Chain Tree

Lakkidi landmark tied to the Karinthandan legend, usually visited with Lakkidi View Point and Pookode Lake.

Chain Tree, Vythiri and Lakkidi
Practical guide

Plan Chain Tree

Who's going?Tailor Chain Tree to your trip
Typeheritage
AreaVythiri and Lakkidi
DistrictWayanad
Best timeNovember to February and early mornings…
Time needed1 to 3 hours
Places to visit6Listed businesses37
The story

A chain around a roadside ficus turns a brief Lakkidi stop into a story about who knew the mountain road first.

The story of Chain Tree

The Chain Tree stands beside the route into Wayanad near Lakkidi. Local tradition connects it with Karinthandan, an Indigenous guide said to have shown the ghat route to the British. The subsequent killing and binding of his spirit belong to the legend; the story should not be presented as a documented account of how every part of the road was built.

Read the full history of Chain Tree 46 more words

Why visit

Look at the shrine as a place of local remembrance as well as a roadside landmark. Stop only where a vehicle can pull fully clear of traffic, and leave worshippers space around the tree. This is a short stop that pairs with a broader Lakkidi visit.

What to expect

Highlights

  • Heritage experience at Chain Tree
  • Architecture, local stories and old trade/cultural routes
  • Good fit for guided walks and nearby cafes/shops
Getting there

How to visit

  • Base yourself in Vythiri and Lakkidi or a nearby town in Wayanad, then confirm the last-mile route locally before leaving.
  • Walkable heritage areas are best done slowly; combine nearby streets, museums, markets and food stops.
  • If the visit depends on forest, temple, boat, ferry, weather or seasonal access, check the official/local rule on the day before travel.

Distance by road

  • Kozhikode71 km
  • Mysuru138 km
  • Coimbatore210 km
  • Mangaluru254 km
  • Kochi256 km

Road km to Wayanad; ghat roads and traffic vary — allow extra.

Timing

Best time

November to February and early mornings are best for walking; avoid midday heat where possible.

Weather in Chain TreeSeasonal guide

Live forecast loads in your browser.

Today at Chain Tree
Sunrise6:15 am
Sunset6:25 pm
Golden hour best light5:25 pm–6:25 pm
Blue hour after sunset6:25 pm–6:50 pm
Sun sets toward compass bearingW · 272°
Moon tonight🌓 First quarter · 53%
South-west monsoon. June to September is the south-west monsoon in Kerala. Expect heavy showers, mostly in bursts rather than all day — carry rain cover, allow extra time for getting around, and note that ferries and open-air sites are the first things affected.

Sun and moon are calculated for this location and shown in IST. Photography windows are the hour around sunrise and sunset; the sunset bearing is degrees clockwise from true north. Moon phase is accurate to about half a day.

Visitor notes

  • Use a local guide when the value is in stories rather than just the building.
  • Check closure days for museums or protected monuments nearby.
Safety

Good to know

  • Watch traffic on narrow heritage streets.
  • Keep valuables close in crowded markets.
Stay · eat · do · rent · see · shop

Stays, food & things to do near Chain Tree

Verified hotels, homestays, restaurants, experiences, sights, shops and rentals around Chain Tree — commission-free, with direct contact. Filter by what you need.

5 places to eat near Chain Tree

Wayanad Wild Dining Lakkidi — Local cuisine restaurant in Vythiri and Lakkidi
Verified
Local cuisine restaurant · Vythiri and Lakkidi
Wayanad Wild Dining Lakkidi
1.8 km · 23 min walk

CGH Earth Wayanad Wild dining record using fresh local produce and direct dining-page evidence. Restaurant, Dining, Lakkidi.

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Vythiri Spring Valley Restaurant — Restaurant in Vythiri and Lakkidi
Verified
Restaurant · Vythiri and Lakkidi
Vythiri Spring Valley Restaurant
2.2 km · 27 min walk

Kerala Tourism-listed restaurant record in Vythiri — a source-backed local meal stop for the ghat-road side, between the village street and the resort belt.

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Vythiri Village Restaurant — Resort restaurant in Vythiri and Lakkidi
Verified
Resort restaurant · Vythiri and Lakkidi
Vythiri Village Restaurant
5.0 km · ~12 min by auto

The restaurant at Vythiri Village Resort on NH 766 near Vythiri town — a sourced resort dining option that non-residents can use for the ghat-road side.

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I
India Gate Restaurant
Where to eat
Restaurant · Vythiri and Lakkidi
India Gate Restaurant
4.9 km · ~12 min by auto North Indian, South Indian, Arabic

Family multi-cuisine restaurant on NH-766 in Vythiri town. Open since 2017, it is known for North Indian, Arabic and tandoori dishes.

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T
Thinna Restaurant Vythiri Resort
Where to eat
Verified
Multi-cuisine restaurant · Vythiri and Lakkidi
Thinna Restaurant Vythiri Resort
2.7 km · ~7 min by auto

Vythiri Resort buffet restaurant with direct dining-page evidence. Restaurant, Vythiri, Dining.

