Lakkidi Viewpoint – Gateway to the Sky

High above the valleys of Wayanad, perched at the edge of a winding ghat pass, lies the Lakkidi Viewpoint—a place where mist moves like theatre curtains and the horizon seems impossibly wide. Known as the “Gateway to Wayanad,” Lakkidi is one of the highest and most breathtaking vantage points in the region, offering panoramic vistas of mountains, plantations, and meandering roads far below. Your visit is timed for golden hour—either early morning as dawn tints the sky in blush and amber, or evening, when clouds drift through like sentient beings and shadows stretch across the ridges. A private naturalist may accompany you, sharing stories of the Chain Tree, a site of local legend, and identifying distant landmarks such as Pookot Lake, tea estates, or tribal villages tucked into forest folds. The journey to Lakkidi is equally compelling—hairpin bends curve through dense rainforest, where monkeys leap across canopies and waterfalls reveal themselves unexpectedly. At the summit, the air feels cleaner, thinner, charged with the energy of altitude and wonder. A small forest deck or viewpoint bench becomes your theatre seat to a live show of shifting clouds, birds in flight, and light that changes by the minute. Optional enhancements include a sunrise breakfast picnic, a warm beverage service with cardamom tea and banana fritters, or a brief forest walk along one of the quieter trails branching from the main ridge. Lakkidi is not just a viewpoint—it’s an invitation to widen perspective, breathe deeper, and surrender to the vastness of the Western Ghats. In that high stillness, time stretches, and the soul feels freer.