A beautiful, easily accessible (overnight from Chennai), serene and green hillstation, Kodai is the perfect get-away from the hustle & bustle of the cities. Compared to Ooty, Kodaikanal is less crowded.
We chose Kodai after discussing many spots just about 2 weeks before the trip. So, we were left with no other option except take the direct bus from Parveen Travels (one of those Hitech Airbuses). We also booked our room at Hotel Sivapriya (at Rathna stores (firm), Chennai).
We woke up to a wonderful view on our way up to this wonderful hill station. Although I had visited this place 4 times, it still looks beautiful everytime and never fails to raise my spirits! Tall eucalyptus trees with the smell of pine floating in the air, the cool air tingling your feet, the chillness hitting your cheeks and waking you up and the sun rays falling on the hills, it was a wonderful sight that I never experienced in any of my earlier trips.
The last stop of the bus was Hotel Sivapriya. We checked-in into the rooms (not so good compared to the LARGE reception), freshened up and went down for breakfast. The food, as we were told, was good. The restaurant is a vegetarian one and serves really good South Indian breakfast... crispy dosas, hot and fluffy idlis.. hmmm... yummy! Lunch and dinner are good too with tandoori and chinese also available.
There were three type of one-day conducted tours available - the local sight seeing, forest tour and the trekking tour. Local sight seeing tour covers all the points in and around Kodai town - Coaker’s Walk ( a walk-way overlooking deep valleys), Green Valley View (formerly called Suicide Point) which offers a magnificent view of the valley below and the plains in distance, Devil’s Kitchen (a.k.a. Guna caves, after the famous film by Kamal hasan), Pine Forest, Upper Lake View (of the Kodai lake), Kurinji Andavar temple (where the famous Kurinji flower blooms once in 12 years - the next one in 2006) and Silver Cascade (waterfalls) after which you will be dropped off at the lake.
The forest tour covers spots inside the forest area like Silent Valley View (again view of the valley, but nothing that you can image!), Caps-return valley (where caps thrown when the air pressure is right, are returned!), Pine forest and finally the Berijam Lake. The Berijam Lake is the spot for which one has to take this tour. A huge, undisturbed, non-commercial lake in the middle of the forest! Its hard to leave this place. The trekking tour (don?t let your imagination go wild!) covers a few water falls and view which require a little of ’’walking(uphill)’’ to do from motor-able roads!
We chose the local tour for the first day and the forest tour for the second day. The tours are done by mini bus operators and cost about Rs. 100 - 150 per person. They have a guide who talks even Tamil with a different accent, let alone Hindi or English! But for that matter, they have at least learnt to communicate in different languages!
For larger groups, it is advisable to take a taxi which costs around Rs. 500 - 600 and is more convenient. These tour buses also stop at shops that sell local produce like spices, chocolates, eucalyptus oil, etc. Kodai home made chocolates come in different versions and are pretty good. Ask for a sample before you decide to buy. They cost around Rs. 30/100 gms.
Kodai Lake has become smaller when I visited this time. There was very less water compared to my previous visits, but nevertheless inviting (for a boar ride). Cycles are available around the lake and they cost Rs. 10 for 1 hour. Cycling around the lake (5.5 kms) is an enchanting experience!
The forest tour was interesting. Only 50 vehicles are allowed inside the forest everyday (News courtesy: tour guide) and the stops are interesting... no shops, no hawkers, not many motor vehicles, but just trees, shrubs and occasional chirping of birds, and of course some litter! Berijam Lake is a beauty.. calm waters of the lake (no tourism development done here) with plain greenery all around and no noise pollution take your breath away! Only thing that brings you back to reality is the litter strewn around by our brethren!
Third day we opted to visit Palani (about 64 kms from Kodai). The bus ride was enchanting. For most part of our journey we traveled on the edges of the hill range with wonderful valley views.
Kodai is a perfect option for a 2-3 day trip. You can stay longer enjoying the nature and chillness, never wanting to return! For those opting to travel by train, Kodai Road is the closest station and Madurai is the next closest major town (you have lots to do at Madurai too!) There are frequent buses from/to Kodai Road, Dindugul, Madurai, Palani/Coimbatore. I would recommend a tour of 4-5 days with Madurai also thrown in.
Kodai has its own set of problems too. The tour guide was complaining that there weren’t enough rains this year. Some of the waterfalls have already dried up, the lake has become smaller and the temperatures have become higher than before.
The British have left behind a rich legacy of hill stations that become dear when the mercury levels in the plains start shooting up. But it is heartening to see the amount of damage done to these beautiful summer get-aways in the name of tourism during the so-called ’’season-time’’. People swarm these spots and pollute the atmosphere with loud chattering, blocking the paths of other tourists, making other people wait while trying to click that ’’one photo that covers the entire view behind’’ and above all throwing trash as they please.
All the tourists are there to enjoy nature’s beauty and it is the duty of every tourist to ensure that he/she leaves the place as beautiful as it is. These hill stations may not remain so dear for long. With global warming and the increasing pollution caused not only by the trash but also from the high levels of emission from motor vehicles, we may soon loose the crispy coolness in the air and the greenery that is becoming increasingly rare in the plains. And we would have nowhere to go for our long weekends!