encouraged here. Also, if you are interested in architecture, then there are a number of ancient churches and temples in the area. The 13th century Jain Temple, at Sultan Bathery was once invaded by Tipu Sultan and used as ammunition storage has some excellent carvings. Depending on where you stay there, some homestays also offer other activities that you can participate in like trekking through uncovered mountain trails, riding the hidden paths on a motorbike, learn the art of Ayurveda. The district is easily accessible from the city of Calicut (Kozhikhode).
Day 3 – Mysore
This morning, you depart for Mysore, the city of palaces. It is a four hour scenic drive through the Nagarhole & Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuaries. The views and greenery are breath taking with bamboo, rose & teak wood. On arrival, check in at the hotel and have a quick lunch before going on an orientation tour of Mysore consisting of Chamundi Hill & Mysore Palace. You stay the night in Mysore.
Mysore, known as the “city of palaces, is the second largest city in Karnataka. Even to this day, the city exudes history and culture of the erstwhile rulers, with heritage buildings, landscaped gardens, temples and museums which is a culmination of various empires, whether Hindu, Muslim or Christian. Once upon a time the Dussehra festival was a perfect example of the communal harmony. The most dominant site in Mysore is the Mysore Palace. Rebuilt twice, and completed in 1912, the palace is a blend of Dravidian, Roman and Oriental styling. The three tiered building is a façade of grey and pink marble with a 145 foot tower. The Palace has various antique displays, heritage memorabilia and a doll pavilion.
Chamundi Hill, at an elevation of 1065 metres, holds the 11th century Chamumdeshwari Temple dedicated to goddess Parvathi and a gigantic monolith statue of Nandi bull. The Mysore Zoo, inaugurated in the 19th century, was a pet project of the erstwhile Maharaja. It has an excellent collection of animals, a gazebo, an orphanage for abandoned animals and a breeding centre.
Day 4 – Bangalore
This morning, you take a three hour drive to one of India’s fastest developing cities – Bangalore. The rest of the day is at your leisure to take in the sights and sounds of Bangalore. There is a lot to see and do here. You stay the night in Bangalore.
India’s quickest developing metropolis, Bangalore, formerly known as the Garden City, had expansive gardens and an agreeable climate which encouraged the European community to settle here during the years prior to independence. It has some of the finest colonial inspired boarding schools. Culture was anglicised and life was at a relaxed pace. The new millennia saw the city’s metamorphosis from a garden city to the Silicon Valley of India. The information technology boom saw people from all parts of India and world come to reside in Bangalore. High rise buildings sprung up all over the city and its suburbs. In a few years Bangalore became three times its size. They continue to improve infrastructure with a newly built International airport and a metro in the planning.
Places of interest include Vidana Soudha, housing the Karnataka government; Lal Bagh, showcasing numerous varieties of flowers and plants; Bangalore Palace, a Tudor style castle with secured towers and Gothic windows; and Tipu Sultan’s Palace, which was once his summer haven. There are a lot of other activities that one can enjoy here like shopping, go karting, ultimate Frisbee, radio control car racing, or go for a concert. Pub culture is popular here too.
Day 5 – Flight/Train
Your tour ends today, with a transfer to Bangalore airport or to the railway station for your onward journey.
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