Wayanad, Kerala,Zen and the Art of Cross-Country Biking

5 EASY TRIPS NTURE ...before wheeling your ADVE way past some spotted BREAK! deer in adjoining Nagarhole National Park, stopping for a sugar-palm fruit (right), a breather on the banks of the Kabini River (below), or even to buy a duckling or two for dinner 4 (below right) Cycle through Wayanad’s many beautiful tea and coffee estates Wayanad, Kerala, Zen and the art of cross-country biking WHY GO your destiny, least concerned warm and welcoming, are on the road. Wayanad has a lot of ups and expect. And finally, if you feel find it hard to part from your It is when you are hurtling about rising fuel prices. added bonuses. With two wildlife sanctuaries, GO NOW downs, so be prepared to exert like you are about to collapse two-wheeled steed. You will downhill through picture- Cycling through Wayanad Having someone else take care Tholpetty and Muthunga, en April is when the trees begin yourself a bit. Once you get from sheer exhaustion, you can entertain thoughts of purchasing perfect tea gardens that you is one of the best (and least of things – so that all you have to route, sightings of elephant, to renew their foliage. While a hang of the gears, though flag down the back-up vehicle, one for the daily commute, and begin to truly appreciate the intrusive) ways of getting do is show up – is the icing on bison, chital, the Malabar giant it does get hot, you might (and the guides are always a constant, reassuring presence. will begin dreaming of that genius of that distant ancestor to know this often ignored the cake. Enter MuddyBoots, squirrel and others are fairly catch pre-monsoon showers. around to help you learn), At the end of a day’s cycling, utopia where everyone chooses who discovered the wheel. It is part of Kerala. You can which organises bicycling common. There are also routes the climbs become a whole repair to the comfortable to travel by bicycle, or – who all the more heartening when choose a trip that’s and hiking expeditions that wind through undulating Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary, lot easier to manage. The good cottages at Pranavam Retreat, knows? – maybe even join you consider that throughout best suited in length GREAT FROM in and around tea and coffee estates, but this well-known in the area for its news is that each up has tucked away on a lush coffee a bicycling club back home. the subsequent evolution of (and difficulty) to your Cochin Wayanad. Backed kind of scenery can get a bit scrumptious unniappams a down, and these can be estate. Once a homestay, But even if all these hopes and transport, the bicycle still stamina, as you cycle by excellent resources monotonous after a while. (deep-fried rice and coconut serious fun – there are sections Pranavam is now managed by dreams fizzle away on your return remains the most efficient through forests, hills and (including a back-up vehicle Thankfully, the routes cakes). You can also try where you will cover many MuddyBoots, and Rema will to the big, bad city, you can vehicle ever invented. It certainly tea and coffee estates. The that carries your luggage and also include rest stops near a surprising variety of pickled kilometres without once having cook up traditional food for you always come back to Wayanad helps if the one you are riding down-to-earth, delicious food, a medical kit) and in-depth interesting wayside food stalls, fruit and veggies, like amla or to pedal. The key is to learn while you engage her husband, and your two-wheeled friends. is a sleek, 14kg, 21-speed garnished with the goodness knowledge of all the place has like the one at Thettuvazhi raw mango in brine, or pinepple how to keep your pedalling to K Ravindran, in conversation. velocipede. In the saddle, you of coconut in all its forms, and to offer, this operator makes (literally “wrong way”, as it in chilli and vinegar. a minimum, which will keep you After a couple of days of WORDS LUCANO ALVARES are a self-propelled master of the people, who are genuinely quite a difference once you’re is at a fork in the road) in the It must also be noted that going far longer than you would biking, be warned that you will