Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal  is one of Tamil Nadu's finest hill stations, above sea level amongst the Western Ghats of India, in the Palani Hill Range and under the administrative control of Dindigul District.

Understand

 * In Tamil, Kodaikanal means "seen in summer".
 * Kodaikanal is also referred to as "Princess of Hill stations."
 * Kodaikanal relies upon agriculture and tourism as the two major parts of its local economy.
 * Unique to the Western Ghats, the Kurinji Flower is in full bloom around December once in 12 years, and it bathes the valley in a beautiful sea of blue. The name Nilgiri (blue mountains) was derived from the blue colour. It was last in full bloom in 2018.

By plane
The closest airports to Kodaikanal are Tiruchirappalli 150 km, Madurai 120 km and Coimbatore 175 km. You can get regular flights from Mumbai, Tiruchirappalli, Bangalore and Chennai. From any of these airports you can hire a private taxi, cab or take train to reach Kodaikanal.

Trains are available in frequent intervals but you can choose to go by private taxi if you are in real hurry.

By train
The nearest railway station is Kodai Road, at a distance of 100 km. From Kodai Road station, one can travel only by road. Taxis are available for hire up to Kodaikanal but since these might be the only mode of transport here, the prices are often not negotiable.

Another railway station that is quite close is Dindigul Railway Station. It is easier to come to Kodaikanal using this station, as Dindigul is a much bigger city. Once you get off at the Dindigul Railway station, you can get an auto rickshaw for around ₹50 to come to the Dindigul Bus Stand. From there, there are frequent buses to Vathlagundu from where there are many buses to Kodaikanal. Straight buses are available from Dindigul to Kodaikanal as well, but you might have to wait for an hour or so. It takes around 30 minutes from Dindigul to Vathlagundu (Batlagundu) and then about 2 hours from Vathlagundu to Kodaikanal by bus.

By bus
From Dindigul city, Kodaikanal is located at a distance of 90 km approximately and there are plenty of buses plying from various parts of the state.

Buses ply from Chennai, Pondicherry, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Dindigul, Palani and Coimbatore.

Buses are available from Madurai (Arapalayam) to Kodaikanal at regular timings.

By car
Reach Kodaikanal from Kodai Road (80 km) for about ₹1300, Dindigul or Madurai and then take a cab/taxi to Kodaikanal. The drive from Kodai road takes approximately 2½ hr while the drive from Madurai takes approximately 3½ hr and from Dindigul it takes about 2½ hr.

From Kochi, it is 295 km via the hill station of Munnar. The route to be taken is Kochi-Muvattupuzha-Kothamangalam-Adimali-Munnar-Devikulam-Poopara-Bodi-Theni-Kodaikanal which is the NH49 Kochi-Madurai.

From Alappuzha or Kottayam, the route is via Kumily along Kottayam-Kumily road, KK Road.

Get around
The central region of Kodaikanal is highly compact which makes it extremely easy to get around on foot. Though auto-rickshaws are not available in this part, taxis are there to take you to different sightseeing destinations. The charges are fixed and significantly high. The entire sightseeing tour may cost you ₹300 for couple of hours to ₹700 for five hours.

If you think that you are fit enough to challenge the hills then you can hire mountain bikes from different bicycle stalls around the lake. These bikes may cost you ₹10 per hour or ₹75 for entire day.

Do

 * Boating at the Kodai lake - paddle and row boats are available at the lake. Entrance is via the Kodaikanal Boat Club.
 * Cycle around the lake - and watch the clouds while they slowly descend onto the water; cycles are available for hire at the lake on an hourly basis. It is possible to cycle to other places although cycling one way will be difficult due to the hilly terrain. Do check the cycles before setting out.
 * Horse riding - Right near the front of the entrance to the boat club, you can rent a horse (with the trainer) to take you around the lake.
 * Trekking - Kodai offers several scenic trekking spots, including one which is to walk along the stream which goes to Dolphin's Nose. Kodai tourist office has a trekking guide which is available for free there, which lists all the possible trekking routes and difficulty levels. The tourist office advises people to take guides and offers to provide them, although this is not necessary. An easy trek is to Perumalmalai, the tallest mountain in the area.
 * Wander About - Kodai has numerous waterfalls and beautiful views not mentioned in the tourist guides, so wandering about can bring you to some spectacular place.
 * Watch a Tamil movie - go down the PT road, continue to S-road. Then turn left, after the petroleum station. Just ask which way is to cinema, almost every local knows it. Vellaiyappan cinema theatre is an old building with relatively big screen and cheap tickets - great experience.
 * Wander About - Kodai has numerous waterfalls and beautiful views not mentioned in the tourist guides, so wandering about can bring you to some spectacular place.
 * Watch a Tamil movie - go down the PT road, continue to S-road. Then turn left, after the petroleum station. Just ask which way is to cinema, almost every local knows it. Vellaiyappan cinema theatre is an old building with relatively big screen and cheap tickets - great experience.

Buy

 * Cheese Factory - Various cheeses.
 * Eucalyptus Oil and herbal oils- A variety of oils that claim to relieve joint pains and other aches are also available at every shop.
 * Home-made chocolates - Kodai's shops are stocked with home made chocolates. These are a lot cheaper compared to the major brands.

There is a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM near the petrol pump at the Seven Road Junction which accepts other banks cards as well.

