Wayanad Backpacking Trip – from Bangalore

• Cross Karnataka-Kerala border and head towards mountains of Wayanad.
• Freshen up and fuel up with authentic Kerala Breakfast.
• Take a journey towards Kanthampara waterfalls that has a pool at the base of the falls. We need to walk about a kilometer inside the forest to reach falls. Take a well deserved dip in the falls, if allowed by forest authorities at that time based on the flow of water and climate conditions.
• Note: There is a Forest Department limit of 1200 tourists to visit waterfalls per day. Everyone must stand in queue and take tickets. That’s why we are going here first.
• Head towards a beautiful location named 900 Kandi which is in deep forest. 4×4 jeeps ferry tourists up and down over here. This Jeep charges are included in the package. Interested folks may visit the famous Wayanad glass bridge that protrudes into the valley overlooking thick jungle and rolling hills.
• Finish quick Lunch at a local restaurant on the way.
• (Optional) Visit Wayanad’s Longest Zipline & Skycycle adventure zone. Interested travelers may indulge in these adventure activities if they are open based on weather conditions.
• Note: There is a limit to number of tickets for Zipline/Skycycle. Usually it’s very crowded over the weekend. Either wait time will be more or we might not get required tickets. We cannot help it as they don’t give preference to anyone.
• Note: On rainy days, the local authorities might stop these adventure activities and we cannot help it again. Because of above 2 reasons, we made this as an optional activity.
• This area is a good place to go on a nature walk around Tea Estates.
• Give an evening visit to Karapuzha Dam that offers different adventure activities or Banasura Sagar Dam that has a beautiful setting of Banasura mountain in the middle of Western Ghats (only one of these).
• Head to the camp by late evening, refresh with evening tea and some snacks.
• Bonfire with music between 8 to 10 PM. After this, we have to respect nature in Wayanad and enjoy our social gathering by sharing stories and playing games.
• Hot dinner served in the cold climate.
• Rest for the night in your assigned tents.

• Wake up to the misty morning weather and fresh breeze of tea estates.
• Have Breakfast, pack your bags, check out of our stay.
• Explore stone age carvings of Edakkal Caves and enjoy a nice view from the top. The caves are situated 1200 meters above sea level. We need to climb up many stairs. The prehistoric carvings on  the interiors of the caves take us back in time.
• Visit very pretty Karlad Lake and spend some quality time. Interested people can go for pedal boating which is a peaceful experience.
• Have Lunch at a local restaurant near Karlad. Note that food options are very limited around these places in Wayanad. We need to adjust with whatever is available for food at the time.
• Give a visit to one of the places – Banasura Dam or Meenmutty waterfalls as per the availability. (Both places have restrictions on number of tourists per day).
• Start return journey back towards Bangalore by late evening, stop for quick Dinner at a Dhaba, reach home before midnight.

• Toiletries, moisturizer, light towel, lip balm, wet wipes, toothbrush, toothpaste, 
• A lightweight large Backpack for the trip (no suitcase, no trolley)
• A small backpack for outdoors (to carry water bottle, snacks etc)
• Photo identity proof with address (Aadhar/Passport/Voter ID)
• Poncho or rain proof jacket with a hood (Sept, Oct)
• Cap/Hat (good to have)
• Sunglasses (to keep your eyes fresh)
• Power bank, charger, camera, binoculars (if you wish to)
• Proper water bottle for your trip. You may fill at our campsite
• Disposable garbage covers (to separate used/unused, dry/wet clothes)
• Good grip trekking shoes or sandals
• Your personal medications, if any
• Pair of water wear to take a dip in the waterfalls
• Carrying a handwash/sanitizer/tissues will help during the trip
• Carry your jerkin/sweater – it can get cold at night
• Carry a lil bit of cash for Sunday Lunch, Dinner and misc. Expenses
• Don’t carry expensive items. You are responsible for your own belongings.

• A Whatsapp group shall be created on the trip day and Vehicle & Trip Leader details will be shared.
• Live location of the vehicle will be sent in the group once it starts at the first point.

