Kodaikanal Tourism

Most of the tourist entertainment in the worn is centered around the starfishshaped lake, which forms kodai’s nucleus. Honeymooners take the customary boat ride, kids scream for horse-rides around the lake and parents negotiate with taxi drivers for a day-trip of Kodai’s 16 sights Tour. The town is a maze of churches, hotels, restaurants, touts and homemade signs advertising homemade chocolates. Like electrons in a tightly packed atom, you keep collideing against the same people so often that you even do away with the customary smile. But look beyond the façade and you’ll find another dimension to kodai.

It’ ideal if you have your own vehicle, otherwise a taxi ride or hired bicycles are good options to explore kodai. If you have the luxury of time, walking unfolds the beauty of kodai at a more leisurely pace. To a bird watcher, the region offers many species like the kodai white bellied short wing.

The nature trail No sightseeing tour of kodai can commence withour of customary amble.

Evening stroll along Coaker’s Walk down Coaker’s Walk (entry fee Rs 5), a strip of paved road on the steep south eastern mountainside. Equipped with an observatory, the 1-km walk offers great views. Just opposite, there’s Bryant Park a botanical garden set up by a British forest officer. The road meanders past Green Vally View Point and winds 7 km to kodai’s most popular attraction, Pillar Rocks a 400-ft high vertical column of three rocks. Kodai’s most popular waterfall is Silver Cascade, 7 km outside town, formed by the backwaters of kodai Lake. Also check out Bambar, Glen and Fairy Falls, Bear Shola Falls.

Gretting High

The Kurinji Andavar Temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan. Kurinji is Tamil for hilly region and andavar god hence murugan is the god of the hills. The purple blue flowers of the kurinji carpet the slopes of the temple which offers spectacular views of Palani Hills the plains and Vaigai Dam. Another spectacular vantage point is Perumal Peak, 12 km from kodai and the highest peak in the kodai Hills at 7,874 ft the only legit way to get high.

Lakeside Attractions

A walk around kodai lake 5km takes about 45 minutes. The flat road is also an ideal cycling track. Boats are available in sighle double, pedal row shikara and half hourly hourly combinations and can be hired at nominal rates from the kodaikanal boat and rowing club and from the tourist department. Pony rides vary from Rs50 for a half round of the lake to Rs 100 for a full around.

Around Kodaikanal

Beri-Jam (23km) A beautiful reservoir amid dense forest of acacia and pine, Beri-jam is a protected area and can be reached after a scenic trek. The combined threat of wildlife and shroom pickers has resulted in regulated entry. You need written permission from the District Forest officer (DFO, Kodaikanal Division, Kodaikanal 624101, Tel: 240287 to visit.

Route from Bangalore NH7 to Dindigul via Hour, Dharmapuri and Salem, District hill road to Kodaikanal via Sembatti, Vattalakundu and Pannikadu.