Kodaikanal or Kodai, is a beautiful hill station on the Western Ghats, a UNESCO Heritage Site. There are a lot of tourist places in and around Kodaikanal. Kodai is known as the princess of hill stations. It is also an Indian Honeymoon Destination.
Panoramic view of Kodaikanal Lake and the surrounding town
Places of Tourist Interest in and around Kodaikanal
Kodaikanal Lake
Kodai Lake, a man-made lake made in the eighteenth century, is the major tourist attraction in Kodaikanal. It is spread over 60 acres of land in the city’s heart, a few hundred meters from the Kodaikanal Bus Stand. You have to come down (take the road which slopes downwards). There is a boathouse on the lakeside road near The Cartlon (in front of the boathouse), one of the leading hotels in Kodaikanal. They have a specially decorated honeymoon boat as part of their honeymoon packages.
Kodai is among the best Indian honeymoon destinations in India. Going for a boat ride at Kodai Lake, walking around the lake, which takes around one hour, horse riding on the lake road, etc, is the best way to enjoy the splendid beauty of Kodai Lake. You can hire a bicycle and go around the lake.
Once, while I was on a boat ride inside Kodai Lake, all of a sudden, it started to rain. Clouds looked as if they touched the lake waters!
Coaker’s Walk
Coaker’s Walk is another tourist place where you can go for a walk, walking on the paved pedestrian path along the steep slopes of the mountains. Coaker’s Walk is around half a kilometer from the Bus stand on the opposite side of Kodai Lake. You have to take the road which Goes Up at the junction when you come out of the Kodai bus stand. On a clear day, this path gives an excellent view of the valley and the Dolphin Nose, another tourist place. Periyapalam town, the nearest town in the valley, and Madurai, a city quite far off, can be seen from here. It is one of those sought-after honeymoon destinations at Kodaikanal.
Dolphin Nose
Dolphin Nose is a flat rock projecting at 2000 meters above sea level, eight kilometers from the Bus stand, and a local sightseeing package tour typically covers Dolphins Nose.
Pillar Rocks, Guna Caves alias Devil’s Kitchen
Pillar Rocks are three giant 400-meter-high rocks, around eight kilometers from the Kodaikanal bus stand. Guna Caves, or Devil’s Kitchen, is a group of bat-infected caves near Pillar rocks. Padma Shri Dr. Kamal Hassan acted in a Tamil movie titled “Guna”, which was shot here, hence the name Guna Caves. It is closed to the public.
Silver Cascade
Silver cascade waterfalls in Kodaikanal
Silver Cascade, a beautiful fall on your way uphills, at around eight kilometers from Kodaikanal city. You can stop there while going up or down the hills and enjoy the beauty of this fall.
Suicide Point or Green Valley View
Suicide Point, or Green Valley View, is another beautiful tourist spot at around five and a half kilometers from the Kodaikanal Bus stand, which is covered under the city site-seeing package tour. This spot gives an excellent view of the valley.
Bear Shola Falls
Bear Shola Falls is a beautiful fall deep inside the forest that needs one kilometer of trekking, reserved only for the adventurous.
Solar Observatory
Solar Observatory at Kodaikanal, situated at the highest point at Kodai, is another place worth visiting, about five kilometers from the Kodaikanal Bus stand.
Bryant Park
Bryant Park is a Botanical Garden and park very near the Kodai Bus Stand, half a kilometer away from the Bus stand. More than 700 varieties of the King of Flowers can be seen at Bryant Park. Around 325 species of other trees, shrubs, etc., are in the 20-acre park. Byrant Park is another sought-after honeymoon destination at Kodai. There is also a Bodhi tree. Note: Gautham Buddha used to sit and meditate under a Bodhi tree at Gaya, where he was enlightened, in the Odisha state of India.
Kurunji Andavar Murugan Temple
Kurunji Andavar Murugan Temple is situated four kilometers from Kodai City and is famous for the Kurunji flower, which blossoms once every 12 years.
Vattakanal Falls
Vattakanal Falls is another waterfall in Kodai. A little bit of trekking is required to go near the falls. During the summer season, these falls go dry. It is worth visiting the falls when there is water in the falls. Liril Falls is on the Golf Links Road. Fairy Falls is another small fall on the Fairy Falls Road, formed by the overflowing waters of a reservoir. These falls and the nearby areas offer a mesmerizing view of nature.
Christ the King Church Kodaikanal
Christ the King Church Kodaikanal was built in 1895. Christ King CSI Church is centrally located at about 400 meters distance from the Kodaikanal bus stand. It is at the junction of Club Road and the Noyce Road. Bryant Park is just 250 meters from this magnificent church built in Gothic-style architecture.
How Do I Go to Kodaikanal?
Kodaikanal is easily accessible by road from Madurai and Palani, two nearby famous temple towns in the Tamilnadu state of India. There are regular bus services, both government and private buses, connecting Kodaikanal with all major cities in South India.
Kodai Road is the nearest railway station to Kodaikanal. It takes around a two-hour drive from Kodai Road Railway Station to reach Kodaikanal City. Kodai Road is in between Thiiruchirapally (Trichy) and Madurai, after Trichy, and close to Madurai when you are coming from Chennai.
Kodai Road is on the National Highway Number 7, renumbered as NH 44 recently, connecting Varanasi in Utter Pradesh to Kanyakumari in Tamilnadu.
Madurai Airport is the nearest airport to Kodai. Madurai is famous for Meenakshi Amman Koil. Coimbatore is also not far off. The nearest major International airports are Chennai International Airport and Cochin International Airport at Nedumbrassery.
Kodaikanal Hotels and Kodaikanal Resorts
There are many hotels and resorts at Kodai. The Carlton and Sterling Resorts cater to high-end tourists. Hotels are centered mainly in and around the Kodaikanal Bus stand and the lake. Room rents double during the summer season at Kodaikanal.
Tip: During season time, room rent doubles at Kodai, which is also known as the princess of hill stations. On your first day and (or) the last day of your Kodaikanal trip, you may stay at any budget hotels or motels on the following roads. Trichy – Dindigul road NH 45 or Trichy – Madurai road NH 45B or Dindigul – Madurai road NH 7 or Theni – Madurai road NH 49. You can choose the road based on where you are coming from or returning. This avoids the high room rents in Kodaikanal resorts and Kodaikanal hotels.
Conclusion
Kodaikanal is one of the top honeymoon destinations in India. It is also one of the top getaway destinations.
When are you planning to go to Kodaikanal? Please leave your comments.