We have been to Kodaikanal for a three day trip. Covering almost all of Kodaikanal. Sharing the beautiful memories here along with the itinerary. We stayed in a beautiful hideout which is 5-6 KMs away from the center of Kodai. The place is called Bohemian hideaway. We pre booked our train tickets from Chennai to Kodai road in Pandiyan Express. There are buses from Kodai road to Kodaikanal on specified timings. We were waiting for the 5AM bus, but as time progressed there was more crowd and so we thought of going via cab to the top. It is a shared indica and has to pay anywhere from 1000-1500, can bargain and make it lesser if one can.
We reached the top around 7AM in the morning. While going towards the resort we catched the glimpse of Bisons. It was an amazing sight. They were just crossing the road. The place where we stayed is on the foothills on mountain ranges. Green, fresh and cold. Pleasing for eyes.
We quickly got ready for the day, roaming around the resort, garden and the common area. We had our hot breakfast which is to be ordered prior as the kitchen is slightly far away. We ate and left to explore the beautiful Kodaikanal in a car that we had booked over phone, month prior. For the trip the cab driver Mr. Victor, gave a beautiful plan and we were excited about executing the same.
Day 1 we planned to visit slightly outer Kodai. Day 2 we planned to visit in the lakes and within Kodai. Day 3 we roamed around the place where we stayed and then got down by bus and visited some places in Vathalakundu.
Day 1
We started around 10AM in the morning after having breakfast in the cottage that we stayed at. It was a bit sunny accompanied by a cold breeze often.
1. Upper Lake View
From the top we had a beautiful view of the entire Kodai Lake. The boat house, horse riding, cycling routes all are visible like a perfect painting where nature and man made stuff intersect beautifully. Such a delight to watch it from the top. From here on you go for a beautiful ride all over and come back for a full circle kind of trip.
2. Palani Hills Valley View Point
It takes a 30 minutes drive through the zigzag mountain ranges, cutting through long pine forests. There are spots of pine forests here and there, around Kodai. We cut past one such pine forest to reach the Palani Hills Valley View Point. All along the way we saw so many pine trees which had fallen. This is a reserve forest area and so people don't cut trees here. They grow, rise, fall and become manure on their own. The view is just breathtaking and you don't want to return to city life. Just want to get lost in nature with no signal to cell phones. As you visit this place you want to capture every inch of it in your heart.
3. Mahalaxmi Temple on mountain top
This is walkable from the Palani hills valley view point. This is just a small temple which stands beautifully amidst the mountains. This is a private trust property. Should be newly constructed. There is also a cafe near to this which has beautiful decors and serves some beverage and bakery stuff. You can have it as cash preferably, sometimes signals do fail in these reserve forest kind of areas.
4. Poomparai Village View
From the Mahalaxmi temple, it takes hardly 15 minutes to reach this view point. Per se, not an actual view point for which we need to pay. It is literally seeing the stunning view from behind a small resto. The village is 3000 years older. As you stand there and see the spectacle, your time just stops for eternity. Such a magnificent view of the village, temple, curvy roads, step plantations of vegetables all in a shot.
5. Poomparai Murugan temple
We had to climb down the road, to get to the center of the village where there is this beautiful Murugan Temple which is as old as the famous Palani Murugan temple. The temple idol is also made by Nava Pashana by Sage Bogar. Imagine 3000 years ago when there was no plastics, no pollution, how awesome it should have been. Maybe the heavens descended directly to Poomparai and stayed here permanently. It was a senere darshan.
Note : Only with traditional Indian Clothing you are allowed inside Sanctum. No shorts, leggings without dupatta are not allowed inside the Sanctum.
6. ICAR, Mannavanur
From Poomparai to Mannavanur lake it takes roughly an half an hour drive. There is Central Sheep and Wool Research Centre close to the lake. When we went the lake was under renovation, to hold water during the coming rains which will start mid March, followed by Summer in May. The place rears rabbits, sheeps. The Mannavanur lake has been a shooting spot since 1960s. One can easily get lost in the view and amongst mountains and you feel as if you are in foreign land.
7. Moir Point
This place is roughly 1 hour from Mannavanur lake. We didn't stop for Lunch. We got some fresh vegetables like carrots, fruits like pappaya along and snacked in between. So we directly proceeded to our next place of visit. This place has historical significance. When Britishers were getting out of India on the night of August 14th, they went via this place. The place has astonishing view where you can sit through hours and think on anything under the sky as breeze comforts you.
8. Pine Forest
One of the beautiful forests that one can see. Each of the forest trees are unique in its own way. The one that I loved about this forest is their uniform slender chocolate brown trunks and a breathtaking upper view of those trees. They look as though the cloud has come down to our face and hands. Such a splendid view it is. These places are like straight chains. It is one way. You enter and you can see all of them.
