My trip to Kodaikanal!!
My Trip to Kodaikanal!!!
Amidst the wake of Corona, hope each one of you is keeping safe and taking good care of yourself and your family by staying indoors.
It’s been a long time since I, have been thinking to pen down my travel stories but frankly speaking in the busy schedule, I have never got the scope to do so.
Today I am going to share a blissful experience of My Trip to Kodaikanal – “The Princess of Hill Stations”. Kodaikanal is a city in the hills of the Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
My husband is a photographer both by passion and profession, so the picture courtesies goes to him. He is my motivation for penning down my thoughts….
One fine evening while I was booking my tickets to visit a city in South India for my family’s health check-up, I noticed that I was getting a spare day, there were no fixed appointments for the day as the hospital would remain closed.
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Kodaikanal CityPlanning the trip to Kodaikanal.... |
I kept thinking of a plan to get some relaxation, thousands of things came to my mind and I was not sure of what to do, suddenly something stroke my mind – Why not I plan a day's Trip to Kodaikanal!
As soon as I shared my thought with my husband, he didn’t agree and said it would not be possible and will be too hectic.
I said “I admit it will be hectic, but it will help us refresh our minds, so let’s give it a try!!”.
Let me tell you…we didn’t have any hotel bookings as we didn’t have any other day in hand.
Experience from my trip to Kodaikanal...
Finally the day came when we started our trip, boarded the train at around 08:30 P.M from Katpadi Junction which was supposed to reach Kodaikanal road next day early morning at around 05:00 am.
We called our guide as soon as we boarded the train so that he can send the driver to pick us up from Kodaikanal Road station next morning.
The mobile alarm rang, it was 04:45 A.M when we woke up and were eager to embrace the beautiful morning.
The faint chirping of the birds, the gentle cool breeze, the beautiful dawn full of beauty and magic, filled with the promise of a new beginning for the day.
Our driver was so punctual and was so devoted to his service called us before we could have given a ring….Finally we boarded the cab and started our day….
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| Way to Kodaikanal (This picture was captured in our mobile phone while we were going upward the hill… so it has become a bit hazy…please bear with us for the same). |
It seemed as if painted in hue of orange and blue, teamed up with the golden rays of the emerging sun the sky was standing inviting us to move up the hills..
On our way up the hills, we grabbed our breakfast and an amazing morning cup of special filter Tea/Coffee at a roadside restaurant guided by our driver.
Places visited in the trip to Kodaikanal...
The fine cool breeze and fresh air was a refreshment to our body and soul…
We stopped to visit the “Silver Cascade falls” – around 8 kilometres from Kodaikanal at a wide bend in the long and winding Laws Ghat Road, at an altitude 1,800 metres (5,900 ft), a 55-metre (180 ft) waterfall formed from the outflow of Kodaikanal Lake.
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| Silver Cascade Falls, Kodaikanal |
The roaring sound of the serene falls and the glittering sun rays spreading its various hues of shiny silvers and golds just Made our day in one word.
There were a few souvenir stores and fruit vendors and the amazing part Many monkeys were here. We took some pictures and then again started for our next spot.
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| A monkey munching chocolates, Kodaikanal |
Our next halt - Coaker’s walk, named after Lieutenant Coaker who in the year 1872, cut the steep south east facing side of the ridge to create a walkway for people. Coaker’s walk is around 1 Kilometre (0.6 miles) and as the name suggests, is a long walk around the edge of the valley. We had a great time walking through the walkway which was covered with fog amidst the beautiful chirping of birds all around.
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| Coaker's Walk in the Morning, Kodaikanal |
You need to buy a ticket (entry fee is very nominal – if I remember correctly it was around Rs 10) and take a leisurely stroll while admiring the natural beauty.There is a telescope station at the other end of the walkway which gives an uninterrupted view of the valley – you need to spend few extra bucks to access the telescope station.
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| Telescope Station inside Coaker's Walk, Kodaikanal |
All along the walkway you will find a number of neatly laid benches where one can sit and spend their time watching the hide and seek of the fog and the clouds. Though we were not enough lucky but on a bright sunny day you can see the Dolphin’s nose in the South and the valley of the Pambar River in the South-east.
Since we reached pretty early, there were a very few people around us. The valley was almost invisible as fog had reduced the visibility.