Eat

 * Astoria Veg Reasturant - a vegetarian restaurant in Kodai.
 * Eden Paradise Restaurant, Paradise Compound, Laws Ghat Road. Serves tasty ethnic Keralite cuisine.
 * Pastry Corner - Cakes, pastry, coffee and tea are excellent in this place. People here are well educated and kind. Located near bus stand and Astoria Veg Restaurant. Never miss this small but a good place.
 * Pine & Petals, JC Residency, Convent Road, Naidupuram. Multi-cuisine restaurant.
 * Rasoi, 106 Maratha Shopping Complex, Annasalai. Serves excellent Gujarati and veg. Punjabi thali. The Chola batora and alu paratha are their specialities.
 * The Royal Tibet -PT Road. In this restaurant you will get best momos specially potato cheese momo for vegetarian, for non-veg you can choose beef, chicken and mutton. Noodles are freshly made everyday and you get fantastic soups. It gets bit noisy when restaurants gets jam packed with kodaikanal international school students.
 * Tava, 7 road junction. Outstanding Sindhi food, express service.
 * Tibetan Brothers - PT Road. The food is mouth watering and authentic Tibetan and Chinese. Try the steamed momos or the Thukpa. The owner who doubles up as a waiter is very courteous - and very passionate about his country. So the restaurant walls are plastered with photos of Lhasa, Potala palace and the Dalai and Panchen lamas.
 * The Royal Tibet -PT Road. In this restaurant you will get best momos specially potato cheese momo for vegetarian, for non-veg you can choose beef, chicken and mutton. Noodles are freshly made everyday and you get fantastic soups. It gets bit noisy when restaurants gets jam packed with kodaikanal international school students.
 * Tava, 7 road junction. Outstanding Sindhi food, express service.
 * Tibetan Brothers - PT Road. The food is mouth watering and authentic Tibetan and Chinese. Try the steamed momos or the Thukpa. The owner who doubles up as a waiter is very courteous - and very passionate about his country. So the restaurant walls are plastered with photos of Lhasa, Potala palace and the Dalai and Panchen lamas.
 * Tibetan Brothers - PT Road. The food is mouth watering and authentic Tibetan and Chinese. Try the steamed momos or the Thukpa. The owner who doubles up as a waiter is very courteous - and very passionate about his country. So the restaurant walls are plastered with photos of Lhasa, Potala palace and the Dalai and Panchen lamas.

Drink
There is a shop near the bus stand, where you can get some standard Indian whisky, beer, vodka, etc.

Budget
Staying in a cottage or a bungalow is probably better than staying in a closed AC room in some random hotel. If you stay somewhere 3-4 km from main city you might get cheaper cottages and bungalows with good view. But it is always preferable to stay near the Lake, where one doesn't need to worry about food and you can have nice walk in the evenings.
 * New Gold Nest, about 3 km away from the lake and on the way to the Kurinjiandavar Temple. This property comprises individual cottages which are located overlooking the valley and offer enchanting views of the clouds rising through the gaps in the mountains.
 * New Gold Nest, about 3 km away from the lake and on the way to the Kurinjiandavar Temple. This property comprises individual cottages which are located overlooking the valley and offer enchanting views of the clouds rising through the gaps in the mountains.
 * New Gold Nest, about 3 km away from the lake and on the way to the Kurinjiandavar Temple. This property comprises individual cottages which are located overlooking the valley and offer enchanting views of the clouds rising through the gaps in the mountains.
 * New Gold Nest, about 3 km away from the lake and on the way to the Kurinjiandavar Temple. This property comprises individual cottages which are located overlooking the valley and offer enchanting views of the clouds rising through the gaps in the mountains.
 * New Gold Nest, about 3 km away from the lake and on the way to the Kurinjiandavar Temple. This property comprises individual cottages which are located overlooking the valley and offer enchanting views of the clouds rising through the gaps in the mountains.
 * New Gold Nest, about 3 km away from the lake and on the way to the Kurinjiandavar Temple. This property comprises individual cottages which are located overlooking the valley and offer enchanting views of the clouds rising through the gaps in the mountains.
 * New Gold Nest, about 3 km away from the lake and on the way to the Kurinjiandavar Temple. This property comprises individual cottages which are located overlooking the valley and offer enchanting views of the clouds rising through the gaps in the mountains.
 * New Gold Nest, about 3 km away from the lake and on the way to the Kurinjiandavar Temple. This property comprises individual cottages which are located overlooking the valley and offer enchanting views of the clouds rising through the gaps in the mountains.
 * New Gold Nest, about 3 km away from the lake and on the way to the Kurinjiandavar Temple. This property comprises individual cottages which are located overlooking the valley and offer enchanting views of the clouds rising through the gaps in the mountains.

Stay safe
You will see lots of monkeys in some parts of Kodaikanal, so be extra careful when moving with kids and carrying food. Try to ignore monkeys while passing by. Any abrupt move from you may convey the wrong message to these unpredictable creatures.

Don't leave cash or any valuables in the hotel room. Cross check all hotel, restaurant and lounge bills for errors.

Stay healthy
Prefer to eat healthy breakfast. After arriving at your desired destination, the chances are very high that you will not be paying any attention to your meal. So, do yourself a favour and consume healthy food while traveling around the destination.

Drink plenty of water and consume lots of multivitamin, mainly if you are flying. It will save you from dehydration and keep your immune level high.


 * Van Allen Hospital - The only hospital available in Kodaikanal. It is established by American missionaries. For major treatments, you have to go to Madurai hospitals.

Go next

 * Madurai - on the bank of Vaigai River People from diverse culture and religions reside at Madurai. Festivals of all different kinds are celebrated in this place.
 * Munnar - At a height of 6000 feet, Munnar is one of the most reputed summer resorts in Kerala.
 * Palani - Known for the Hills, it is part of oldest mountain ranges which can be explored in India, made up of rocks such as schists, charnockites and gneisses.