PHOTOGRAPHS VINOBHA NATHAN 5 EASY TRIPS Locals cooling off outdoors on the wildlife trails – FACT SHEET in the river by carry toilet roles and sanitizer. Pozhuthana GETTIng ThERE If you’re driving from Kozhikode, Closest metro: Bangalore Below: You must it’s advisable to wait till you reach (300km). try unniappams your hotel in Wayanad; it’s just a when in Wayanad Closest city: Cochin two-hour drive. (260km), is a five- to six-hour drive from Kalpetta in SAFETY Wayanad, which is where Both English and Hindi most trails start from. are fairly well understood, Kozhikode (75km) is closest in Wayanad. All cycling trips to Kalpetta. Leave early for are accompanied by a back-up a full day’s cycling. vehicle and a guide. Closest airport: Kozhikode Airport is 75km from MEDICAL AID Kalpetta, although Bangalore The guides are trained in first (300km) is better connected. aid, and carry a first-aid kit. Kingfisher Red, Jet Airways The Fathima Mata Mission and Air India fly to Kozhikode Hospital in Kalpetta is the from Cochin, although the best-equipped hospital in connections are terrible – Wayanad (00-91-4936-202413). you’d probably be better off taking a train. CHILD-FRIENDLINESS Closest railhead: Kozhikode MuddyBoots encourages family is well connected to Indian travel, speak to them while cities. Take the daily 12706 picking a trail. Jan Shatabdi (leaves Ernakulam Junction 9.20am, GOOD TO KNOW arrives Kozhikode 1.05pm, We rode with MuddyBoots. ` 285 AC Chair Car), and It offers packages with a focus return by the 12705 Jan on either nature, culture or Shatabdi (leaves Kozhikode adventure, but you can talk to 1.35pm, arrives 5.20pm, them if you want a vacation ` 285 AC Chair Car). made to measure. We recommend cycling through GETTIng AROunD the forests, along with the MuddyBoots provides adventure ‘triathlon’ package lightweight cross-country on the Kuruva islands, which bikes and other local includes a high-adrenaline transport. They also arrange crossing of the Kabini River, a hike for pick-ups and drop-offs through dense evergreen forests, from Mysore and Kozhikode and swimming in rock pools (Mysore: ` 2,500 one way, (00-91-9544201249; muddyboots. Kozhikode: ` 1,300 one way). in, [email protected]; Bangalore: 1679, 23 Cross, 27 Main, Sector 2, HSR Layout, WHERE TO STAY Pranavam Retreat, you will be SHOPPING Wayanad: c/o Ravindran, Edom, Pranavam Retreat has treated to the most amazing You can buy spices, Pozhuthana; starting at ` 1,000 four elegant cottages to local vegetarian cuisine. Also coffee, tea and honey. per head for a full day’s cycling, choose from (00-91-9544201249; make sure you try ela sadya, You can also arrange for a visit which includes imported geared pranavamretreat.com, a multi-course vegetarian meal to Uravu, an NGO that works cycles, helmets, a guide, [email protected]; served on a banana leaf. with women’s cooperatives and a back-up vehicle and lunch). Vasudeva Edom, Pozhuthana; self-help groups, training them The trees in the sanctuaries ` 3,500 per couple per night WHAT TO PACK to manufacture and market shed their leaves from Feb to with breakfast). Cottons (preferably in bamboo handicrafts (00-91- Mar, and most safaris do not run neutral colours), light 4936-231400; uravu.net, uravu. at this time. The trees renew their WHAT TO EAT woollens if you go in winter, [email protected]; Thrikkaipetta; foilage between April and May. The food around swimwear, sunglasses, a good ` 100 onwards). Also, the neighbouring Wayanad is generally pair of bicycling shorts (make Mudumalai, Bandipur and excellent (more so sure they have inner CLEAN LOO GUIDE Nagarhole sanctuaries tend if you like coconut!), and padding to prevent The loo options depend to dry up by April, sending a lot both veg and non-veg saddle soreness), on the trail taken. Decent of the wildlife (particularly madan options are easily bicycling gloves, toilets can be accessed on trails elephants) into the sanctuaries EHA available. If you sunscreen and through the tea and coffee in Wayanad, resulting in better N : choose to stay at insect repellent. estates, while you’ll go in the wildlife sightings. MAP.

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