Hills together with mountains ever proceed fascinating me. I ever proceed looking for a run a peril to move to some loma station together with pass some fourth dimension inwards the lap of nature, away from the hustle together with bustle of city. And the best role is, same is truthful for my married adult woman also.
In the course of written report of keeping my passion alive, I have traveled some of loma stations inwards due south Republic of Republic of India (like ooty, munnar, coonoor). But this is the get-go fourth dimension I am crafting my journeying inwards words : a journeying to Kodaikanal, my get-go blog.
As most of you lot volition hold out knowing that Kodaikanal is a city in the hills of the taluk division of the Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Its refer inwards the Tamil linguistic communication agency "The Gift of the Forest" .Kodaikanal is referred to every bit the "Princess of Hill stations."
Though I am proud possessor of a car, this fourth dimension I decided non to campaign but to rent a cab together with simply relish the journeying on the backseat alongside my wife, staring on panoramic views and scenery on the way which runs from Bangalore to Kodaikanal. Mostly you lot volition hold out travelling through NH7 together with NH44, which contains really exciting together with refreshing sentiment or so it. Road till Kodaikanl is inwards really expert status together with if you lot are a driving enthusiastic, definitely you volition relish each together with every fleck of your driving. Even the ghat department is non so unsafe alongside nigh no pilus pivot bend. So alongside regular driving science you lot tin hold out able to relish the driving.
Travel Plan:Our excogitation was to start early on forenoon on 29th Dec (which was Saturday),2012 together with over again came dorsum to Bangalore yesteryear eve of 1st January. 2013. So nosotros booked a cab for iv days.Since it was a twelvemonth terminate vacation season, at that spot were lots of rush for hotel booking together with most of expert hotels were getting full. So considering this nosotros had already booked our hotel long back. We booked a cottage inwards Kodai Resort for three days.
Route followed: Bangalore->Hosur->Krishnagiri-
Day 1 - Journey Start Day:
Finally our journeying for Kodaikanal started on 29th December, 2012 at 4:15 AM.We decided to start petty early on inwards the forenoon so that nosotros could attain Kodai every bit early on every bit possible together with pass most of our vacation fourth dimension inwards the hills.Hence nosotros had called cab at 4:00 AM inwards the morning. Cab reached our residence at Old Airport Road at 4:05 AM together with nosotros started from at that spot at 4:15 AM. , It was consummate black exterior together with urban inwardness roads were also empty. So our cab started zooming inside urban inwardness itself together with inwards no fourth dimension nosotros reached Karnataka-Tamilnadu boarder nigh Hosur where cab has to get got RTO permit. Here alone nosotros had to pay the get-go toll also. In this route you lot volition uncovering total vii tolls booth till Kodaikanal which volition toll you lot or so 300 i way.Include electronic city elevated freeway toll to it, together with it volition hold out a total of 8 together with total upwardly Rs xl more. If you lot are going yesteryear cab together with then RTO permit volition toll you lot an extra Rs 400.
Anyways afterwards taking RTO permit together with paying the get-go toll, nosotros over again started our journey. Road is so prissy that you lot tin easily campaign at a speed of 100-120 kmph together with that's what my cab driver was doing (but for private vehicle driver I volition advise to campaign at a speed inwards which they experience comfortable) . After or so 2 hours of campaign forenoon low-cal started spreading gradually together with nosotros were amazed yesteryear the enthralling sentiment of the highway. There were green fields on both side of road, minor hills together with nicely placed flowers on divider.
At 7:00 AM nosotros entered Salem. The driver wanted to get got some tea together with nosotros stopped inwards Salem urban inwardness for 10-15 mins. He quenched his thirst for tea. After that over again nosotros stared our journeying towards Kodai. Salem is or so 200 KM from Bangalore together with nosotros covered this distance inwards or so 2 hours together with 45 minutes (including the 20-25 minutes fourth dimension spent on RTO permit together with tolls). As nosotros kept moving ahead, nosotros were enjoying the prissy sentiment of highway. I couldn't confine myself from clicking some pictures of highway from high speeding car. Though due to speed of car, it was really hard to get got proper snaps (as my photographic goggle box camera is also a normal digital cam together with non some hi-fi SLR), but nonetheless was able to get got some view-able snaps which are posted below.
