Beautiful Kodai!. Review on Kodaikanal

Kodikanal - The Princess of hill stations, is the place to be and see in summer.''Kodai'' in Tamil means ''summer'' and ''kanal'' means ''to see''. This is the only hill station in India that was developed by Americans.

Kodai- as it is popularly called, is a cozy little hill town in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is situated at a height of 2200 m with salubrious climate right around the year( 8 to 25 deg C), making this one of the most popular Honeymoon destinations.

Kodai is easily accessible by road from Chennai thru Dindugal (450 Kms). Madurai is the nearest city (rail and road link) at a distance of around 130 Kms. Nearest rail head is Kodai road (80 kms). An alternate method to reach Kodai is from Coimbatore (170) thru the temple town of Palani (60 kms). There are many tour operators who offer train packages from many cities in North India to Kodai thru Coimbatore.

We drove uphill from Palani (after visiting Lord Muruga) and had a memorable drive. As you climb uphill, the vegetation gradually changes from palm-fringed paddy fields to wild bush with flaming blossoms to Silver Oak-fringed plantations. The sight of the Amaravathi Dam while driving uphill is very refreshing. Driving higher, banana trees give way to tall eucalyptus trees, and the sideways are dominated by the blossom of wild violet flowers. Further up at one of the road bends, the Silver Cascade waterfall welcomes you to Kodai.

The best thing about Kodai is that in spite of the popularity and tourist attraction, she has somehow retained her old charm and beauty. She still continues to be a green, rustic and serene hill town. (though some people may argue this..) A classic comparison is the near by Ooty, which has become very highly polluted, commercialised and unorganized.

Stay and Eat :

Kodai has a lot of resort / hotel options. The best in my opinion is the Villa owned by Club Mahindra. This outstanding resort located on a cliff edge, close to Coakers walk offers panoramic views of the plains below and the hills nearby.

The other worthwhile option is Highland Parade resort (owned by Highland holidays) near the Murugan temple. Rooms cost around 1000 Rs or more. This resort is uniquely built and is situated about 3 kms away from the town on a scenic hill top with very good view of the hills around. We stayed in dec 2003 in this resort and it was a wonderful experience.

Another option is the Sterling resorts located near the Kodai lake. The Kodai International resort is also a good option. The costliest option is The Carlton. Pocket friendly options are Hotel Sivapriya and Hotel Tami Nadu.

There are many options to eat. For vegetarian we went to Annapurna near PT road. The small Tibetian Brothers restaurant in PT road is good for non-vegetarian food. The restaurant in Sivapriya also serves decent food. There is a very good restaurant in Hill Top towers.

Best Buy’s :

Woollen sweaters, gloves and caps at the various stalls around the lake. Be ready for a long bargain (about 50 – 60% of price quoted). Natural pastries and powders from ECO-NUT on PT road are good. Hand knit woollen from the shop at Shenbaganur Museum are also a worth while buy.

Sight Seeing :

One of the many specialties of Kodai is the Kurinji flower, which blossoms once in 12 years. I do not know the correct year for next blossom. I heard different versions which vary from 2004 to 2006. Whatever that is, it is extraordinary. I have seen it only on TV and films.

Kodai has some of the best spots to look around. Some of the special ones are :

1. Lake :

This very big lake is the center of attraction in Kodai. There are two boat clubs (one govt and one private) from which you could take your boat rides. They have a very scenic 5.5 km walking / cycling trail around the lake. The cycling is the best option to burn away all the fat. There are also horse / pony rides that are available here.

1. Coakers Walk :

This unforgettable pedestrian path runs around Mount Nebo, on a cliff edge at 2200m. Spectacular views of the hills around and lovely views of the plains below are very common from this walking trail. A telescope house is also available for a closer look.

1. Pillar Rocks :

Three rocks stand vertically parallel to one another for a height of more than 120 m, making this a very picturesque spot to take photograph with your family. This can be a very romantic background, especially when it is misty (which is quite often).

1. Shenbaganur museum :

This is a very special and not to be missed spot in Kodai. A small diversion from the main road takes you to this school meant for Christian missionaries. The museum has a wonderful and extraordinary collectionof archeological remains and the flora and fauna of the hills. This is one of the best orchidoriums in the country with more than 300 species on show.

1. Suicide Point (Green Valley View) :

This once popular spot is now cordoned off after people started to take it seriously. Nothing extraordinary here anymore, other than a partial view thru the fence of the plains below. The Kodai golf course is just opposite to this spot.

1. Berijam lake :

This natural and scenic lake (20 kms) is now out of bound for private vehicles. The best way to go to this spot is to take the one day scenic trips offered by one of the many tour / van operators in Kodai. A unique spot with picturesque and natural surroundings. The road from Kodai to Berijam lake extends beyond and actually connects Munnar to Kodai. (a good option to be developed??). But this road to Munnar is not in use now.

1. Kurinji andavar temple :

This Murugan temple is around 3 kms uphill from the lake. Offers a fantastic view of the plains below, on a good day. This temple has a unique “Navagraha”arrangement which is supposed to be very sacred and special. People are recommended to offer special pooja on auspicious days.

Other worthwhile spots include Silver cascade waterfall on the main uphill road, the Guna Caves, Pine tree hill(the photo in my home page was taken here) and the Bryant’s park(where the annual flower show takes place in the month of may).

Fond Memories :

I still remember sipping tea everyday in the morning, surrounded on all 360 degrees by a white misty cloud, at the Highland Parade resort and the evening when the mist / cloud arosefrom down below and made my wife standing 10 ft away invisible at the club Mahindra resort.

Please go and enjoy this scenic and beautiful hill town. Do not disturb the environment and mother nature as far as possible.