Wayanad is a district of Kerala nestled amongst the lush green hills of Western Ghats and forms and integral part of the Nilgrils Biosphere reserve. The district came into existence on 01 Nov 1980 by carving out portions from Kannur and Calicut districts. The district headquarters is at Kalpeta, a modest town and the only municipality in the district. Kalpeta is located centrally and is easily accessible by road. It lies on the Mysore Calicut highway is aprox 70 km from Calicut.

There are many legends behind the origin of the word Wayanad. In earlier times this places used to be called Mayakshetra which got corrupted to Mayanad and then further to Wayanad. Another theory states that Wayanad derives its name from a combination of Vayal (Paddy fields) and Naad (Land) or the land of paddy fields. Irrespective of the origin of the word, Wayanad today stands as one of the finest tourist destinations and is renowned for its flora and fauna.

The Western Ghats are a repository of vast natural wealth and heritage. There are millions of plants, animal and insect species living in these forests and Wayanad provides a glimpse into this marvellous world.  

To the weary tourist Wayanad offers the best of everything. It has adventure, wildlife, leisurely relaxation and many more. Tourists can trek deep into the forest to look for wild elephants and birds, or hike up some of the peaks like chembra, Brahmagiri and banasura, or take a leisurely walk through acres of cardamom and coffee plantations. The river Kabini, a tributary of the Cauvery flows though this district.

The elevation and dense forests make the climate very pleasant. In fact this is a favourite weekend getaway for many people from the coastal plains of Kerala and all tourist spots are quite crowded on weekends.

There are many areas of tourist interest in Wayanad and some of the prominent places include:

• Lakkidi
  
• Vythiri
• Pookote Lake
• Suchipara falls
• Meenmutty Falls
• Edakkal Falls
• Sultan Bathery
• Thirunelly
• Pakshipathalam
• Chembra peak
• Lower and upper Wayanad sanctuaries
• Kuruvadweep
• Mananthavady
• Tholpetty Wildlife sanctuary
• Banasura Sagar Dam

A four to five day trip would be sufficient to cover Wayanad, but if your are just tired of your monotonous life this is a good place to unwind and just relax. There are many hotels and resorts set amidst the acres of plantations and forests which are quite refreshing.