subject: Wayanad - A Rustic Escape [print this page] Wayanad is a beautiful holiday destination of India. The region renowned for its laid back life, rich natural surroundings and rustic appeal offers tourists the rare opportunity to relax and enjoy the simplicity of life, adorn the natural beauty of the region and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. The region acts as an idealistic holiday destination offering the much needed break from the mundane city life offered by modern world.
Wayanad borders the greener regions of Kerala and is blessed with rich natural beauty complete with dense forests, lush greenery, plantations and paddy fields, proving to be a complete treat for nature lovers. The region is one of the sparsely populated regions and is also not overtly commercialized. The region still radiates with an old world charm that charmed and continues to charm tourists from all quarters.
This petite little beauty is found settled on the southern tip of the Deccan Plateau amidst the majestic Western Ghats, in north-east Kerala. Wayanad enjoys good popularity among the tourist circle drawing in tourists from all quarters. The region also serves as a popular weekend escape for the various people living in close proximity of the region.
The name Wayanad is believed to be the combination of two Tamil words Vayal and Naad, Vayal meaning Paddy field and Naad meaning land thus, Wayanad literally translates into the 'land of the paddy fields'. As per a local folk lore Wayanad was formerly known as Mayakshetra (Maya's land) which became Mayanad and finally settled on to become Wayanad.
For recreation, there is plenty of interesting tourist attractions present in and around Wayanad which are worth a visit. Some of the popular tourist attractions of the region include Chembra Peak, Neelimala, Meenmutty Falls, Chethalayam Falls, Pakshipathalam, Banasura Sagar Dam, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Muthanga Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Tholpetty, Jain Temple, Edakkal Caves, Pazhassi Rajas Tomb, Pookote Lake, Sentinel Rock Falls, Kanthanpara Falls, Sunrise Valley and much more. The local markets are also a popular tourist attraction and are renowned for its coffee, tea, cocoa, pepper, plantain and vanilla.
Along with sightseeing, tourists can also indulge in various sorts of adventure sports activities offered in the region like nature walks, trekking, hiking, camping, bird watching, rappelling and much more.
Wayanad hosts large number of tourists every year and as such the region offers plenty of accommodation options to choose from, from the various hotels to resorts in Wayanad. The various accommodation facilities are found across various budget segments ranging from the luxury hotels and resorts to the budget and economy hotels, so as to cater to varied tastes and preferences of the myriad of travelers visiting the region.