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Ranked guides

Top experiences around Vythiri and Lakkidi

4 more places around Vythiri and Lakkidi. Open a guide to plan the visit and onward journey.

viewpointLakkidi View Point

840 m · 10 min walk

The railing at the top of the nine hairpins — the crest of the Thamarassery churam, where the Kozhikode plain drops away below and the cloud pours over the pass. Come early: the view is a morning creature, and by afternoon in season the mist can sit on the bends for the day. Watch the monkeys on the parapet.

backwaterPookode Lake

2.7 km · ~7 min by auto

A perennial forest lake at about 770 metres, 2.4 km from Vythiri, said to mirror the map of India in outline and home to a small cyprinid fish recorded in no other water. Boating, a freshwater aquarium and a shore path make it the easiest family half-day on this side of the district.

heritageEn Ooru Tribal Heritage Village

1.6 km · 20 min walk

The tribal heritage village on a hillock at Pookode, opened in 2022 after a decade’s building — ten huts in the styles of Wayanad’s communities, a craft workshop and a market, run by residents who live there. Private cars stop at the veterinary-college gate; the site’s shared jeep does the last climb.

heritageUravu Bamboo Village

Thrikkaipetta, 21 km out via Kalpetta, where the URAVU study centre has built livelihoods on bamboo since 1996 — a working craft campus of nurseries, training and a workshop floor, not a show village. Go on a working morning and buy at the outlet; the sales are the model.

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Before you go

Chain Tree — at a glance

Parking: Use a lawful stopping place fully clear of the carriageway. Do not stop in a traffic lane beside the shrine.

Getting back

If you are travelling by bus or ferry, check the return service with the operator before setting out. Leave time to reach the stop or jetty after your visit.

Ask at the bus stand for the time of the last service back, not the next one. If you miss it, an auto or app cab is the fallback — agree the fare before you get in.

Getting around Chain Tree

If you need step-free access, contact the site before travelling. Ask about a level entrance, steps along the route, the nearest drop-off point, seating and accessible toilets.

Nearby

What’s near Chain Tree

viewpointLakkidi View Point

Ghat-road viewpoint at the entrance to Wayanad from the Kozhikode side.

840 m · 10 min walk · straight line
heritageEn Ooru Tribal Heritage Village

Tribal heritage village near Pookode/Vythiri with culture, craft and Wayanad community context.

1.6 km · 20 min walk · straight line
backwaterPookode Lake

Freshwater lake near Vythiri/Lakkidi, commonly paired with the ghat entrance and En Ooru side.

2.7 km · ~7 min by auto · straight line
trekChembra Peak trek

Famous highland trek area, known for the heart-shaped lake viewpoint; permits and access vary.

7.5 km · ~19 min by auto · straight line
museumAchoor Tea Museum

Harrisons Malayalam’s three-storey tea museum in its 1911 former factory at Achoor, with separately scheduled museum, tasting, working-factory and garden visits.

8.7 km · ~14 min by cab · straight line
viewpointSkypark 900 Kandi

The distinct Skypark adventure operator at 900 Kandi, with a glass walk, zip activities and a DTPC-published visitor marker separate from the neighbouring Eco Park.

9.9 km · ~17 min by cab · straight line
viewpointGlass Bridge 900 Kandi

A comparison guide to the distinct glass-bridge offers at 900 Kandi Eco Park and Skypark; choose the operator before navigating or buying a ticket.

10.2 km · ~17 min by cab · straight line
viewpoint900 Kandi Eco Park

The named private Eco Park at 900 Kandi, with its own glass bridge, skywalk and activity ticketing; it is separate from nearby Skypark.

10.2 km · ~17 min by cab · straight line
trekAranamala Peak

Meppadi-side hill and trek landscape around Aranamala, best planned with local route, weather and access checks.

11.6 km · ~19 min by cab · straight line
waterfallKanthanpara Waterfalls

Meppadi-side waterfall with easier access than some larger Wayanad falls, still weather-sensitive in monsoon.

11.9 km · ~20 min by cab · straight line
natureCoffee Plantations around Kalpetta

A distributed, working coffee landscape rather than one ticketed attraction: arrange an estate walk with a host, farm or accredited operator, and use Kalpetta town as the honest visitor base.

12.2 km · ~20 min by cab · straight line
viewpointNeelimala View Point

Vaduvanchal/Meppadi-side viewpoint and trek route known for views toward Meenmutty Waterfalls and the Western Ghats.

14.4 km · ~24 min by cab · straight line

All 6 places to visit in Vythiri and Lakkidi →

On the map

Where Chain Tree is

Good to know

Chain Tree — frequently asked

Is the Chain Tree a forest walk?

No. The landmark is beside the road near Lakkidi. A photograph of its wooded surroundings does not imply a walking trail or parking bay.

When is the best time to visit Chain Tree?

November to February and early mornings are best for walking; avoid midday heat where possible.

How do I reach Chain Tree?

Base yourself in Vythiri and Lakkidi or a nearby town in Wayanad, then confirm the last-mile route locally before leaving. Walkable heritage areas are best done slowly; combine nearby streets, museums, markets and food stops. If the visit depends on forest, temple, boat, ferry, weather or seasonal access, check the official/local rule on the day before travel.

How much time do I need for Chain Tree?

1 to 3 hours.

What else is near Chain Tree?

Nearby you can pair Lakkidi View Point (840 m), En Ooru Tribal Heritage Village (1.6 km), Pookode Lake (2.7 km), Chembra Peak trek (7.5 km).

What should I know before visiting Chain Tree?

Watch traffic on narrow heritage streets. Keep valuables close in crowded markets.

Image credits

Photographs: Vinayaraj (CC BY-SA 4.0), Prof tpms (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wikimedia Commons.