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We kept crossing dissimilar towns together with "Patti" (villages) which came into the way together with in conclusion reached to the route approaching Dindigul. Here you lot volition uncovering a flyover together with earlier starting of flyover a signboard volition hold out placed indicating Kodaikanal on left. Take the left to service road. After going some distance, get got correct to Vathaalgundu (at this house a sign board volition hold out placed indicating Dindigul iv KM).From this house till Vathalagundu,road repairing and widening go was inwards progress together with thence irksome together with careful driving was required inwards this stretch (of or so 10-15 KM). After Vathalagundu, i tin view an Indian Oil Petrol Pump on the correct side (here a board volition hold out placed indicating 'Dindigul 43 KM'). Take correct from here.
Now nosotros reached to a house where a board was placed indicating Kodaikanal 48 KM. From hither onward ghat route starts. As I had already indicated this ghat route is non so unsafe together with slow to drive. This total stretch of 48 KM is very scenic , total of greenery,valleys and sight of hills together with clouds hanging on top of hills. In betwixt you lot volition uncovering a release of H2O falls together with valley sentiment points, amid them the get-go volition hold out "Rat falls". You volition uncovering "Silver cascade fall" also on the way.
Finally nosotros reached to our resort - "Kodai resort" at 12:30 PM, it is really nigh to Kodaikanal rider vehicle halt (around 500 mtrs). Trip-meter was displaying a total distance 463 KM.Time taken for this journeying was or so 8 hours together with fifteen minutes including lots of toll stopping together with 2 breaks for tea together with breakfast.
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| main entrance of kodai resort |
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| garden sentiment of resort |
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| entry to my cottage |
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| bedroom |
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| view from resort |
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| camp fire |
After checking-in resort nosotros decided to get got luncheon inwards the eating spot of resort. After luncheon nosotros started exploring the resort. We took a walk inwards resort together with inwards its garden together with explored dissimilar facilities/amenities of resort which included game,library, store etc. After resort exploration, nosotros went to the Coaker's walk which was simply 150 mtrs away from our resort. Coaker's walk is a really famous tourist goal inwards Kodaikanal. It is 500 metres from the bus-stand, constructed yesteryear Lt.Coaker inwards 1872. It is a 1-kilometre paved pedestrian path running along the border of steep slopes on the southern side of Kodai. On a clear 24-hour interval i tin sentiment the deep valley and stunning panoramic sentiment of the plains. Entrance fee for walk is Rs v per soul together with Rs 10 for camera. We completed the total 1 Km of walk (one way) together with in conclusion nosotros settled ourselves on a bench placed on side of walkway from where i tin relish the panoramic view of valley, obviously together with towns. It was total cloudy 24-hour interval together with clouds were coming together with touching us.The valley was covered alongside layers of cloud together with naught was visible. After 15-20 mins clouds started moving away together with nosotros got a glimpse of the light-green valley. Here clouds kept playing cover together with seek. They were coming together with going. But it was a prissy experience to uncovering ourselves inwards betwixt the clouds. After spending 1 hr at that spot nosotros came dorsum to our resort for taking residuum together with enjoying the sentiment from our cottage's big drinking glass windows. At black nosotros had dinner inwards the resort itself together with and then nosotros took a walk inwards our resort's garden. In the ticker of the garden, at that spot was a house for campsite fire. Resort staffs brought woods for lighting campsite fire. They placed and assembled woods nicely but the Rain God was non inwards favor of campsite burn downwards that black together with it couldn't happen. Though it happened on the black of 30th together with 31st.
sentiment from Coaker's walk
Day 2 :
We had decided non to rush for numerous sight seeing. We rather wanted to pass time peacefully in the resort together with nearby places, spending plenty fourth dimension on each spot.So, nosotros had kept 24-hour interval 2 for visiting some selected places.We started or so 9:30 AM from our resort for sight seeing. Places visited on the 24-hour interval were:
Guna cave: Named afterwards Kamal Haasan painting Guna whose shooting was done here.It is a really deep cave alongside unsafe slopes. Area or so the cave is guarded with Fe grills.You tin teach the sentiment of cave from a distance only.I came to know that or so 40 accidental deaths get got happened at this house together with thence nether precautionary measures it has been guarded alongside grills. Be careful on slopes. From hither you lot tin teach a sentiment of valley also. Full path is covered alongside many parallel lines of long trees with many many hanging-jumping monkeys on the tree.
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| guna cave |
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| monkeys on the way of guna cave |
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| a hanging monkey on the way of guna cave |
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| way to guna cave |
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| way to guna cave |
Pillars stone : A prissy valley where 2 rocks are standing side-by-side together with volition give you lot a feeling of "Petronas Towers" of Malaysia. View of the valley is really prissy from this place. It was a really cloudy 24-hour interval together with afterwards a hold off of 15-20 mins nosotros were able to view the Pillars rock, which was covered nether clouds till then. Clouds were coming together with going, giving a cover together with seek sentiment of pillars rock.
