A Roadtrip to Kodai

Here are some details you will find useful if you are planning to take a road trip to Kodai

Distance -
Bangalore to Kodaikanal clocks around 485 kms

Route Decription -
There are two routes with slight variations.
Route 1. Bangalore 43 Hosur 19 Sulagiri 29 Krishnagiri 25 Karimangalam 21 Dharmapuri 26 Toppur 23 Omalur 17 Salem 24 Rasipuram 50 Namakkal 37 Karur 29 Aravakkurichi 33 Vedasandur 23 Ottanchatram 23 Palani 74 Kodaikkanal

Route 2 - Bangalore - Dharmapuri - Madurai - Kodai Road (Here you got to be careful to take the right deviation to the Kodai ghat section else the road actually leads to Munnar)



The roads are motorable for most of the distance till one reaches the Madurai-Kodai road. Lots of development & new road constructions are taking place hence only a single side of the road is available. Night drives should be avoided due to heavy traffic of trucks, bad lights and lack of road space. The ghat section has several hairpin bends and there are constant reminders for drivers to be cautious, slow down and honk at the dangerous bends.

Best Time to Visit -

The tourist season begins from 1st April to 30th June, while it is off season from the 1st july to 31st March
However, its a good idea to visit during the second half of March for the weather remains cool, the tourist crowds are yet to arrive and one can get fantastic deals & service from the hotels.

Accomodation -
We did a little bit of exploring the hotels in Kodai. The best one of course is the Carlton but there are quite a many options available t osuit the pockets of all kind of traveler's.

We chose Hotel Hilltop Towers for a number of reasons. The rooms were decent, the hotel officials were courteous and quite helpful.The service and food was also pretty good and worth a mention. The hotel is located in the center of the town and hence easily accessible to all the different scenic spots. The hotel location is quite important because this is a town that sleeps early, so wrap up your sight seeing as quick as possible and don't you go hunting for some night life here.

This is a place I would'nt mind recommending to my friends. So here it is my friends:
Hilltop Towers, Club Road, Kodaikanal – 624101, Tele. : 04542- 3373532



Here are other options -
1. The Carlton
2. Hotel Valley View Inn
3. Hotel JS Heritage
4. Kodai Resort Hotel
5. Golden Park Inn

So what are the places to visit?...

There isn't much to see in Kodai but for the beautiful sceneries from different view points and for the famous Kurunji flower that blooms once on 12 years. Kodai is the idyllic place to rest one's soul, take in the natural beauty and experience time coming to a standstill. Yet I am listing a few places that one can visit

Kodai Lake or the Berinjam Lake - This is the first and centermost of all activities in kodai. Typical tourist spot with shikara boat rides, chug & pedal boats, pony rides, homemade chocolate stalls. The shikara boat ride surely has its plus points.


Kurinji Andavar Temple - A Lod Murugan temple built by a foreign lady who got converted to Hinduism and married an Indian and came to be called Lady Ramanathan. Quite an interesting tale over there. One can also see the Palani hills at a distance from this hill temple.

Kodai Observatory - Nothing much to explore here except for the beautiful walk inside this Indian Institute of Astrophysics center to a small house that has been converted into a muesuem of sorts. And no, you dont get to see the actual observatory unless you get special permission.

Coakers Walk - A lovely pedestrian path with breathtaking views of the surrounding hills.

Pillar Rock - Three vertical rocks of the height of 120 m stand parallel to one another. It is a very picturesque and romantic spot.

Other spots worth mentioning are - Silver Cascade Falls (which one cannot miss on the main road uphill towards kodai town), Devils Kitchen, Lake view Point etc.

ATM's did u say?
I found a SBI and a Union bank ATM's very near to the club raod. At a walkable distance, just across the petrol station.

Have a nice trip and do let me know your experience too.