Tip: Do not carry water bottles, juices along. Monkeys can just pluck and never give it back. My daughter had her strawberry milkshake and a monkey wanted it badly from her and did not move until she threw it away
9. Guna Caves
Next to the pine forest is Guna Caves. The place got its name after being a shooting spot of the Tamil Movie Guna. The actual cave is farther downward from the current place. You see the roots of trees all over and you can have a head spinning view from the top. The place is much guarded with steel rails now as it holds a history of slippery incidents before. The place is also called devil's kitchen. This is a must visit place just to be awestruck at the sight of forest roots.
Warning: Here also there are a lot of monkeys which can snatch your things.
10. Pillar Rocks
These are all natural rock formations in the form of pillars. This is one of the oldest spots of Kodaikannal as far as I know. Behind these only exists the Guna Caves. This is such a magnificent sight. Amidst the greenery all around they look brown here and there. You would feel wow in Kodaikannal in general and this is more like an icing on the cake kind of view.
11. Green Valley and Shopping
This is another breathtaking view of the valleys around Kodai. We need to walk a few meters, hardly around 700 mts, along shops on either side to reach the viewpoint. You can find shops like spices, perfumes, chocolate shops and also other shops. But I would suggest not buying from these shops. They are priced higher and sold. Rather you can buy from places that are meant for shopping, complex like areas which have those hill station special items and they are really worthy. You can get your ice cream, lick it and walk to the view point and enjoy the view of the valleys. Just be careful about the monkeys around. If they snatch it from you please give it for free.
This was the last spot we visited for the day. We did some shopping that day, in one of the complexes near Coaker’s walk. We shopped for some fresh spices like cinnamon, elachi, sugar free chocolates, dark and white chocolates, handmade soaps, eucalyptus oil, vicks oil for massage.
Of all the items I could suggest buying spices in Kodai. They are just amazingly fresh and contain all the essential oils unlike the commercial ones that we pick from the supermarket.
After shopping we had our late lunch in one of the best vegetarian hotels in Kodai. The hotel is Astoria Veg. As far as I know, this is the best one in Kodai. The prices are nominal, the food is tasty and harmless. I highly recommend this hotel. We almost ate all our meals in this hotel.
After the late lunch, we also got our dinner and headed to the hotel to relax and reminisce about the day once again. Also to catch some sleep to energize for the next day.
Day 2
After having breakfast in the hotel, we started around 10 AM in the morning again. To roam around Kodai limits, the major attractions of the hill station.
1. Coakers’s Walk
This is a beautiful man made walkway. It was built by Lt. Coaker who walked along the mountain ranges and was pivotal in drafting the map of Kodaikanal. You get to see some beautiful areas down the valley via telescope, like Vaigai Dam, cross roads, schools down the valley. There are also a lot of shops on the walkway to chill and relax along. We clicked our family picture in one of the locations which is absolutely picturesque. There are few benches where people can sit and relax. This is one of the best places to grab a book and read all day along.
2. Bryant’s park
As we walk out of the walk, we can get into Bryant's park. This is one of the beautiful parks of Tamil Nadu. Well maintained. During the season, flower shows are held here. You feel so serene sitting relaxedly on the grass and enjoy the climate and the scenery. This kind of park, climate, sceneries are unique for hill stations and a distant dream in cities. So it was an amazing time spent with Nature, slowing down on all fronts in the park, posing for pictures, enjoying the breeze and scent of flowers. Spent more than an hour chilling in the park.
3. Kodai Lake
These spots are close by. From Coakers walk to Bryant's park and then to Kodai Lake. It's just like waterfalls flow. You need to keep descending to reach the beautiful lake of Kodai. There are quite a few activities that can be done around the lake. We headed back to Astoria Veg Hotel before we went cycling around the lake. We got a tandem and installed a small seat for our toddler and rode around the lake enjoying, absorbing, observing all of it! What a day it was! I would cherish this for a longer time. It cost 100 for half an hour.
We then went horse riding. That is another amazing memory. I went separately in one of the horses, my hubby and Tod went in another one. Initially, it was difficult to adapt to its pace and once I adapted I found it hard to leave it. That is something I look forward to doing anytime in my life.
We then have the Tamil Nadu Tourism board's boat house, boating at affordable rates and can enjoy the ride for half an hour. That gives altogether different views of all sceneries. It was a super cool moment to look at the skies, tall, straight, green trees standing in attention. One specific thing I loved a lot. The view of the upper lake from the center of the lake. There are houses and behind it the longer mountain ranges, clouds kissing the mountain tips, traveling between the pointed trees. Such a delight it is! After enjoying it for half an hour, we came out of the boat house to drink some Hot Badam Milk from the nearby Aavin Parlour.
