Kodaikanal

State – Tamil Nadu
Best To Travel – Any time except the late monsoons.
STD Code - 04542
Main Attraction – Coaker's Walk and Bryant Park.
Climate: Winter - Max17.3ºC, Min8.3ºC, Summer- Max 19.8ºC, Min 11.3 ºC

The kaleidoscopic and serene hill station of Kodaikanal is located amidst the folds of the verdant Pali hills. Set up as a sanatorium in 1845 by the American Madura Mission, Kodai holds a unique distinction as it happens to be the only hill station in India to be established by Americans. Kodaikanal is a maze of churches, hotels and not to forget home-made chocolates. However it is the Kurinji flower that can said to be the pride of this hill town as this flower blossoms once in 12 years. With her wooded slopes, mighty rocks, enhancing waterfalls and a beautiful lake, Kodaikanal has turned out to be more than a dream destination where beauty knows no limits.
Places Of Interest
Coaker's Walk – Coaker's Walk is a strip of paved road on the steep south eastern mountainside. It is also said that no sightseeing tour is complete without the customary amble down the 1 km Coaker's Walk. The pathway derieved its name from Lt.Coaker who took the initiative to prepare the map of Kodai.

Bryant Park – This beautifully landscaped botanical garden was set up by a British forest officer. The garden is adorned by colourful flowers and shady trees.

Green Valley View/ Suicide Point – This valley is more than 5000ft deep. The monkeys here are a major attraction. Earlier the place was called as a Suicide Point but later on was named as Green Valley to prevent people from being lured to commit suicides.

Kurinji Andavar Temple - The famous temple of Kurinji in Kodaikanal is dedicated to Lord Murugan or the brother of Lord Ganesha. Situated on the top of the hills, the temple can be seen from below and offers a great sight of the northern plains.

The Kodaikanal Lake – The Kodai Lake is a man made lake and is constructed in a star shaped form. Several adventurous sports are attached to this lake like boating and water racing. It is also known as the Berijam Lake.

Accommodation
There is no dearth of accommodation options in Kodaikanal. There are a number of good hotels here which provides a comfortable stay to the tourists coming from all the world. To mention a few are :

• Hotel Hilltop Towers
• Hotel Jaidevi Apartments
• Hotel Jewel
• Hotel Paradise Inn
• Sterling Holiday Resorts
• Carlton Hotel
• Sornam Apartments
• Streling Resorts

No Hunger Strike
The tasty food that the restaurants of Kodaikanal boasts of will certainly allow none of the visitors to sit back on a hunger strike ( reasons can be many for the strike)Some of the good restaurants are :

• Tava Restaurant
• Ahaar
• Silver Inn restaurant
• Tibetan Brothers Restaurant
• Chefmaster

Check IN – in Kodaikanal
By Road
Kodaikanal is connected by road with Chennai (520-km), Ooty (264-km), Trichy (197-km), Coimbatore (175-km), Kumili (160-km), and Madurai(120-km). Regular bus services are available from Madurai, Palani, Kodaikanal Road, Theni, Dindigul, Tiruchirapalli, Kumuli (Thekkady) and Coimbatore. Additional buses ply during the season. Taxis and vans are available for local transportation. There are no auto-rickshaws in Kodaikanal.
By Air
The nearest airport is at Madurai (120 km from Kodaikanal).
By Rail
The nearest railway stations are the Kodai Road Railway Station (80-km) and the Palani Railway Station (64-km).