Kodaikanal: The south Indian beauty

O no this is not to show you the south Indian actress photo gallery, this is where you see and get to know about the actual south Indian beauty, it is a place called Kodaikanal. So all you cheeky guys looking for something hot here, I am sorry to disappoint you all. It is a very cool place, nothing hot here, sorry!

I happen to visit this place on recent trip and was just bowled out by her sheer beauty. I never thought that there could be such a beautiful place in south India. The moment I entered the jungles of Kodaikanal on our first day of site seeing I became so excited (hyper-excited) that I almost started dancing. Don’t believe me? Tilt your eyes to the right!
South India is more close to equator and hence it is generally hot and humid. You will hardly experience winter here. Moreover being hundreds of miles away from Himalayas it is generally difficult to imagine that such a place could exist in this part of the country (at least this is how I imagined!). So if you are a nature lover like me then take it from me, if you ever visit the southern part of India do not miss this beauty, it is worth visiting.

Kodaikanal is a city in the hills of the taluk division of the Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Kodaikanal is referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations". It was established in 1845 as a refuge from the high temperatures and tropical diseases of the plains. Much of the local economy is based on the hospitality industry serving tourism. The town sits on a plateau above the southern escarpment of the upper Palni Hills at 2,133 meters (6,998 ft), between the Parappar and Gundar Valleys.(Wikipedia)

By air: Nearest airport are Coimbatore and Madurai which is 180 km (5 hours dirve) and 120 km (4 hours drive) respectively.
By train: Kodai road is the nearest railway station about 80 km from Kodaikanal. One can reach Kodai road by train from Bangalore and Chennai which are two nearest metros.
By road: We have various private and government bus service connecting Kodaikanal to all major towns and cities in south. It is about 480 km and 500 km from Bangalore and Chennai respectively.

The climate is pleasant throughout the year, but the best time to visit Kodaikanal is from April to June and from September to October but these will be also rush season and you have to plan your visit well in advance. We went in off season as we were not in the mood to be a part of the crowd.

My travel : If you are planning just to see the place and come back then I believe three days will be sufficient but if you are planning to spend some time there then it completely depends on you how long you want to stay there. For me it was just two days, starting from Chennai on Friday evening, visiting the places in and around the town on Saturday and Sunday and then starting back for Chennai on Sunday evening. However I will advice not to take any site seeing package that your hotel will generally arrange for you. The problem is you have to be part of the crowd all the time and the guide will be in a hurry showing you sites. Hence we booked a cab on our own and made the cab driver our guide; they are as good as those guides. Doing this we were able to be on our own and did what we wanted to! So let’s start the tour!

It is 21 km from Kodaikanal and is said to be the most beautiful lake in South India. It is at the old site of "Fort Hamilton", in the upper Palani hills. There was originally a swamp here known as the Berijam swamp. It was first discovered and reclaimed in 1864 by Colonel Douglas Hamilton of the British Army who proposed for the construction of military cantonment in the area. Development of the cantonment led to the development of the swamp to a beautiful lake.

The lake has very pure water and is the main source of water for a town called Periyakulam which is situated in the valley below Kodaikanal. Some people also claim that the water of this lake is of medicinal value. You are allowed to do fishing and go for boating too.

The lake is surrounded by pine forest where you can find world famous “magic mushrooms” in abundance but be careful before you decide to pick them up on your own because along with these magic mushrooms grows some very poisonous mushrooms too. Apart Kodaikanal these mushrooms grow only in England and Mexico.

The way to BerijamLake is an excellent trekking route. However one has to careful as the forest is home to wild animals like bison and leopard. It is advisable to walk in groups and not alone.
It is important to note that not everyone is allowed to enter the forest that leads to BerijamLake. Entry is restricted between 9.30 am to 5.00 pm and that too with proper entry permit from the forest department. One can even get permission to stay overnight but then you need the permission for that too (obviously!).

She is popular for the magnificent view she offers to the valley below and four Pillar rocks. The Pillar rocks are granite boulders which are seen standing vertically shoulder to shoulder and it is now a very famous tourist spot for many visitors. These rocks are measuring a height of about 400 feet from the ground.
Best thing that I liked about this place were the clouds, it will be cloudy and within a minute you will see everything crystal clear and this keeps happening throughout the day. It is yet another place where nature enthusiasts can spend hours enjoying charms of the place.

The Devil's Kitchen is found to be lying between Green Valley View and Pillar Rocks. Green valley view is also called the suicide point because of the 5000 feet steep fall it has. This is yet another beautiful place but it has been closed for the tourist for the time being. I too was not able to visit the site.

It is better for a tourist to seek the help of localities while visiting the Devil's Kitchen as they are fully aware of the place because it has very dangerous deep hidden ravine that looks like small dark gutters but are actually a deep fall. There are plenty of tourists who visit this place and is a must see spot for adventurous tourists.

Now this is for all trekkers. It’s about 8 km from the city. Need to walk about 3 km downhill to reach Dolphin’s nose. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes as you walk in the forest area. There is an old road after crossing Pambar Bridge. A rough curve rounds the hillside which leads to a point where a flat rock projects over an awful chasm of 6600 feet deep. This is Dolphins nose. The place where we have that pointed rock is not big and hence it cannot accommodate large crowd, so go at a time when it is less crowded. You will enjoy the place that way better. Be very careful when you walk to the tip of the nose and I would advice people who have phobia of height and children not to go to the tip.

I really liked this place; a neatly built 1km stretch of narrow road alongside the edge of mountain is a perfect place for a couple. I found it very romantic and it could be even more when the number of people around is less. It could also be a perfect place for morning walk. Far from the maddening crowd of the cities, the serene and calm surrounding of Coaker’s Walk fill the visitors with an intense sense of pleasure and satisfaction.
Coaker’s walk was constructed on the mountain slopes of southern side of Kodaikanal town which is about 1km. It has been named after Lt. Coaker who had discovered the beautiful place way back in the year of 1872 and had also prepared the map of Kodaikanal.

The Kodai Lake has immensely contributed to the beauty and attraction of the picturesque hill station of Kodaikanal. This lake was built in 1863 by Vera Levinge, a former District Collector of Madurai settled in Kodaikanal after his retirement. It is a star shaped artificially built lake over and area of 60 acres and has a circumference of about 5km which is paved by well built and maintained road. One can spend time here indulging in activities like fishing (you need permission), boating, horse riding and cycling. There is one more activity that one can do, checking out some real hot chicks! Yes I did that!

If you happen to visit this place then do not miss the home made chocolate of Kodaikanal. They are really good and come so cheap. Can you believe they range between Rs. 250 ($5) per kg to Rs. 500 ($10) per kg.

There are still more places that I could not visit due to time constrain. So the next time I go I will make sure to visit Bryant Park, KurinjiTemple, Flora & FaunaMuseum, SilverCascadeFalls and SubrahmanyaTemple.

I had just heard about this place but visiting it I understood why Kodaikanal is said to be the best place in south India. This is the best honeymoon spot in this part of the country and also a very good place to reenergize yourself. A break from the regular routine and into the arms of this south Indian beauty and the princess of hill station is always welcome.

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