Courtallam

Kuttralam is a city in Tamil Nadu, India. Courtallam is the anglicized version of Kuttralam.

Understand
Kuttralam is in the Tirunelveli district of South India. It is famous for its numerous waterfalls. You can literally find people running around and taking bath in waterfalls with towels on their shoulders. The waterfalls are fed by the monsoon, colloquially referred to as "Kuttralam Season". Due to its location and relative cheap expenses, it is often referred to as "Poor man's paradise". The best time to visit is mid-June to September and October-January.

Kuttralam is also mentioned in many classical Tamil literary works.

Get in
Kuttralam is a famous location is Tamil Nadu, so getting in is not a problem.

By plane
Madurai is the nearest airport, which has flights connecting to Chennai. You can reach Kuttralam by bus, train or by hiring a taxi from Madurai. The journey takes about 3 hours. Another one is Thiruvananthapuram international airport ~100 km and it takes 3 hours from there too. Thenmala eco-tourism centre, Palaruvi waterfalls and Kulathuppuzha Ayyappa temple are on the route from Thiruvananthapuram.

There is also an airport at Tuticorin 90km which has infrequent flights.

By train
Tenkasi is the nearest rail head. It is connected to Chennai and Tirunelveli by frequent services. You can hire a taxi or an auto from Tenkasi Railway Station to reach Kuttralam.

Kuttralam is just 6km away from Thenkasi Railway Junction. Getting in is easy.

By car
Kuttralam is situated about 200km from Madurai, 65 km from Tirunelveli and 5 km from Tenkasi. Tenkasi is a bustling town, which has decent bus services to many parts in south Tamil Nadu. Alternatively, special buses operated by the government ply directly to Kuttralam during the season.

By boat
Though there are numerous waterfalls, they are only from small streams. So, Kuttralam does not have a pier. The nearest seaport is at Tuticorin.

By auto
Auto Rickshaws (trishaw or Tuk-tuk) are available at every corner and near the waterfalls. They can be used to effectively see the various waterfalls within the place.

By car
Hiring a cab is a common mode of transport. The common waterfalls have parking facilities with nominal charges, so it is advisable to hire a cab...

See
Wherever you turn, you will see people with towels moving about. There are numerous waterfalls in Kuttralam which offer beautiful and scenic moments to experience.

Do
Kuttralam is located away from the city's bustle, so you can unwind and relax here. The town gets crowded during the season, as people pour in to experience for the "Kuttralam experience".

Obviously, the must thing to do in Kuttralam is take bath! Facilities are available at all the falls for safe bathing with separate facilities for women, and even police presence! This is required as a precaution as number of people come in during the season, and the crowd could get out of hand. Have an oil massage which is very pleasant before a bath in the falls.

During the peak season this place will be like a paradise, It is also called as poor mans Ooty but now all the cost is getting increased due to the popularity

Buy
Local handicrafts and souvenirs are available.Fruits like Rambootan,Mangosteen, are available.

Eat
There are numerous hotels in the town, being a tourist spot. One of the famous hotel, Rahmed Porata stall situated in piranoor, that is in the bus route of Senkaottai to Tenkasi via Ilanji. There is very long queue during the season period, since it the good non-vegetarian hotel for over more than 15 years. The cuisine is traditionally South Indian with limited options for others. Its also famously known as the Bilal Border Parotta Shop

Drink
There are numerous tea-shops for a hot sip of tea or coffee.

Alcohol is served in bars and also by government run "TASMAC" shops. Please be aware that public consumption is prohibited, and you could get into trouble.

Sleep
There are resorts, hotels, lodges available both in Tenkasi and Kuttralam. They have differential rates during the peak season.