The trip to the Vythiri Resorts, Wyanad, the last year turned out to be an eye opener. As we travelled towards Kerala we could see the drastic difference in the topography. The trip being made in Nov, the dry terrain of the Bandipur forests gave way to the lush green vegetation of Kerala.
Enroute - Bandipur forests, Karnataka
The Vythiri Resort was like any other in Kerala. Set amidst acres of land,they have given the traditional look to the cottages. My first glimpse made me wish that they had kept the cottages a little more cleaner.
View from my cottage
But the next day made the trip an exemplary experience. Imagine getting up in the early morning hours where all you could hear is the sound of the birds and flowing water! And then I heard a sound which at first made me wonder who was insane enough to rise up early in the morning and practice whistling. It was only on my second day that I realised that it was the sound of a bird. I was a bit disappointed when I failed to identify the source because of the pitch darkness. All I succeeded was in recording its voice. Now I wish I had asked about it to the resort people; they might have been able to explain.
Another animal that fascinated me was the great Malabar squirrel. As I sat outside in the verandah and watch it leaping amongst the trees, I was however disappointed with its voice.
The great Malabar squirrel
The food was typical of what you get in any Kerala restaurant. Though too small a state, the flavour of the food varies from place to place.I enjoyed having the "matta" rice or the big boiled rice typical of Kerala and the meat curries made in coconut.Like any place in Kerala, they too had the ayurvedic massage which I never bothered to try out.
The way down leads to the the river with crystal clear water. The rocks and the trees surrounding it gave an untamed touch making the view awesome. The water flowing near me in the wild surroundings made it worth going all the way from the maddening crowd of Bangalore.
The river in Nov
Outside the resort in the village you are amidst a friendly lot of people. They wanted to know where we were from, for how long we planned to stay there, and what not. But believe me, I enjoyed talking to someone other than my family in my mother tongue after a long time. We had a drive through the tea plantations but other than that did not do much sight seeing. Instead had a relaxed holiday doing nothing, other than enjoying the scenic beauty which the resort had to offer us.
A picturesque drive
A trip to the restaurant from our cottages meant going through a rope bridge hanging above the water. Imagine what it would have been like in the monsoons with the water gushing below us!
The way to the restaurant
And thats exactly what I plan to do. Make a visit during the monsoons and just sit, eat and enjoy!
The return journey through the Bandipur forests gave a peep of the wild giving our trip a grand finale.
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