4. Chettiar Park
We then headed to another well maintained Chettiar Park. This park is stepped. You need to descend the steps where there are beautiful plants, various hill grown shrubs and flowers are in order. This place many children will love. The park has well maintained play structures. Our tod did not want to leave the place when we wanted to start from there after some relaxation for 45 minutes, enjoying the temperature slowly dropping from 18 to 12 to 10 deg C. If you are taking your kid along please do visit this place. The entry fee is very minimal and your child will enjoy all of it. Even adults like this well maintained scenic beauty. This park is enroute Kurinji Andavar Temple , from here it is walkable which is our next destination.
5. Kurinji Aandavar Temple
In Tamil Nadu, there is this belief. Wherever there is a hill there lives Lord Muruga. The temple was built in the pre independence era. We have a beautiful Muruga, smiling at us in the main sanctum. The temple got its name from the Kurinji flower which blooms once in 12 years. In our temples, we can find a temple tree in each of the temples of Tamil Nadu. They call in Stala Vruksham. They are well maintained and preserved even today. They tell us a lot about the place, like the nature of soil, kind of bionomics etc. We have water bodies, gardens near temples, just to ensure that we are always in sync with nature. There is also a spot near the temple premises from where one can see Palani hills when it is less cloudy.
The most attractive point in Kodaikanal is they are not using plastics. We get only 5 liter bottles. No plastic spoons or covers. We had some masala puffed rice outside the temple and we weren’t provided any spoons. The puffed rice was served in a cone structure made of newspaper only. It was tasty, healthy for both body and environment. Similarly in hotels if you get parcels you are given all only in paper bags, where the food is wrapped in banana leaves and newspapers. This is a welcome change. Great initiative and a much needed one because the amount of plastic littered on the ranges is higher and it takes years to clean them all and is the right time to impose such rules.
The temple was the last spot in our plan for day 2 and we headed to the hotel back. Our Driver was a polite, sensible, no nonsense human who took us all along Kodai for two days for 5000 INR, which we felt is all worthy. We had our dinner at the hotel where we stayed for dinner as it was 6.30 PM by the time we reached back.
Day 3
An Unplanned Day 3 that turned out to be packed and exciting till we boarded the train
For Day 3 we had little plans. We had our train at night at 10PM from Kodai Road. We planned to climb down by bus instead of car. In the morning we just roamed around the hotel, enjoying the tall trees, mountain foothills, collecting some unique flowers to dry them and use it for journaling. After breakfast we checked out around 11 AM. One catch here is, we don’t get a lot of local buses in Kodai. You need to depend on a car. We missed one of the local buses in a whisker and had to wait for another hour to get another one, and people are not sure whether it would come or not as it is Sunday. We got some help from nearby people, got our cab booked and reached Kodai main. After our Lunch we took the Govt bus to climb down the hills. Sunday is market day in Kodai. Many people from nearby villages come and sell their products here. The bazaar was crowded and we bid goodbye to Kodai with a lot of beautiful memories that had been itched in the heart.
As we climbed down we realized we had ample time to roam around in a village near Kodai Road. We quickly googled for nearby temples in Vathalagundu, a small town in Tamil Nadu. We happen to land in Kanthara like a traditional dance temple. A Vishnu temple called ‘Sendraya Perumal temple’. We climbed a small mountain to catch the glimpse of the god. The place is hardly 2 kms away from the Town bus stand. We just carried our bags along as there was no clock room in the bus stand. We kept in the small flower shop on the foot hills and climbed up. We have sandy roads to reach the top via share auto but we chose to walk as we had ample time for our train. We got some breeze as we climbed up and got an amazing view of the entire town from the top. It was a refreshing sight.
As we climbed down we went to a nearby shiva temple which we spotted from the top of the hills. It was a beautiful walk inside a typical village of Tamil nadu. These two were not part of our original plan and we loved every bit of it. It easily took us to the late 80s and early 90s. Though it had an internet connection, ATM the outlook was still the same and we felt the rawness of the land. We caught a shared auto and headed back to the bus stand and had our dinner in a nearby hotel. We ate in a hotel called Arya Bhavan, which is the only decent hotel in the locality. We didn’t get the direct bus to Kodai Road. It was 7.45 PM that time and we had to travel another 1 hour to reach Kodai Road.
In Kodai Road you don’t get anything to eat. So you need to either have it all in Kodai and then climb down, if you miss it then the next, only option is Vathalagundu. We didn’t get a direct bus as stated earlier, we boarded the Madurai bus and got down at Silukkuvarpatti, and from there got an auto to reach Kodai Road at 9PM. We relaxed a bit in the station, enjoying how our day 3 panned out organically as we waited for the train back to Chennai.
That was an amazing trip with a lot of photos, memories, images etched in the heart.
"BETTER TO SEE SOMETHING ONCE THAN HEAR ABOUT IT A THOUSAND TIMES." – ASIAN PROVERB
Finally I got to see most of Kodai which I had been hearing since my childhood. And I would cherish it forever.
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