Wayanad - Day 1

You can read about how we reached Wayanad here. 

First day of our sight seeing began with Kuruwa Dweep, an island located around 40 km from Meenangadi. It  has an entry ticket of INR 50 (INR 100 for foreign nationals) and a camera ticket of INR 25. Entry is  restricted between 9 am – 3:30  pm. A bamboo raft takes us from the entry point to the opposite side.

Bamboo Raft @ Kuruwa Dweep

View of the island from the boat

From there on, we are just left to wander on our own. Even with backwaters and trees nearby, the sun was too hot for us to enjoy the stroll. We were told that many birds and butterflies would flock the island. But we were disappointed to spot only one or two kind of butterflies. :-(

We simply strolled in paths like these on a hot day

Little streams of water flows and a gang of college students were enjoying themselves in the little pool. We decided that we had had enough of the place and walked back. Perhaps the island is over rated or we visited during a wrong season. We would have skipped this place if time was a constraint.

The only good thing happened when we visited the island was lunch. Our driver had made reservation for vegetarian meals in a nearby home and they served us piping hot and delicious food in plantain leaf. We were impressed by the sheer variety of unlimited food that was served for a nominal amount of INR 80 per person. A museum was right opposite to this house showcasing art and crafts of the region. We decided to skip it and headed towards Banasura Sagar Dam.

Banasura Sagar Dam, second largest earthen dam in Asia is located around 40 km from the island and it took almost an hour to reach. Entry to the dam is restricted between 8:30 am to 5:45 pm and Boating hours is from 9 am to 5 pm. Entry ticket is INR 20 for adults and INR 10 for children. From the ticket counter, we have to walk uphill for around 15 minutes. A jeep facility provides transportation to and from the ticket counter for a fee of INR 100 (for 8 people). We preferred walking up and were duly impressed upon seeing the dam.

Uphill walk to the dam

Long walk towards the boating area...

Boating is charged INR 500 (for 5 people). The entire boat ride lasts for around 20 minutes. We were taken deep into the boundaries of the dam providing a real treat to the eyes.

Banasura Sagar Dam

The sound of our boat tearing the waters, wind, the feeling of actually riding a boat inside a dam, a very huge area with blue waters, little sand mountains here and there, the sun setting in the backdrop of western ghats – it was an experience in itself. There is a cafeteria center and a small play area for kids also.

View from Banasura Sagar Dam

After our boat ride, we headed to our home-stay, had dinner and a good night's sleep. You can read about next day of our trip here.