Top Places to Visit in Kodaikanal - The Gift of Forest

Kodaikanal is a small hill station located in the Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu. Endowed with dense forest, woodlands, valley, Kurunji flower and waterfalls, this hill is a collaboration of all beautiful elements of nature. Nested amidst reserve forest, pine jungle, crystal water bodies and delicious vegetation, this hill station is famous among all kinds of travelers.

Kodaikanal became an important tourist attraction in the end of 19^th century and untildate; this eucalyptus-drenched hill station is attracting locals and international tourists alike.

Best Places to Visit in Kodaikanal

1. Kodaikanal lake
2. Pillar rock
3. Silver falls
4. Berijam Lake
5. Guna caves
6. Green Valley view point
7. Palani Hills
8. Solar observatory
9. College museum
10. Bryant park
11. Wax museum
12. KurunjiAndavar temple
13. Coaker’s walk
14. Bear Shola falls
15. Echo point
16. Silent valley
17. Caps valley
18. Pine tree forest

Apart from these attractions, a few interesting tourist destinations lie outside Kodaikanal and are must-visit.

1. Mannuvanur
2. Palani
3. Madurai
4. Dindigul

How to Reach Kodaikanal

Located at 7200 ft above average sea level, this spot has been a well-travelled destination since the late 19^th century. The nearest airport is located in Madurai, which is 120 km away. You can find frequent flight from many major cities to Madurai like Chennai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and others.

From the airport, you can find many road transportations to reach the hill station. The nearest towns to the hill station are Palani, Dindigul, Theni, Kumuli and others. You can find direct buses from Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Trichy and other important cities to Kodaikanal. The common route chosen by tourists is Madurai to Kodaikanal. This route covers 55 km in winding slope roads on the mountains. The winding roads on the hill does not have proper lighting. Drivers have to rely on reflectors for safety. Thus, it is recommended to ascend or descend before 6 in the evening.

Kodaikanal has a railway station in Kodaikanal Road, which is 80 km away from the hill station. The nearest busy railway station is Madurai. You can find many trains from Madurai, Trichy, Nagerkovil and others to Kodaikanal Road.

Best Time to Visit Kodaikanal

The hill enjoys subtropical climate throughout the year.

The summer starts in March and ends in May. Summers are colorful here. You can find all vegetation in bloom and easy buy fresh produce like carrot, radish, plum, custard apple, mountain garlic, mountain banana and others. If you are at luck, you can even spot Kurunji flowers that bloom once in 12 years. Summer is also the time for tourism festival where you can find many fairs and exhibitions taking place near famous tourist destinations.

Winter starts in September and ends in February. This is also the best time to visit the place, as the aesthetic value of the place will be still at prime beauty. The water bodies will be rich with water allowing boating or coracle facilities at many spots. You will not be able to spot any vegetation in bloom during this season. As the evening sets, the place becomes too misty making it harder to enjoy any activity. Winter is the honeymoon season of Kodaikanal.

Kodaikanal looks more pleasing during rainy season. The monsoon starts in July and ends in September. However, this is not the right time to visit the hill station, as many activities will be banned due to landslides and slippery routes. Even boating and coracle ride will be stoppedduring heavy rain. If you are a photo-enthusiast, you ought to visit Kodaikanal in monsoon.

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