Kochi To Wayanad trip
I travelled to Wayanad from Kottayam in late August during the monsoon season by getting a train and then a bus. The best, quickest and most convenient way to reach Wayanad from southern Kerala is to get a train to Calicut (Kozhikode) and then a bus from there. Trains from Kottayam and Kochi can vary in time between 7 and 5 hours, depending on which train you catch. It's certainly recommended that you upgrade to a sleeper or air-con carriage for this length of duration of travel. The train I caught had air-con and normal seating and for an extra Rs 280 you are guaranteed a comfier leather seat, cooler less cramped carriage with constant snacks, meals and refreshments offered throughout the journey.
Upon arriving in Calicut, outside the train station you are required to buy a rickshaw token for Rs 1 and a ticket to hand to your rickshaw driver stating your next destination and the price. It costs Rs 44 to get to the KRSTC bus stand in Calicut and from there you'll board the bus for Sultan Bathery but will disembark at Kalpetta, roughly about a 2.5-3 hour journey. As with all Indian public buses expect it to be a very squashed and cramped journey, at least for the first hour or so anyway.
Once passing through Thamarassery the landscape begins opening up. Large mountains and peaks can be seen in the distance piercing through the clouds like a skewer through a tandoori chicken kebab. The weather is visibly changing in front of you as clouds gather and pass in front of disappearing and reappearing peaks and ranges. Mini showers burst and break over the bus as you begin your ascent into the high valleys, adding to the freshness and cleanliness of the crisp mountain air.
The road slaloms up and around and gets steeper with each bend. Odd brown sections of earth and mud would randomly appear on the hillside surrounded by tall trees, this all adds to the natural beauty of the area. Water streams and mini waterfalls carve a natural path along the road side and through the rocks and hillside. Each bend and loop reveals a more glorious sight and the view is incredible throughout the ascent of the drive.
On a clear day I would imagine Calicut is visible but even on a misty evening as dusk approaches the view is still a spectacular one as mini hills and smaller ridges can be seen in the distance surrounded by mist and stretching out for miles on end. Once the road reaches its summit, it then delves down deep into the mountain valleys passing through a few small towns before eventually coming to Kalpetta. This is the closest town on the bus route to Karapuzha Lakeshore resort. From Kalpetta you would then take a bus to Meppadi or take a rickshaw directly to the resort costing around Rs 400.