A hilly retreat established by American missionaries around 1845 in order to escape from the high temperatures of the plains, Kodaikanal, or Kodai as its better known, is a quiet hill station at an altitude of 2,195 m, on the southern ridge of the Palani hills in Tamil Nadu. It is popular amongst the locals as well as other tourists and has earned the nickname of Princess of Hill Stations.

It is the serenity and tranquility and greenery and the weather that make Kodai so special, so it can be best enjoyed if you stay for four to five days; relax, let go of all your steam and come back refreshed. Kodai Lake, Bryant Park, Coaker's Walk, Green Valley View, Shenbaganur Museum of Natural History, Pillar Rocks, Guna caves, Silver Cascade, Dolphin's Nose and Kurinji Andavar Murugan temple are the major tourist attractions in and around Kodaikanal.

Accommodation

Starting from expensive resorts like Sterling Resorts to private home stays are available at Kodaikanal.

How to get there?

Almost all distances from Kodaikanal are calculated with the lake as the central point of reference. The nearest airports are Madurai (135 kilometers), Trichy (200 kilometers) and Coimbatore(170 kilometers). The nearest Railway stations are Palani Railway Station (64 kilometers) north, Kodai Road Station (80 kilometers) south east and Dindigul Railway Junction (100 kilometers).

The 2 - 3 hours drive to Kodai via the steep and winding Ghat roads from Batlagundu or Palani would be a memorable experience. Travelers may stop at turnouts on the road and enjoy the scenic beauty of the Palani hills. There is a 28 km shortcut from Periyakulam to Kodaikanal via Kumbakarai under construction.