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| View from Coaker's Walk, Kodaikanal |
After that, we passed across the Golf Course to our next destination – The Moir Point – one of the most significant viewpoints present in Kodaikanal. The place is named after Sir Thomas Moir who started constructing the Goschen Road in 1929 CE. There is a monument which mentions this and stands on the road joining the Kodaikanal-Berijam Lake.
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| The Moir Point, Kodaikanal |
Next The Pillar Rocks --- set of three giant rock pillars which stand 122 metres (400 ft) high. They stand as an untouched miracle for the tourists visiting Kodaikanal. You can come here, sit and relax to soothe your eyes over the high hill ranges and clear skies. There is also a garden with plants blooming in a riot of colours.
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| The Pillar Rocks, Kodaikanal |
In close proximity to the pillar rock garden, one can find the astounding and stunning views of the Silent Valley.
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| The Silent Valley, Kodaikanal |
Don’t forget to grab the delicious Onion/Potato bhajjis sold at the local shops and the sour local pear like fruits..Sorry for the bad description as I am not aware of the name of the fruit.
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| Local Shops Selling Variety Of Items, Kodaikanal |
Our next destination, “Devil’s Kitchen” – which is locally called as the Guna caves(after Kamal Hassan, one of the legends of Tamil Cinema chose this place to depict a kidnapping plot in the movie “Guna” in early 1990’s) is one of the mysterious tourist attractions in Kodaikanal that promises an enthralling experience.
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| Way To Guna Caves, Kodaikanal |
The caves are bat-infested and are formed by the imposing boulders which are very slippery, these caves are actually caverns formed between the three boulders of the mountain...
The entry fee was possibly Rs 5/-.
We made our way towards the Dolphin’s nose. Dolphin nose offers an uninterrupted panoramic view of the valley. The shape of the rock resembles the nose of a Dolphin and thus is called as the “Dolphin’s nose” though we were not lucky enough to get a clear view due to the fog.
Amidst the pine forest, where we were getting very less amount of our mobile towers, we reached the Green Valley view point so called Suicide Point of Kodaikanal because of its dangerous valley dense and deep. It offers a breathtaking view of the plains, deep valleys and hills.
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| Dense and Deep Forest, Kodaikanal |
On the way to the point, there are several shops which offer homemade chocolates, ornaments and a wide range of flowers. We got some yummy chocolates for home.
Next we went to Pambar falls - also known as the 'Grand Cascade' is formed by the town reservoir flowing towards the south and forming the Fairy Falls which further continue to join the Vaigai River. A zig-zag stream flows down the Pambar Ravine which falls over some slippery rocks during its twisty course. A pond-like formation is formed at the bottom which is perfect for bathing as well as swimming, and as you go downstream, you will witness three to four more adjacent falls.
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| Pambar Falls, Kodaikanal |
We did wet our feet in the cold water and it was so pleasant that I can't explain.
Following which, we reached the Upper Lake view point - the panoramic view of the scenic location allows a contrast of the lake against the sullen green of the surrounding hills.
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| Upper Kodai Lake View Point, Kodaikanal |
A visit to this place is recommended for spending a few lazy moments, take a deep breath in fresh air, enjoy the serenity and peace that the site has to offer, and click beautiful pictures of the surrounding.
Post which, we drove down towards the Kodaikanal Lake – also known as the Kodai Lake. It is a star shaped lake and is created artificially. It has been an ideal location for shooting movies.
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| Kodai Lake Before Sunset, Kodaikanal |
There are quite a few things one can do – Boating, Fishing, Horse riding, cycling, enjoying the gorgeous flower shows and many more. But we thought to enjoy the view of the lake by taking a stroll around it and it was the perfect endeavor to go for; post which we started our return journey..
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| Boating In Kodai Lake, Kodaikanal |
I know its been quite a long story but I couldn’t make it shorter than this.
A trip to Kodaikanal can be an ideal getaway for anyone planning a very short trip, it would have been better for us if we would have got the chance to spend a night amidst the pleasant weather and the ecstatic valley.
So don’t wait…plan a trip to this wonderful place. I am sure you will love the experience and make memories for lifetime as we did…
Keep yourself tuned to my future posts on Short Stories from My Diary
Don’t forget to like and provide your views on how interesting you found it to be...
Till then stay safe, keep smiling and bring a smile to others and Keep supporting me...
Don’t forget to like and provide your views on how interesting you found it to be...
Till then stay safe, keep smiling and bring a smile to others and Keep supporting me...
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