Kodaikanal which is referred as Princess of Hill Stations is a popular tourist destination in the state of Tamil Nadu. Situated at 7,200 feet above the sea level, Kodaikanal is a picturesque town in the Palani hill range on the Western Ghats of India.
While tourists from North India visit Himachal and Kashmir to escape heat. Central and South Indian tourists travel to Kodaikanal during the summer vacation for some nice quality time with family and loved ones.
Kodaikanal is a gift of nature. Blessed with abudance of forest, pristine lakes, beautiful gardens and waterfalls, all in the backdrop of mountains makes Kodaikanal a must travel destination in Tamil Nadu. Whether you are looking for destination for family vacation or honeymoon, Kodaikanal is the perfect choice. A boat trip in a Kodai Lake is such a refreshing experience that you won't forget ever in your life. If leisure travel is not your type, don't be disappointed, there are several trekking trails for adventure lovers to enjoy vacation in Kodaikanal.
In recent years Kodaikanal tourism has benefited from rapid development of nearby cities like Madurai and Coimbatore. Today Kodaikanal has become year round tourist destination. However the biggest rush comes once in 12 years. Kurinji Flower blooms once in 12 years. The next time Kurinji Flower will full bloom in 2018 when millions of tourists will travel to Kodaikanal to witness this wonderful gift of nature.
WHEN TO TRAVEL
You can travel to Kodaikanal throughout the year. However it is advised to avoid the monsoon season (June to August). There are two tourist season in Kodaikanal. First one is April to June. This is the time when tourists looks to escape summer heat in India and visit Kodaikanal where temperature hovers around 11 - 20 degree Celsius. The second tourist season is September to October. You can travel Kodaikanal during winters however in night temperature remains lower.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN KODAIKANAL
Kodaikanal Lake - The most popular lake in town is Kodaikanal Lake also known as Kodai Lake. It is an artificial lake built in the shape of star. The lake has been identified as most popular tourist attraction in Kodaikanal. The most popular activity at the lake is boating. You can hire paddle or row boat from the Kodaikanal Boat Club. Boating in winter during evening is quite amazing thanks to fog cover over the lake.
Bryant Park - The park is located right next to Kodai lake. Spread in the area of 20.5 acres, Bryant Park is a fantastic botanical garden with 325 species of trees and shrubs. There are over 740 varieties of roses in the park. Eucalyptus tree (1857) is the oldest tree at the park. Another popular tree is Bodhi tree with religious significance.
Kurinjiandavar Temple - Dedicated to Lord Muruga, Kurinjiandavar Temple is 4 km from the Kodai Lake. The temple is famous for the Kurinji Flowers that blossom only once in 12 years. The temple gives splendid views of Palani Hills and Kodaikanal.
Green Valley View - is famous for 5000 ft steep drop. This point offers excellent views of Vaigai Dam. Earlier this point was called Suicide Point but later changed to Green Valley View.
Berijam Lake - Considered as most pristine of three lakes in Kodaikanal. The lake comes under the forest zone therefore tourists are required to obtain permit. Berijam lake is located 20km from Kodaikanal. Usually vehicle you rent will obtain permission on your behalf. During peak tourist season limited number of vehicles are allowed per day. The access to lake is allowed during 9:30am to 3pm. There is abundance of wildlife around the lake like Bison, deers, panthers etc.
Shembaganur Museum of Natural History - The oldest museum in Kodaikanal, opened in 1895 is home to collection of 500 species of animals, birds and 300 species of orchids. The museum also exhibits artifacts belonging to Palaiyar tribes. The museum remains closed on Tuesday.
Kodaikanal Solar Observatory - The observatory is located on the highest point near Kodaikanal. The Kodaikanal Terrestrial Telescope offers great views of Sothupparai and Vaigai dam. At night-time during the peak tourist season, observatory offers sky view from the telescope.
Silver Cascade - This waterfall is on route to Kodaikanal. The cold water flows between the the eucalyptus trees. Some believe that water quality of this waterfall is not good for bathing. Tourists traveling my private vehicle should visit this waterfall.
Trekking - There are several trekking trails for the adventure lovers in Kodaikanal. Among most popular is walk that leads to picturesque Dolphin's nose. Another popular trek is Perumalmalai trek which leads to the highest mountain in the region. You can obtain trekking guide from Kodaikanal tourist office.
HOTELS IN KODAIKANAL
The good news for tourists is that hotels in Kodaikanal are easy on the pocket. You can get good hotel well withing your budget.
The Carlton Kodaikanal is best hotel for honeymooners as it is located right next to Kodai Lake. Most of the hotel's room offers great views of Kodaikanal Lake. Other popular hotels in Kodaikanal are:
Snooze Inn Kodaikanal ($15), Green Acres Resort Kodaikanal ($34), Woodlands Resort ($58), Hotel Kodai International ($59) and Sterling Resorts Kodaikanal Valley View ($70). Here is the complete list of hotels in Kodaikanal.
HOW TO REACH
By Air - The nearest airports from Kodaikanal are Madurai (120 km), Trichy (150 km) and Coimbatore (175 km). There are flights from all major Indian cities to these three airports. From there you can either hire a taxi or take a bus to reach Kodaikanal.
By Train - Kodai Road (80km) is the nearest railway station from Kodaikanal. From the railway station you can hire taxi that would take you to Kodaikanal in 2 hours max.
By Bus - There are buses to Kodaikanal from Tamil cities like Chennai, Madurai, Dindigul and Coimbatore.
By car - Reach Kodai Road,Dindigul or Madurai and then take a cab to
Kodaikanal. Ask the resort to arrange for the pick-up. The drive from Kodai road
takes approximately 2 hrs while the drive from Madurai takes approximately 3 1/2 hours and from Dindigul takes about 2 hrs
