| My Kodaikanal Experience
Hi Friends,
I am back after my trip to Kodai last weekend. Thank you all for all the valuable inputs. Here is my experience......
I started from Bangalore on Thursday morning, 25/10/07 (around 7 am), with my wife and 8-year-old son in my Maruti 800 (5 speed). Breakfast at Hosur Meenakshi Bhavan was average. It started to rain after Dharmapuri but cleared soon. By 1:30 PM, I reached Namakkal and had lunch there (average lunch, do not remember the hotel name). I took a diversion after Karur towards Dharapuram and reached Palani by 5 PM. Though a two lane, the road from Karur to Dharapuram is very good. Around 400 kms from Bangalore to Palani, consumed 1/2 tank of extra premium petrol.
If at all anybody stays in Palani, do not take a room in the City (very dirty city and too much of pollution); instead take a room near the temple itself - very calm and good atmosphere. I stayed at Hotel Tamilnadu near the temple which was not bad for Rs. 290 including tax. I also tried temple's rooms which were stinking, so decided to stay at Hotel Tamilnadu. Also, beware of those who approach you for each and everything from parking space to getting you a room; just don't entertain them. Parking is free around the temple, but I paid Rs.30 as toll charges just before entering the temple, but not sure if it is legal or if I was cheated.
The next day morning, Friday, we started to Kodai which is around 65 kms from Palani. This route is very scenic and I feel whoever visits Kodai should take this route; you will definitely enjoy (i came by the other route on my return from Kodai - Batalgundu-Dindigul - which was nothing when compared to this route). We reached Kodai around 12:30 pm, checked in at New Gold Nest, and immediately left to the Lake. We went for a bicycle ride around the lake and then had Lunch at Meenakshi Bhavan which is just opposite to the Lake and the food is good here. We hired a guide from the Lake and covered most of the places like Silent Valley, Pine Forest, 500-year-old tree, Pillar Rock, Coaker's Walk, Suicide Point, upper lake view, and came back to Meenakshi Bhavan for dinner and then settled down in the room.
The next morning, Saturday, after finishing our breakfast at Gold Nest, visited Kurunji Andavar temple, Chettiar park, and Bryant Park. It started to rain when we were in Bryant Park and we went back again to Meenakshi Bhavan for lunch. After finishing our lunch, we headed straight to the Museum and from there we went back to our room and had dinner there.
Sunday morning, by around 8 a.m., we started our journey back to Bangalore. Just a few kilometers from Kodai, adjacent to the Silver Cascade falls, there are many road-side stalls where we had our breakfast, very good idli and vada, bought home-made chocolates and started our journey back. We could see one huge falls and a dam while coming down the ghat, nothing more than that, and that is when I felt that I should have taken the Palani route while returning also. We reached Selam by 2:30 pm and went into the city instead of taking the bypass just for lunch at Saravana Bhavan opposite to the New Bus Stand, had good lunch and continued our journey back after filling fuel at selam. After doing some cracker shoping at Hosur (75% discount on Standard Fireworks) (90% discount on Supreme Fireworks-which i did not buy-bought Standard), we reached home, K.R. Puram, around 8:30 pm.
Fuel Consumption:
Full Tank (Indiranagar)- Rs. 1000 (already had 40% in the tank) - Extra Premium (52.something per liter)
Kodai - Rs. 500 extra premium (Rs. 49.25 per liter)
Selam - Rs. 800 extra premium (Rs. 48.55 per liter)
Total fuel expense of Rs. 2300 for around 1050 kilometers. (Around 50 kilometers is Kodai local trip)
PS: It is a general myth that Kodai should be visited during summer, but I thoroughly enjoyed the mist during this season which I had never experienced in my life - something you had seen just 5 mins before becomes completely invisible withing no time and that is real Kodai experience. | 
1st November 2007, 09:13
