Chembra Peak Trek 101: A Complete Guide For First-Timers

25th April, 2019. 

I check into Zostel Plus at Wayanad, Kerala.

One of my top priorities for this solo trip is to trek Chembra Peak, right next to the property. 

Even if you’re not a trekker but stay at Zostel Plus, you’ll inevitably want to climb Chembra Peak. The towering size of this peak, combined with its green carpet contrasting against the blue skies, pulls you in.

I was all excited to go…until one of the staff members at Zostel tells me this trek is closed. It was the biggest regret of that entire trip, which otherwise went well.

In December 2022, I get another chance to do this trek when I visit Wayanad with my friends.

But if you have been on any group trip, you know you cannot have it your way. Just because you want to do an activity doesn’t mean your friends also want the same. 

And so it happened with me. 

I wanted to do the trek. But my friends? Not so much.

Another missed opportunity.

Cut to 17 February, 2024, the Kerala High Court delivers another gut punch. It orders the closure of Chembra Peak, among other tourism zones in Wayanad, due to increasing human-animal conflict.

This news was the final nail in the coffin. I wasn’t going to do this trek. Ever.

But as luck would have it, in September 2024, I randomly see a WhatsApp status by a friend. He shares a video of the Chembra peak. 

Puzzled, I ask him if the trek is open again. He says yes.

That day was probably the most excited I’ve been for any trek. After missing out on this trek twice in six years, I was determined not to let it slip this time.

I hatched a plan with another trekking enthusiast, and finally trekked Chembra Peak in November 2024.

But was it worth all the hype and expectations? You’ll find out eventually.

In this guide, I share my experiences from the Chembra Peak trek, covering everything from permits, stay, and travel so you can plan your trek accordingly.

Why You Should Do the Chembra Peak Trek

I follow a policy before I finalize any trek. I read up on it and check out some photos before deciding if it’s a yes/no.

If the trek evokes a feeling or has a certain vibe, I go all in. If not, I don’t bother. In other words, I don’t do a trek for the sake of it.

This is the same policy I applied for Chembra Peak, and why it has been on my bucket list for so many years. So here are a few reasons why I decided to do this trek:

1. Get panoramic views of Wayanad

As Wayanad’s highest peak, this trek offers an amazing bird’s-eye view of the surroundings. At the top, you’ll see the Earth’s horizon line, which separates the blue skies above from the green cover below, creating a dramatic landscape.

2. Witness a heart-shaped pond

More than being the highest peak, this trek is famous for its heart-shaped pond. At the trek’s peak, there’s a heart-shaped pond filled with water on a meadow, hardly seen in any trek in the Western Ghats. It adds to the overall charm of this place.

3. Trek through diverse landscapes

This trek has four parts: tea plantation, forest, mountain, and meadows, which keeps things interesting. Additionally, as you go up the hill, you’ll see huge tea plantations nearby with mountains in the background.

Where is Chembra Peak?

Chembra Peak lies in Meppadi, Wayanad, which is in the north-eastern part of Kerala. 

Close to cities like Kozhikode and Bengaluru, it is famous for being the highest peak in Wayanad at an altitude of 2,100 metres.

How to Reach Wayanad?

To reach the base of Chembra Peak, you need to travel to Wayanad first. 

Note: Arrive at Wayanad a night before the trek to ensure proper rest.

If you’re coming from Bangalore/Kozhikode/Kochi, you’ll find plenty of private/government buses to Wayanad. For convenience, book your bus ticket online and ensure that the bus stops at Meppadi, the closest town to Chembra Peak.

Alternatively, you can also look for buses that stop at these locations in Wayanad:

• Kalpetta
• Chundale
• Sulthan Bathery

There’s a strategic reason why I’m suggesting this. It’s because once you get down to Wayanad, you have to rely on autos/cabs. But the problem is they charge a bomb and are not flexible.

That’s where renting a bike/scooty becomes useful and practical. And luckily, there’s a bike rental service in Wayanad called Royal Brothers available at all the locations I mentioned above, i.e. 

• Meppadi
• Kalpetta
• Chundale
• Sulthan Bathery

So, if you don’t find a bus to Meppadi, don’t worry! Find a bus to one of the other aforementioned locations. 