Pillars rock
Green Valley view: Again this is a sentiment dot with excellent panoramic sentiment of the plains. There were lots of shops there, ranging from woolen wearing clothing to wood crafts to fruits. We bought some fruits together with few of wooden stuff.
Kodai lake: A big lake inwards betwixt the Kodai town. Rowboats and pedalos can hold out hired at the Kodaikanal Boat Club, The Carlton. Horses together with bicycles tin hold out hired beside the lake for brusk periods. The v kilometres path that skirts the periphery of this lovely lake is a favorite walk for the locals together with tourists alike. We preferred to create a consummate walk of v km on periphery of the lake together with enjoyed it a lot nether the influence of a really pleasant weather.
Kodai lake
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| path circular the lake |
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| path circular the lake |
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| shops or so lake |
On the way betwixt the to a higher house places, nosotros also visited some spots alongside prissy tall trees standing inwards rows. They were really expert spots for taking snaps.
After this nosotros came dorsum to our resort or so 2:30 PM together with had luncheon there. After luncheon nosotros used the gaming facility of resort together with played chess and carom. In the black nosotros enjoyed the campsite burn downwards for some fourth dimension earlier dinner.
Day 3:
It was a really pleasant morning, partially sunny together with partially cloudy alongside pleasant breeze. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 perfect fourth dimension to get got a gentle walk. And this is what nosotros decided. After breakfast nosotros went to the Bryant common ( a botanical garden or so 150 mtrs away from our resort). This is also i of the most sought afterwards tourist goal inwards Kodai. We did a total stretch walk inwards common together with few photograph shoots.We entered into the common from the gate which falls towards our resort(and Coaker's walk) together with nosotros came out from the gate which faces the lake.Yes, from lake side also you lot tin teach into into this park. Again nosotros spent 1 hr inwards walking or so the lake together with did some shopping inwards shops lining the periphery of the lake, preferably shop total alongside wood items (which was i of the most preferred shopping items for my wife).
Then nosotros came dorsum to our resort, had luncheon at that spot together with over again played carom. In eve nosotros went to Coaker's walk, enjoyed the overflowing of clouds in i lawsuit more. We spent some fourth dimension watching flying clouds together with the sentiment of town together with valley behind them. In the black at that spot was an effect organized inwards or so the campsite burn downwards inwards the resort, for saying goodbye to 2012 together with to welcome 2013.It was total of music, trip the low-cal fantastic together with some games.
Bryant park
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| view of urban inwardness from lake |
Day 4:
This was the 24-hour interval to say goodbye to Kodai together with to start for Bangalore. We decided to start or so 8:00 AM afterwards breakfast so that nosotros could attain Bangalore yesteryear 4:00 PM together with run into some friends on the black of 1st Jan. As planned afterwards breakfast nosotros started from Kodai at 8:15 AM. Again dorsum to domicile journeying alongside completely refreshed heed on the same breathtaking views of highway. Again couldn't refrain myself from taking some snaps of the highway.With all the tolls halt together with i suspension of xx mins, nosotros in conclusion reached dorsum to our domicile or so 3:50 PM.
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| view of highway |
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| view of highway |
This was the terminate of i to a greater extent than memorable together with amazing journey, total of fun together with enthrallment.
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| a tree covered nether mist |
Sight seeing suggestion:
There are many other places inwards Kodaikanal which nosotros didn't covered but tin hold out considered for sight seeing. Some preferred i includes:
Bear Shola Falls
Berijam Lake
Pine forests
Kodaikanal Solar Observatory
Kurinji Andavar Murugan temple
Other options for travelling:
Other than private vehicle or cab, you lot tin utilization buses or trains also for travelling to Kodaikanal from Bnagalore. You tin utilization individual rider vehicle services every bit good every bit solid spot down rider vehicle services similar KSRTC.
You tin get got a educate from Bangalore to Kodai road. Kodai route is the nearest station from Kodaikanal which is or so at a distance of 80KM. From Kodai route either you lot tin get got rider vehicle running to Kodaikanal or a taxi.
Other selection is to become to Madurai or Coimbatore from Bangalore yesteryear educate or flight. From at that spot you lot tin get got a cab or buses to Kodaikanal.
Food outlets on the way:
A2B (Anand Bhavan), Kamat, MacDonald - but all these earlier Salem, inwards betwixt Krishnagiri together with Salem. After Salem, nonetheless you lot tin uncovering various restaurants, may hold out non so famous refer but you lot tin teach decent food. Like nosotros tried inwards one.
***************************Wish you lot a prissy together with memorable trip*****************************