Brahmagiri – beauty at its unbridled best | Weekend destination from northern Kerala, Bengaluru

Brahmagiri’s forests are evergreen and perennial, and the foliage thick. Brahmagiri is a mountain range in the Western Ghats wedged between Wayanad in Kerala and Kodagu in Karnataka. Standing at a height of 1,608 meters above sea level, this is one of the very few ecologically fragile places where evergreen trees grow in abandon.

Hillocks and valleys with tiny gurgling brooks, rivulets with crystal clear waters, and lush carpeted grasslands make a trip to Brahmagiri invigorating and will never leave one tired or dispirited. Brahmagiri is an ideal weekend destination from northern Kerala districts, Bengaluru and Mysuru.

The place abounds with rare varieties of flora and fauna and is a favorite wildlife haunt with reptiles, birds and animals roaming around freely. If you are lucky, you can be sure to run into elephants, bison, leopards, wild cats, wolves, lion-tailed monkeys, bears, and wild boars.

You could also spot civets, otters, porcupines, ant eaters, and mongooses here. The place is home to some of the deadliest reptilian species; the python, the king cobra, other varieties of cobra, and Chola mandali are quite at home here.

Brahmagiri forests are a bird watcher’s paradise with the Malabar trogon (theekakka), black bulbul, green-hued doves with shiny feathers, and several other families of birds making merry in the thick foliage. Another sight to feast on is the way the crested treeswift (komban sharapakshi) builds its nest mixing the materials with its saliva. And dotting the rough forest paths are lines of scary-looking red mushrooms. There’s something special at every turn in Brahmagiri.

The place is a trekkers’ getaway. It’s an ideal place for the bold hearted. The forest ways, deep valleys, green grasslands, and rugged rocks are meant only for adventure-seekers.

How to reach

By road: This wildlife sanctuary can be reached after a 60-km drive from Kodagu hills. After a dip in the Iruppu waterfalls, you can head for Brahmagiri from Kodagu. If the journey is from Wayanad, it’s best to start off from Thirunelli.

Nearest railway station: Mysuru

Nearest airports: Kozhikode International Airport (about 120 km) and Kannur International Airport (about 58km)

NOTE: Trekking will be allowed only if the Forest Department clears the request.

Nearby destinations: Pakshipathalam, Thirunelli, Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary, Wayanad

Must eat: Pandhi or pork curry (non-veg), akki roti (veg), nooputtu with meat curry (non-veg), Sanakki rice and fish curry (non-veg), kodambattu/steamed rice dumplings which can be eaten along with veg or non-veg curries.

Things to do: Trekking, camping, nature/photo walks, bird watching

More from Travel | Beyond Kerala | Friends of Brahmagiri