My point is you should board a bus to a town in Wayanad, where you also get the services of Royal Brothers. Also, ensure that you book a return bus ticket from the same town. This is the most practical way to save time and money for your Wayanad trip.

I planned my trip in the same manner, and it was a hassle-free experience. 

My only tip is not to expect brand-new scooties/bikes from Royal Brothers. The scooty I hired from them, for example, was an old one with tight brakes, but it did the job. Having said that, rent the best bike/scooty available at Royal Brothers, even if it costs a bit more for added convenience.

After you get the bike, check into your accommodation for the night (more on this later).

Note: The nearest railway station to Wayanad is at Kozhikode, but I don’t recommend it because you still need to take a bus from there.

How to Get Your Ticket for Chembra Peak?

After you reach Wayanad, visit the Chembra Peak ticket counter between 5-5:30 am the next day.

The Kerala Forest Department conducts this trek and starts issuing tokens from 5 am onwards. These are not tickets, rather tokens where they note your name. 

Thereafter, they issue only 80 tickets per day starting from 7 am onwards till 12 pm based on the tokens. This is why you should arrive here between 5-5:30 am, especially on long weekends, as tickets may sell out fast.

To give you an idea, the forest officials told me that the weekend before I came here (which was a long weekend), tokens were sold out by 6 am. Luckily, the weekend I went (which was a Sunday during November), we were the first ones at the ticket counter despite arriving at 6 am. So the availability of tickets depends on when you’re visiting.

Coming to the ticket pricing, I found it very confusing and complicated. They charge INR 4,000 for a group of 5, with every additional ticket costing another INR 800. This means if you’re solo or less than a group of 5, you need to find company at the ticket counter.

Thankfully, you’ll find someone as Chembra Peak is a popular trekking spot in Wayanad. We found a group of four people from Kozhikode and clubbed with them.

Chembra Peak Trek Route & Itinerary

I’ll divide the Chembra Peak trek into 6 sections:

1. Ticket Counter

2. Starting Point

3. Tea Plantation

4. Forest

5. Mountain Slope

6. Meadows

The first two sections are before the trek, while the last four are part of the trek. Wherever relevant, I’ll also add Google Maps links to some of these locations so you know you’re following the right path for this trek.

1. Chembra Peak Ticket Counter

First up, to get the ticket, you have to reach the ticket counter between 5-5:30 am (as discussed in the previous section). So, ensure you sleep early the previous night. There’s no fun in doing the trek if you’re half-asleep.

Next, if you’re staying in Zostel Plus Wayanad (more on accommodations later), you can reach the ticket counter in 10 minutes on foot as it’s nearby. 

If not, you’ll probably be staying in an accommodation at Meppadi (as I did), the nearest town to Chembra Peak, but further away from the ticket counter. 

But don’t worry. The sights you see on the way to the ticket counter make up for it.

To reach the ticket counter from Meppadi town, you’ll take a deviation that takes you through a narrow road between the tea plantations and forests. This road is broken at certain places, but the drive itself is amazing.

Since the sun rises in Wayanad by 6 am, you’ll witness a breathtaking sunrise while driving on this road towards the ticket counter if you reach there by 5-5:30 am.

For context, when we were driving through this road, I saw a bed of clouds with tea plantations in the foreground and mountains in the background, with the skies painted in orange. That’s why we reached by 6 am at the ticket counter as we stopped at multiple viewpoints to take in the scenery.

After registering our name for the token at the ticket counter, we went back and explored different viewpoints for sunrise before returning to the counter at 7 am for the tickets. It was a fun activity!

You can either do the above or just reach the ticket counter at 5 am, get your name registered for the token, and roam around the entire stretch. Just ensure you’re at the ticket counter by 7 am so you’re there when your name is called out based on the token.

Also, instead of going empty stomach for the trek, I recommend having tea and snacks from this tea shop. It’s 1.4 km before the ticket counter and opens at 6 am.

I highly recommend having grape tea from this shop. It’s a popular local tea with a refreshing flavour unlike any you may have had before!

2. Chembra Peak Starting Point

Now, you would assume the starting point of the trek is next to the ticket counter. The answer is no. 

The starting point is a further 2.4 km from here, which I found confusing. Why not build your ticket counter next to the starting point?

