At a glance Tucked into the misty hills of Wayanad in north Kerala About the city Almost every inch of the mist-wrapped undulating hills of Wayanad have coffee, pepper and cardamom growing on them, hedged by lush rainforest that stuns the eye with its varied shades of green. Wildlife truly roams free in Wayanad, whose forests share borders with Bandipur and Mudumalai. This vast stretch of protected earth is a haven of freedom for the fauna of Malabar and the Nilgiris. Add to that the relative lack of development of Wayanad district, and you get lots of pristine environment unblemished by the excesses of civilisation. So if you are sick of civilised courtesies and sham creature comforts, head to the twin jewels of Vythiri and Lakkidi, tucked into the wild beauty of the forests of Wayanad, across the state border in Kerala. How to reach Road: Car: A beautiful drive through Nagarhole and over the hills of Wayanad to Vythiri. There's also an alternate route over the Nilgiris via Gundlupet, Bandipur, Gudalur, Mango Range, Meppadi and Chundale to Vythiri that's even more beautiful, but a little slower going. En route halts Maddur for vadas. For a late halt try Hotel Resort (Tel: 04936-220510) at Sulthan Bather Journey Time Road: 6 1/2 hrs Distances 293 km South West from Bangalore From Bangalore SH17 to Mysore via Maddur and Mandya SH to Kalpetta via Antarasante and Mananthavady NH212 to Lakkidi Best Seasons August to March Places in and around Lakkidi, 5 km from Vythiri and often referred to as the gateway to Wayanad, is 2,297 ft atop Thamarassery Ghat Pass, beyond which lie the Kozhikode Plains. After Meghalaya's Cherrapunji-Mawsynram region, Lakkidi registers the second highest degree of rainfall in the world. If you travel along the 12-km ghat road from Adivaram to Lakkidi, amidst thick forests, you will have to negotiate nine hairpin bends, making for a thrilling ride. Drive out from Lakkidi towards the ghat pass. Just before the ghat begins, you will come across a curious sight the famous Chain Tree of Lakkidi, a banyan tree with chains wrapped around its trunk. The legend goes that a British engineer who did not know the road from Calicut (now Kozhikode) to Wayanad, was shown the way by an adivasi. Later, the Brit claimed to have discovered it on his own and killed the adivasi to preserve his claim. Soon, roads were built over Thamarassery Ghat Pass and Wayanad was thrown open to the coast. But the new roads witnessed a spate of accidents soon after completion. A priest was called who attributed the accidents to the restless soul of the adivasi. So he chained his soul. Chembra Peak At 6,890 ft above sea level, Chembra Peak is the highest point in the Wayanad Hills. It takes a whole day to trek to the peak (24 km) from Meppadi, near Kalpetta, and the trail is invariably wet and slippery, fed as it is by the incessant rain that feeds the perennial lake at the top of the peak. The trail goes through tea plantations. The District Tourism Promotion Council in Kalpetta (Tel: 04936-202134, 9447072134) organises treks ex-Kalpetta to Chembra Peak. A jeep takes you on an hour-long drive to the base camp. After that, it's a 4-hr trek to the top. The 1-day trek costs Rs 250 and includes food. The 2-day trek with food and tented accommodation is Rs 300. They can take only up to 10 people at a time. But be prepared for the biting cold, which the campfires are unlikely to dispel. It would be wise to take along fleece-lined sleeping bags, which may also muffle the yelps, howls and barks of the animals in the wild. While in Meppadi, on your way back from Chembra, trek down through the jungles to the 3-tiered Meenmutty Waterfalls, which fall 500 m down the ghats, 10 km from Meppadi. Pookote Lake About 3 km from Lakkidi, is this small and placid freshwater lake, 21 ft at its deepest and covered in parts with lotus flowers. Pookote Lake is the most visited tourist spot in Wayanad. Flanked by green hills, it does make a pleasant spot for picnics and boating. From Vythiri, it's a kilometre on foot; so if you are staying at one of the resorts there, it's a nice walk to the lake, which emerges from between the trees and dazzles the senses with its dark beauty. In the vicinity of the lake are a children's park, an Uravu Eco-Shoppe selling local handicrafts and spices, a nursery and a freshwater aquarium, when you are done with the row- and paddle-boats. While you wait for a free boat, you could take a stroll along a 2-km pathway around the lake.