About:

Kodaikanal is a town and hill station in Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is situated at an altitude of 2,225 m (7,300 ft) in the Palani hills of the Western Ghats. Kodaikanal was established in 1845 to serve as a refuge from the high temperatures and tropical diseases during the summer in the plains. It is a popular tourist destination and is referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" with much of the local economy is based on the hospitality industry serving tourism. As per the 2011 census, the city had a population of 36,501.

History: The earliest references to Kodaikanal and the Palani hills are found in Tamil Sangam literature. Tamil composition Kuṟuntokai, the second book of the anthology Ettuthokai, mentions the mountainous geographic region (thinai) of Kurinji. The region is associated with Hindu god Murugan and is described as a forest with lakes, waterfalls and trees like teak, bamboo and sandalwood.[4] The name of the region, Kurinji, derives from the name of the famous flower Kurinji found only in the hills and the occupants of the region were tribal people whose prime occupations were hunting, honey harvesting and millet cultivation.[5][6] The hills were populated by the Palaiyar tribal people.

Geography: The town sits on a plateau above the southern escarpment of the upper Palani Hills at 2,225 metres (7,300 ft), between the Parappar and Gundar valleys. These hills form the eastward spur of the Western Ghats on the western side of South India. It has an irregular basin as its heartland, the center of which is now Kodaikanal Lake. The lake is a man-made lake of circumference 5 kilometres (3.1 mi), formed by blocking three water streams in 1863. North of the town, high hills slope down into the villages and on the east, the hill slopes less abruptly into the lower Palani. A precipitous escarpment facing the Cumbum valley is on the south with a plateau leading to Manjampatti Valley in the Anamalai Hills in the west. There are many streams and waterfalls.

Best Time Visit: October to March

Transportation

Road:

Bangalore - 9 hr 28 min (464.4 km) via NH 44

Coimbatore - 4 hr 51 min (175.3 km) via Palani-Kodaikanal Rd

Madurai - 3 hr 15 min (115.6 km) via Laws Ghat Rd

Rail: The nearest major railway stations are at Ernakulam (126 km) and Aluva (110 km). Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus stand is walking distance from Aluva Railway Station, and buses are available for Munnar every hour. The Nearest functioning Railway station is at Udumalaipettai.

Air: Kodaikanal doesn't have an airport, so if you want to come here by air, then you will have to fly down to the nearest airport which is in Madurai, which is 120kms away, or Trichy which is 150kms away. Another airport that is often used to get to Kodaikanal is Coimbatore airport which is 175km away.

Kodaikanal Pick Up and Drop

• Accommodation in hotel for 02 nights.
• Breakfast complimentary.
• All taxes of hotels and vehicles.
• All sightseeing and transfer by Dzire AC/ similar.
• Toll, Parking, Driver Allowance, Fuel Charges.

• Monument Entrance fee at places.
• Personal expenses like shopping and Laundry.
• Travel Insurance.
• GST 05% extra on the total amount.
• Lunch & Dinner at all places.