• Sept to Feb (winter): Intermittent rains greet us in Sept and Oct, but the hill station would be fresh and pretty after monsoons. Dry and pleasant climate starts from Nov till Feb. Nights will be cold in all the months. Plenty of water in streams and waterfalls. Best time for camping and to take dips. The sky is ripe for amazing sunrises and sunsets.
• June to Aug (monsoon months): This is the wettest season. Wayanad gets plenty of rain during monsoons, and is also prone to landslides. We don’t usually organize Wayanad in these months.
• Mar to May (summer): Gets hot. We don’t usually organize Wayanad in these months.

• The itinerary is fixed. No special requests to change itinerary/schedule shall be entertained. Do not give advice(s) to the Trip Leader(s) to change the itinerary.
• Cooperate with the organizer(s) in following the schedule set for the day (especially getting up and getting ready in the morning). This will ensure travelers won’t miss out on the real fun part that is traveling.
• Every traveler is responsible for his/her for your own safety. Don’t indulge in any illegal or silly activity that causes harm to you or fellow travelers.
• Do not wander into the forest away from the designated trail for treks. There may be snakes, scorpions, and dangerous animals.
• Unexpected situations: It may happen we do not cover all the places mentioned in the itinerary because of unpredictable reasons like bad weather, landslides, wild animal presence, abrupt blocking of sites by the police/forest department, delay in travel because of an issue with our group itself, traffic conditions, etc. In most cases, if the time permits, the organizer(s) will take travelers to an alternative place. But in some cases, we may have to skip a place altogether.
• Absolutely no littering. We swear to protect our environment.
• No alcohol & smoking during travel, treks, and other outdoor activities. There would be a separate window and space (usually at night) to have these at the campsite/homestay for interested people.
• Travelers are expected to respect each other and help each other. Avoid discussing sensitive matters like sex, politics, and religion/caste/race.
• Using foul or abusive language, eve-teasing, arguing with fellow travelers/organizer(s), and/or involving in the physical assault will not be accepted and will stand a chance of being deserted by the group then and there.
• The event will stand canceled if less than 8 travelers signed up for the trip/trek which will be informed 24 hours before the trip start time.
• Every traveler is expected to sign a liability/waiver form given by the organizer(s) after boarding the vehicle. This liability form will discharge Muddie Trails of any unexpected incident like injury/death/theft etc.

Cancellation by Traveler

• 80% refund/100% postponement if you inform about your cancellation before 48 hours of the event start time. An email has to be sent to bookings@muddietrails.com to raise a cancellation request.
• No refund/postponing is allowed within 48 hours of the event start time whatever is the reason (Health, Accident, Covid, Family crisis, Office issue, or anything else).
• No refund/postponing is allowed even if you booked within 48 hours.
• Alternatively, you may postpone your ticket to the future event 48 hours before the event start time. (Allowed once per booking ONLY)
• No refund/postponing is allowed for partial payment – booking fee – which is done to book your slot.
• No refund during/after the event.

Cancellation by Muddie Trails

Muddie Trails may decide to cancel the event if there are less than 8 travelers signed up for the trip/trek.

What if we don’t get the minimum number of people for the trip?
We have 2 options in this case:
Option 1: Complete refund.
Option 2: Switch to any other trip of the same weekend or future weekends. The difference amount will be collected from you or paid back according to the new trip cost.

Cancellation due to external factors

Muddie Trails may have to cancel the event in case of external factors that are beyond our control like Natural Disasters, Extreme Weather Conditions, Red Alerts, Political Disturbances, Bandh/Curfews, Local Issues, Road Blocks, Train cancellations, Covid-19 or any other disease outbreaks etc.

In these scenarios:

• No Refund is allowed.
• 100% trip amount can be used for any other new trip of the same weekend or future weekends. The difference amount will be collected from you or paid back according to the new trip cost.
• Once you confirm your participation on the new trip, all the above Cancellation policies will apply for the same.