Town in Kerala, India
Photo: Ravi Dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Standing tall at 2100 metres, the Chembra Peak is the highest peak in Wayanad, and a favorite trekking spot. It is part of the Western Ghats. The trek to the top can take up to 2 hours. The heart-shaped lake located on the peak forms one of the attractions for the mountain trek here. To do the trek, you need to pay an entrance fee from the entry guard house near Meppadi. Typically, start the trek in the morning as you are not allowed to start the trek after noon. If you are not game for a hectic 2-hour trek, you can still do a flat trek till a nearby viewpoint and visitors center for a nominal fee. The Chembra Peak area has a variety of orchids and other flowering plants, and plenty of bird species, making the trek an enjoyable experience. Good toilets are available near the guard house. The road leading to the entrance was in bad condition as of October 2017.
DM Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences is the most scenic campus of the entire Kerala state. The road to the campus is a spiritual experience if you want to replace Nature for a god. There is nothing to see inside the spectacular hospital building, but their cafeteria on the mezzanine floor is worth a visit. Visitors are allowed inside if you have some excuse like inquiring about medical college admissions. Buses are available to and from the hospital from Meppadi town. The Supreme Court of India issued a warning to the hospital for building in an environmentally sensitive area.
This is beautiful waterfall near the forest and a nice place for relaxing. Sept-Jan is the best time to visit.
Relatively small dam, but located at a very scenic site. Mostly unknown and thus unspoilt by a horde of tourists, it is a perfect way to spend a quiet evening during sunset time.
A temple complex with many little temples dotted among the tea estates.
Makkiyad Meenmutty Waterfalls
Very nice and very good trekking. You need to be fit and carry something to eat. You have to pay the forest entry fee and secure a guide. This waterfall is in 3 steps. You can visit the second step (only in Dec-Apr). It involves a good trek through some difficult terrain, but the end result is breath-taking. Not only is the view of the waterfall amazing but you can get wet too. One has to trek inside the jungle for approx 1.5 km to get a view of waterfalls. It passes through coffee and tea plantation.
Built in 1954 this majestic church gives very good view of the hills around.
Spectacular three tiered waterfalls in Vellarimala, surrounded by dense equatorial forest vegetation. Soochipara means 'Needle-like rock'. The 15- to 20-min drive from Meppadi offers scenic views of some of the best tea estates in Wayanad. The waterfalls are 200 m (656 ft) and offer a cliff face that is ideal for rock climbing. The waterfalls are a bit crowded at times. 32 lady volunteers of the VSS control the visitors. After the entrance, a walkway leads to a beautiful viewpoint. From here, approximately 200 steps lead down to the falls. The trek takes approximately 30 minutes, and sometimes requires negotiating boulder steps. The view of the falls is worth the trek. There is generally a guard posted near the falls. The climb back can be hectic. Soochippara falls is appreciably a plastic-free zone, so the entry guards will ask you to store your plastic bags at the guardhouse and reclaim it when you return. Plenty of eating and souvenir-shopping options are available near the entrance.
Start from Meppadi junction and take the middle road going to Chooralmala. Walk past Onnam Mile village and proceed through the two S-shaped curves. When you reach Nellimunda busstop, take the first right from the junction. Walk upto Ambalakkunnu Masjidh and Madhrassa. There is a Jaffer tea shop at the end of the hill. If you descend from here, you will reach a little cute Srambia masjidh. Turn right and you will reach the post office road at Meppadi junction. The entire route is very scenic and takes around 40 minutes to walk.
Start from the Meppadi junction and select the third road from the fork. The first junction is called Nalam Number where there is a small cute mosque. Turning right takes you to Patham Number village junction or Mele Kadoor. Elemberi resort road joins here. Another two kilometer walk takes you the Cholamala bridge and finally the Cholamala estate gate. This junction with a flag can be your returning point as you have already walked five kilometers.
Start from the Juma Masjidh junction and go down the Chembra peak road. The entire route is very scenic and you will reach Chembra peak within three kilometres. Going by vehicle is not comfortable as the roads are not in good condition. You will need a four wheel drive jeep.
Upmarket Vegetarian food.
Meat and fish.
Meat and fish.
Run by a cooperative society of waitresses.
Famous for its biryanis more than anything.
Clean rooms and good toilets. Dormitories are also available. Rooms with good view.
₹100 onwards. Dark and cosy rooms without windows. Clean floors, dirty bed, cubicle like toilet. Monthly rent only ₹2,250
Budget accommodation. Cheap but Wi-Fi is unreliable and the beds aren't particularly comfortable.
Meppadi is 12 km from Kalpetta town in the Wayanad District. It is 78 km (1½ hr) from Kozhikode (Calicut), 106 km (2½ hr) from Ooty, and 281 km (5 hr 25 mim) from Bangalore.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Calicut · International · CCJ
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Meppadi and India.
Explore the rainy seasons in Asia month by month. Compare Southwest and Northeast monsoons, typhoon belts, dry island escapes, and travel dates.
8 min read
Spot and avoid common tourist scams in India, including fake train ticket offices, closed hotel lies, rigged auto-rickshaws, and temple donation tricks.
8 min read
Full 2026 list of visa-free and visa-on-arrival countries for Indian passport holders. Check entry requirements, stay limits, and transit visa rules.
6 min read
Discover the best places to visit in India, from Delhi monuments and the Taj Mahal in Agra to Jaipur forts, sacred Varanasi ghats, and Kerala backwaters.
6 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.