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The beaches, valleys, and Backwaters of Kerala have enticed thousands of visitors every year. Be it exotic beaches like Kappil or Vagamon hills or Ashtamudi backwaters there are thousands of places where people love to travel and take on some adventure.
While between all these beautiful places one location remains unknown to many. Soochipara waterfalls in Wayanad is what the location I am telling you about. Also known as Sentinel Rock waterfalls, Soochipara waterfalls one of the most visually stunning and enticing waterfalls. IN the hills of Vellarimala Wayanad these waterfalls are now becoming new travel and adventure destinations.
The 200 meters high waterfalls cascade down very turbulently into a nice pool which serves as a swimming pool for all those travelers who come here. The Soochipara waterfalls itself is one of the enchanting ones you would ever see. With that all those major adventure activities you can do them easily. Be it rock climbing, high diving, trekking you just name it.
While you may already be full of what Soochipara waterfalls have to offer you but the list is still not complete. With that, you can go for a tea plantation tour in the area, Camp around the Jungle and find some of the wildest animals even the r too. So let’s discover some of the fun activities to do in Soochipara.
Things to do around Soochipara waterfalls
High diving
Soochipara waterfalls are known for their height and velocity. The 200 m high waterfalls are what make one of the most adventurous and enticing places. Soochipara Falls is a 3-tiered waterfall and hence best for high diving. Travelers and tourists come here to take a dip and relax.
The pool area is also certainly large enough to accommodate many tourists. The water from the waterfalls then joins the River Chaliyar after flowing across the verimalla hills.
Rock climbing
Soochipara waterfalls are famous for its adventurous activities only. There is a huge rock The Sentinel, which is an ideal place for rock climbing. The varying terrains here with amazing landscape just makes your rock climbing experience extremely beautiful. The hill here is surrounded by lush green beautiful meadows which makes the rock climbing activity more beautiful, adventurous, and awesome.
A huge rock about 200m high is an ideal place for rock climbing. Soochipara, blessed with an amazing variety of terrain, offers the best rock climbing experience. The Hills surrounded by lush green meadows, adds more fun to rock climbing.
Trekking
I said you that you could do trekking here and here it is too. Soochipara waterfalls are one of the best waterfalls not only in Wayanad but in whole Kerala. The nearest big town remains Meppady. A 20 minute drive from Meppady will take you to these enticing waterfalls.
These waterfalls are a few kilometers away from the main road. A small trek will take you this waterfall. The jungles here are extremely beautiful and vibrant. The flora and fauna of the valley is unmatched so hence trekking too becomes really serene.
Camping
Where there is trekking camping follows soon. While you can do this journey of waterfalls in one day and then reach back to Meppady. But you can surely do camping too. IF you are in a group than only you should take this adventurous task. Take permission from the forest department as they have the latest information and correct guidelines.
Capture the beauty
One of the main reasons why people love to take this route is due to landscapes. The valley, meadows, and waterfalls just make the whole atmosphere very serene. The meaning of Soochipara is derived from the two words – ‘soochi’ meaning needle and ‘para’ meaning rock. The ranges here are in the form of the needle so many photographers come here to capture this natural wonder. The rock too attracts many photographers from all over the area.
Tea Estates
Go on add some extra fun in your already happening adventure. The path from Meppadi to Soochipara is filled with one of the most beautiful tea plantations. You will be mesmerized with the sheer beauty of these estates. Addin to that you can see the Chembra peak on the back. The overall aura of the tea estates is what makes it so beautiful.
Best Time To Visit Soochipara Falls
The best time to Visit Soochipara waterfalls is from July to February.
In summers the waterfall generally dries up. Only for a short duration though. Summers are from March to June and at that time the area is generally closed. The temperature also at this point of the year is very high which makes it almost unbearable to travel and trek.
While the real beauty uncovers in Monsoon season. IF you want to see the real turbulent Soochipara waterfalls then you must visit here in monsoon only. The valleys look absolutely stunning, the temperature too is outstanding which makes the overall stay beautiful.
The second best time of the year to visit these beautiful waterfalls is in winter only. While the waterfalls will not be as turbulent as they were in monsoon season but still thee waterfalls look outstanding in winters too. Winters also bring added benefits like trekking and camping which makes the trip to Soochipara waterfalls exciting.
The flora and fauna of Sooochippara can best be explored here from July to February. The valleys remain lush and green with nice weather.
How To Reach Soochipara Falls
The nearest town is Meppady so hire a taxi or can from Meppady and he will drop you til the entry point of the waterfalls. You can also take the public bus which is near the waterfalls only.
Then from the main road, you will have to do a small 2 km long trek, The 2 km long trek Is very beautiful. Then I would see about 60 to 70 stairs before the waterfalls. You need to climb up these stairs to reach the waterfalls. The trekking is short and easy and it takes only half hour to reach the waterfalls.
As the nearest town is Meppady.
How to reach Meppady
By air
The nearest airport form Meppady is the Kozhikode airport. The airport is around 79 km from here. Kozhikode airport is well connected to major cities in India. You can hire a taxi or take a bus from the airport to reach Meppady.
By train
The nearest railway station is the Nilambur railway station which is somewhere around 83 km from here. The railway station is well connected too. Hire a taxi or take a bus from the railway station to reach Meppady.
By road
Meppady is well connected via road. All the major cities from Kerala have buses running for Meppady. Also, few nearby states as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka too have buses for Wayanad.
While you are driving own your own then Meppady is 79 km from here and take SH 29 to reach Meppady from Kozhikode. While Wayanad is 22 km and takes Muttil Nedumbala road to reach Meppady. While the capital city Thiruvananthapuram is 444 km and it takes around 10 hours to reach here via NH 66.
Tips Before Visiting Soochipara Waterfalls
- As the waterfalls lie amongst one of the most eco-friendly spots, travelers and tourists should not be carrying plastic bags or any such substance which could potentially harm the surroundings.
- Travelers and tourists should also not take alcohol or such substances to ruin the beauty of waterfalls.
- There are no stay options around the waterfalls area camping remains the only viable option.
- You can take bikes till the waterfalls as the road is very bad but still, an experienced rider can manage it.
- You can take some local villagers as tourist guides to help you. Just give them a small amount of money and they would be very happy to help you.
So when are you going on this epic journey to these beautiful waterfalls? I am sure you will surely be mesmerized and will be in shock when you see such a beautiful place. Do let me know when you take this beautiful adventure. Comment down below about your adventure and stay there.
While if you love adventure and travel in Kerala check our blogs about Kerala tourism. We cover some of the most beautiful yet mainly unexplored places of Kerala here. From Beaches, waterfalls, treks to lakes the list is intensive.
If you love unexplored places than do check our series of Unexplored places in India. We cover some of the most beautiful yet unexplored places here. From Forts, waterfalls, ancient routes, lakes, rivers, trekking destinations, hill stations there are a lot of places.
Happy travelling.