Anyway, you can park your vehicle next to this starting point on the roadside. If you’re lucky, you may even spot elephants at the surrounding tea plantations as I did. Another reason why you should trek at this time!

At the starting point, there’s a checkpost with a couple of guards. They’ll check your ticket and let you in. 

Note: Remember the group you formed at the ticket counter to get the tickets? This comes in handy now. You have to enter as a group, meaning the guards will allow entry on a group-by-group basis. You cannot enter on your own.

And now the trek starts officially.

There are four sections in the trek:

• Tea plantation
• Forest
• Mountain Slope 
• Meadows

Let’s cover them one by one, starting with the tea plantation, the first section.

3. Section 1: Tea Plantation

Although it’s a small section, it’s a fun one as you’ll be filled with the aroma of tea leaves. 

And the best part? I could still see the bed of clouds with mountains and blue skies in the background from this section, the same scenery I saw on the way to the ticket counter. 

Add to the tea plantations in the foreground, and you’ll get some great photos from here.

4. Section 2: Forest

The tea plantations end soon as you enter the forest section of the trek. 

As you go a bit further, you’ll see another board which welcomes you with ‘Trekking Starting Point’. And then, there’s another forest office, with a watchtower and a shop where they sell natural produce.

I’m sure this used to be the original forest office from where you bought the tickets, with the trekking starting point right next to it. For some reason, they built a new forest office further backwards (from where you got your tickets).

At this forest office, too, there are a couple of guards who will check your tickets again. I don’t understand the logic when the tickets were already checked before. Anyways, you’re expected to go as a group again, but this time the check was lenient.

As you go further, the forest starts becoming denser with sunlight peeping in through the gaps. You’ll notice the freshness of the air as you walk through this section.

Gradually, the terrain starts ascending towards the end of this forest trail as the landscape opens up. You have now entered the mountain slopes, which I found the most adventurous as well as difficult part of this trek. 

Note: Starting from the forest section till the last point of the trek, you’ll notice watchful guards/volunteers at every 100 metres. You can use them as references to find your way through the trek.

5. Section 3: Mountain Slope

This portion is full of ascent and is covered with grass all around. Some portions will be slippery too, as it’s covered in stones and gravel. So trek slowly and take breaks in between because you’ll need it.

The best part about this trail?

The scenery.

You’ll see below the tea plantations you trekked through in the beginning, a bed of clouds, mountains, and blue skies, all in the same frame. And as you trek further, you get different perspectives of this landscape. 

If you’re a photographer, you’ll end up stopping in this section multiple times for photos.

You’ll also find some places here where you can just sit and take in the scenery. 

Whatever your priority, don’t rush through this section because it has the best views.

6. Section 4: Meadows

From the mountain slopes, you transition to the meadows where the landscape has completely opened up. This is another section where you’ll take a lot of photos.

This section is a grassland, with mountain peaks and blue skies in the distance. This is also the first time you’ll see Chembra Peak in all its glory.

It’s the highest peak in Wayanad, and when you see it, it does make sense. Rather than being a flat terrain, this peak has a narrow ridge as it gradually ascends upwards, almost kissing the sky.

Now, from the meadow, the Chembra Peak is on the left while the famous heart-shaped pond is on the right.

Note: There are two ponds here. One is a mini pond at the beginning of this meadow trail on the right, and the other is a heart-shaped pond at the end of this trail.

But here’s the turning point of the trek. 

You cannot climb Chembra Peak. It’s out of bounds due to the presence of animals. And hence, the name ‘Chembra Peak’ trek is misleading because you’ll visit the heart-shaped pond, not Chembra Peak. The real name of this trek should have been ‘Heart-Shaped Pond’ trek to avoid the confusion.

This was a bummer because the peak looked so inviting. I could only imagine the views I’ll get from there!

Regardless, continue your trek towards the heart-shaped pond, the last portion.

Perched on an isolated hilltop, this heart-shaped pond looks majestic as it reflects the blue hues of the sky above. The surrounding scenery further adds to the ambience as you see hazy mountains, milky clouds, and blue skies in the background.

I thought this was the end of the trek, but then, there’s another viewpoint nearby. It’s a rocky terrain with barbed wire on its fences, where you get a panoramic view of all the tea estates, mountains, forests, and towns in the distance. Here, you’re almost at the Earth’s horizon level with the blue skies above it. 

