Kodaikanal is one of the most popular hill stations in South India. Kodai has the most pleasant weather throughout the year. It is at a hieght of 2133 metres above sea level and offers breathtaking views all around.
After visiting the other two
hill stations of South - Yercaud and
Ooty, I was curious to know how
Kodai was.
We set out for Kodai by road and my research on the net indicated that it was 7.5 to 8 hours drive. But in the end it took 10 hours! The lesson I learnt was not to believe everything on the net. The road from the entrance to Kodai to the hills will itself take 1.5 hours.
Reaching Kodai
Kodaikanal is around 490 kms from Bangalore and the road to take is the Salem-Dharmapuri-Dindigul route. We need to take a deviation on the Madurai highway. There are trains available (which are all booked 3 months in advance), which stops at Kodai Road station, from where you need to catch a bus or taxi (1.5 hours) to reach Kodai. For those who want to fly, nearest airport is Madurai, which is 128 kms away.
Staying in Kodai
There are many hotels in Kodai, but the popular ones like Kodai Resort, Sivapriya, Villa Retreat are difficult to get in the peak season unless you reserve 10-15 days in advance. We settled on a new hotel called Silver Springs, which turned out to be a real gem (review on the hotel posted separately). There are a large number of hotels, so even if you walk in without a booking you can get rooms, but quality is not reliable!
About Kodai
Kodaikanal is a typical hillstation and like all hillstations is centred around the lake. The town is on a hillock with picturesque sceneries all over. Greenery and mountains embrace you, wherever you go. The biggest attraction of Kodaikanal is the weather. Temperatures never rise above 20-25 degrees. We visited Kodai in the peak of summer. It was sweltering heat in the cities below the hills., But the moment we entered Kodai, it was like stepping into heaven. A light spell of rain ensured that the weather turned chilly! Mist everywhere makes it a visual treat.
Another interesting note is that most hotels in Kodai have no fans or AC - the reason is of course the cool weather. The summer nights were actually cold and you may even need sweaters! Even when the sun is blazing in the sky, you still experience a cool breeze - real heaven! And you see the sun in the sky and the next minute, mist all around - thats an amazing experience not to be missed.
Eating out
There are a wide variety of options to eat out in Kodai. Hotel Astoria, Sivapriya are popular. But our choice was Annapoorna on 7 Roads junctions, which offered excellent breakfast and South Indian meals.
Another little restaurant which offered homely North Indian food was Rasoi near the bus stand. Rasoi and another restaurant Punjabi Ghar next to it is run by a Punjabi lady. The restaurant offers tasty and homely North Indian food. Chapathis, Theplas, lassi and a array of side dishes all of which are tasty and not very expensive.
Other options include Pizza Corner, Hotel Woodlands, etc. Also, at all of the sight seeing places, you get healthy snacks like roast corn and a special bhel puri that uses boiled groundnuts, carrot, mango, etc. Carrots and plums are a specialty of Kodai and available at many places and are fresh and tasty.
Shopping
Around the lake you can buy sweaters, jerkins, and a lots of other things. But the main shopping area is on 7 Roads junction and near the bus stand. Home made chocolates in a main shopping attraction. Eucalptyus oil, spices like cinnamon, cloves, etc are sold everywhere. Coffee and tea are other shopping attractions.
Things to do
Sightseeing of course is the main thing to do in Kodai. There are so many things to see there, that I am writing another review on the sightseeing in Kodai. Some of the tourist attractions are the Lake, Coakers walk, Bryant Park, Upper lake view, Moier view point, Suicide point, Pillars rock, Bear shola falls, Silver cascade falls, Guna caves (Devils kitchen), Observatory, etc. https://mouthshut.com/review/General_tips_on_Travel-191904-1.html
Apart from the sight seeing places, you can spend quality time near the lake. There are parks surrounding the lake, where you can relax and also where children can play. There are other attractions around the lake, like a skating area, where adults and children can try their hand at skating. There is a 3D cinema show, book exhibition and other attraction