Kerala Backwaters Escape
Destination
Kodaikanal is a small hill town in the Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu, set around a star-shaped lake at roughly 7,000 feet (2,130 m). It was founded in 1845 by American missionaries from Madurai, who wanted a cool place to escape summer fever on the plains, and British families followed soon after. That missionary past still shows. The town has a well-known international school, old stone churches, and cottages with gardens of roses and fuchsias. Indians often call it the "Princess of Hill Stations."
Compared with Ooty, Kodaikanal is smaller, greener, and more about walking than sightseeing. The main pleasures here are simple: a morning loop around Kodaikanal Lake, a stroll along Coaker's Walk as clouds rise out of the valley, a hike to a viewpoint over the plains, and a quiet evening with a cup of tea and homemade chocolate. The town center can be crowded on Indian holiday weekends, but most of the hills around it are open forest, pine plantation, and grassland where you will meet more birds than people.
For foreign travelers on a Tamil Nadu tour, Kodaikanal tourism fits neatly after Madurai, about four hours away by road. Two or three nights here make a restful pause between temple towns and the drive on to Munnar or Thekkady in Kerala. If your itinerary has felt hot and packed, this is where you slow down.
Kodaikanal Lake, Coaker's Walk, Bryant Park, Pillar Rocks, Guna Caves, Bear Shola Falls
October – June
Cool, mostly dry weather for walks and viewpoints
2 Days
Add 1 day for Poombarai and Mannavanur
Tamil, English
English spoken at hotels, cafés, and by guides
Kodaikanal is known for homemade chocolates, sold in small family-run shops around the lake and on the main bazaar street, along with fudges and candied fruit. The hills grow plums, pears, and avocados, and many shops sell local jams, preserves, and eucalyptus honey. Thanks to its international school and long expat history, the town has more good bakeries and cafés than you would expect, with fresh bread, cakes, pizzas, and sandwiches. Traditional South Indian meals, dosas, and hot parottas with curry are easy to find in the bazaar. On a cold evening, a bowl of hot soup from a roadside stall or a cup of filter coffee tastes especially good. Look for cheese made at small dairies in the hills, another legacy of the town's mixed community.
Shopping here is small and local. Look for homemade chocolates, eucalyptus oil, spices, coffee and tea from the surrounding estates, and fresh hill fruit jams. The Cottage Crafts Shop, run on a nonprofit basis to support local artisans, sells handmade textiles and crafts. Tibetan stalls near the lake sell woolen caps, sweaters, and shawls, handy if the evenings turn colder than you expected. Fresh produce markets in the bazaar sell flowers, plums, and pears in season.
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Kodaikanal
The heart of the town is Kodaikanal Lake, a man-made lake created in 1863 by Sir Vere Henry Levinge, then Collector of Madurai. It covers around 60 acres and is roughly 3 miles (5 km) around, with a paved road along the whole shore. Walking or cycling the loop in the early morning, before traffic builds, is one of the best things to do in Kodaikanal. Rowboats and pedal boats are available from the boat clubs, and ponies wait near the shore for short rides. In the evening, mist often settles on the water while the lights of the town come on along the hillside.
Coaker's Walk is a paved path of about half a mile (1 km) running along the edge of a steep slope just south of the lake. It was laid out in 1872 by Lieutenant Coaker, a British army engineer. On clear mornings you can look straight down into the valley and across the plains as far as Madurai, and sometimes see the tops of clouds below you. There is a small telescope house partway along. Go early, as the view often disappears into fog by late morning.
Just east of the lake, Bryant Park is a 20-acre botanical garden planned in 1908 by H.D. Bryant, a forest officer. It has well-kept lawns, a glasshouse, rose beds, old eucalyptus and other trees, and seasonal flower beds. Its annual flower show in May is part of the summer festival and draws big crowds. Outside festival time, it is a pleasant place to rest and watch local families picnic.
About 5 miles (8 km) from town, Pillar Rocks is a set of three huge granite columns that rise about 400 feet (122 m) straight out of the forested slope. The viewpoint is often wrapped in cloud that rolls in and out every few minutes, so the rocks seem to appear and vanish. Have a little patience and you will usually get a clear look. The road here also passes Green Valley View (once called Suicide Point), with steep views down toward the Vaigai dam area.
Near Pillar Rocks, Guna Caves are deep chasms between rock walls, partly hidden under tree roots. They became famous after the 1991 Tamil film Guna was shot here, and attention returned with the 2024 Malayalam hit Manjummel Boys, which is based on a real rescue at the site. After accidents in the past, the caves themselves are fenced off, and visitors see them from a walkway and viewing platform. The short forest walk through tall trees and twisted roots is atmospheric in its own right.
Between Pillar Rocks and the town, the Pine Forest is a plantation of tall pines started by the British forester H.D. Bryant around 1906. The trees grow in straight rows on a slope covered in pine needles, and on misty days the light here is soft and quiet. It is one of the most photographed spots in Kodaikanal and is especially lovely in the early morning before tour buses arrive.
A short walk through shola forest from the town leads to Bear Shola Falls, so named because bears are said to have come here to drink. The falls are seasonal, at their best during and right after the monsoon, roughly June to December, and can be little more than a trickle in dry months. Even so, the walk through the forest is pleasant at any time of year. Other waterfalls to look for include Silver Cascade, on the main ghat road about 5 miles (8 km) before town, which most visitors pass on their way in.
About 2 miles (3 km) from the lake, the Kurinji Andavar Temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan, the most popular deity in the Tamil hills. The temple is named after the kurinji flower (Strobilanthes kunthiana), a blue-purple shrub that covers the Palani and Nilgiri hills once every 12 years. From the temple grounds you get views toward the Palani hills and the Vaigai dam. Remove your shoes before entering, and dress modestly.
A trek of about 3 miles (5 km) from town leads to Dolphin's Nose, a flat rock that juts out over a sheer drop, with views down a deep valley. On the way you pass through Vattakanal, a small village known for its cafés and backpacker scene, and Vattakanal Falls. The path is steep and rocky in parts, so wear proper shoes and go with a local guide. It is one of the best short hikes around Kodaikanal.
Founded in 1899, the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory is one of the oldest solar observatories in the world and is still run by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. It was here in 1909 that John Evershed recorded the radial flow of gas in sunspots, now known as the Evershed effect. The site sits on the highest point near town. Public access is limited and changes, so check before you go; a small museum has sometimes been open to visitors on set days.
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Getting there
Kodaikanal is reached by road, with Madurai the usual gateway.
Madurai Airport, about 75 miles (120 km) away, roughly 4 hours by car, with flights from Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, and some international routes
Kodaikanal Road station, about 50 miles (80 km) away, roughly 2.5 hours by car, on the Chennai–Madurai line
About 4 hours from Madurai, 5 hours from Munnar, and 4 hours from Coimbatore via Palani
Tours that include Kodaikanal
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Kerala Backwaters Escape
Kerala Backwaters EscapeN.S. Rathore & Mrs. Omlata Rathore · Managing Director
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