We were the first batch of trekkers to reach here (by 9:20 am) when the place was quiet, sunny, and windy. This is another reason why you should get your tokens by 5-5:30 am at the ticket counter!

I spent at least half an hour at this viewpoint, and so should you.

It felt like the best meditation of my life as I took in all the natural sights and sounds with zero distractions from phone or people.

After this, you can walk back towards the starting point on the same path you took. But by now, you’ll realise the place has become warm. 

As I was descending and observing trekkers ascending from the opposite side, I was thankful I came early because I experienced the best weather and scenery for this trek.

This is why they say always trek as early in the morning as possible, and it’s a golden rule I follow for all my treks.

In total, it took me 3 hours to finish this trek.

How Difficult is the Chembra Peak Trek?

This trek is easy, especially for regular trekkers.

The only terrain where you need to be careful is the steep ascent/descent on the mountain slope, in the middle of the trek. Take small steps here and break frequently.

Otherwise, the overall trekking path is either flat or has a gradual ascent/descent.

How to Get Fit for the Chembra Peak Trek?

Just because the trek is easy doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park. This trek was easy for me because I’m a regular trekker.

If you aren’t one, ensure you play an outdoor sport like football, badminton, basketball, etc., or indulge in cardio activities like running/swimming. 

I’m not saying you need to run 5 km a day or play a sport daily. You’re not climbing the Himalayas. 

But you need a base level of stamina to have the best experience at this trek, else you’ll keep gasping for breath.

Things to Pack for the Chembra Peak Trek

Here are the things I packed for this trek, and you should as well:

• Trekking shoes or a basic sports shoe
• Joggers, track pants, or cargo pants
• Quick dry tee 
• 1-litre water bottle
• A 10-litre backpack to carry stuff
• Dry fruits, fruits, peanuts, or energy bars 
• Raincoat
• Sunscreen
• A camera or a good camera smartphone
• ID Proof
• Hat (optional)

Best Season to Do the Chembra Peak Trek

As I mentioned earlier, I went during November when the weather was a chef’s kiss. It was cold in the morning and night, with adequate sunlight during the day. 

And some of the scenery I saw during the trek may not have been possible in another season.

In short, if you want to experience the best weather with lush green tea plantations and mountains, and blue skies, visit Chembra Peak during September-February.

Where to Stay for the Chembra Peak Trek?

Wayanad has plenty of options, but when it comes to this trek, you need to choose one that’s close to Chembra Peak.

And there’s only one option, fortunately or unfortunately.

Zostel Plus Wayanad

I mentioned ‘fortunately’ in my previous sentence because Zostel Plus at Wayanad is my favourite Zostel in Kerala in terms of its location. In case you didn’t know, Zostel is a popular hostel chain in India.

This particular Zostel is inside a 700-acre private tea estate, surrounded by mountains on all sides.

And the best part?

You can see Chembra Peak in the background. It is so close that you can reach the Chembra Peak ticket counter in 10 minutes on foot (as I mentioned earlier).

But the ‘unfortunate’ part is that this hostel is usually sold out, especially if you’re planning this trek during the weekend in the peak season. Hence, it wasn’t a surprise when I couldn’t find a bed here when I tried to book in November. 

To improve your chances, book one of the dorms here at least two weeks in advance if you’re planning for a weekend between September and March. Alternatively, you can plan for any weekday, even at the last moment, as Zostel Plus remains relatively empty.

FYI – They also provide traditional Kerala food at extra rates.

Note: If you don’t manage to get accommodation at Zostel Plus, you’ll find plenty of accommodations in Meppadi.

Is Chembra Peak Trek Worth The Hype?

So, is this trek worth all the hype? For the most part, yes!

The varying landscapes of tea plantations, mountains, and blue skies are a visual treat for the eyes. And it’s not just the sights but the sounds and aroma of nature as well that add to the overall experience.

Besides the trek, even the road trip to reach the ticket counter (if you’re staying at Meppadi town) is breathtaking.

But to experience the best this trek has to offer, you have to go during the right season and time. As I mentioned previously, trek anytime between September and February, and reach the ticket counter at 5-5:30 am so you can start by 7 am.

The only thing to note is that you won’t be climbing Chembra Peak; rather, the heart-shaped pond. This, for me, was the only bummer of this trek.