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-   -   KODAIKANAL- Princess Hills in Summer 2010. (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travelogues/80105-kodaikanal-princess-hills-summer-2010-a-2.html)

Thanks! addyhemmige & ravi.
Through this travelouge i want to bring back sweet memories of those who have already visited & inspire those who want to visit kodai.
Sree

Nice start to your travelogue, Sree. It rained very heavily when we went to Bryant's Park and Coaker's Walk, during our visit last year. Your pics bring back nostalgic memories. Which camera do you have? :)

Nice to see the ghat section between Palani and Kodai. We drove through that section after 3am, in pitch darkness and heavy fog with some chicken trucks for company! :D

Awaiting the next part!

2nd Day of the trip:
Cuckoo! Cuckoo! the natural alarm of the birds woke us up @6-00am. Got freshned & headed towards the backyard lawn of Villaretreat.
The lawn has lush green Grass, plants & wooden benches to sit.
One can have a bird's eye veiw of Kodai town & breath taking veiw of plains & mountains from here.
Back yard Lawn of Villaretreat



Ordered for the hot coffee from the resturant behind.
Enjoying Hot Kapi @ the edge of the lawn


The staff of villaretreat were kind enough to provide the days news paper @ the lawn.

Few snaps of flowers in the resort garden




A cutey bird

kids enjoying the morning weather

Aerial veiw of Kodai Town

I swear sipping hot coffee in the chilled weather, sitting on the wooden Bench edge & veiwing scenic beauty of Kodai in villaretreat is one of the memorable moment of the trip.clap:
After the above activities @ 7-30am jumped into the coakers walk which is beside our resort.
At 7-30am Coakers walk was empty & we walked freely taking snaps of the down hill.
Veiw of Coakers walk from our resort

Few Snaps taken from coakers walk






At Coakers walk there is a obsevatory Telescope to veiw the beauty, but @ 7-45am it was not open.
Villaretreat car park veiw caught from Coakers walk

Came back from the walk & had bath & rushed to Astoria veg for breakfast.

Thanks chevy. I use canon550D bought 3days before the trip.
Bad timing u drove the ghat section @ 3-00am & missed the beauty of the strecth.

After gulping Idlis, Dosas & Pongal got a call from the resort reception that our private vehicle along with the forest entry permission would arrive @11-30am. It was still 10-00am & 1.5hrs left thought of burning some calories. So headed for cycling 5kms around Kodai lake.
Hired 5 bicycles according to height & weight. Hire charges are 20/- per hour & saw different types of cycles suitable for gents, ladies & kids.
peddlers posing on the road(My Team)

winner of our team race

Kodai lake

Boat & Rowing club

It was 11-25am by the time last member finished the race & @ 11-40am the rented vehicle (Innova) came & the driver told we have to collect the permission pass at the forest checkpost.
So with the memories of cycling & the lake and dreaming about Berajim lake sat in the vehicle & the driver Zoomed to reach early.

What a great snap of the two kids boss. Really touching. And are you also like me? Asked as you woke up to cuckoo sounds at 6. Regular days, I don't get up even if a fire engine drives through my bedroom with all sirens blaring. But on a holiday, I'm ready near my car at 4 am!

Thanks! MX6
waking up early - Signs of a good Traveller.

A colorful flower with some editing

I opted not to drive my car to the Berajim lake since i didn't want to lose the veiwing of the nature while driving and also didn't want to waste time standing in the Q for about 2-3hrs for getting the forest entry permission.
Meanwhile the driver advised us to carry food for lunch since other than nature nothing is available.
So No
coffee/tea
king/wills(no polluters in my team)
idli/dosa
omlette/kababs
bisleri / pepsi
UB/scotch
Went to the rooms in the resort & loaded some packed food for lunch and left to the berajim lake.
Found this guy kissing the rocks

We rode about 8kms & reached the forest checkpost next to moris piont.
Forest check post gate

Got the permission to enter into the forest.
Rented Innova for the forest ride

The driver told us the distance from the check post to the berajim lake is about 15kms and i requested him to drive slowly. Some vehicles (both taxi & own) were showing their speed skills inside the forest roads.
On the way spotted a colorful forest big hen & it ran away so fast that i could not focus it.
Found eagle on a tree

Forest fire Watch tower

On the way to the lake there 4 veiw points.
Silent valley
cap valley
Upper lake veiw point
Herbal trees veiw point
from here one can have breath taking veiws of plains, mountains & green.
Upper lake veiw point

Berajim lake in the midst of thick green forest

A veiw from the silent valley

Herbal trees & plants & the mist

We reached the lake & the vehicle was parked under the tree shade. Carried all the food stuff. The driver requested (3times) us not to throw the empty plastic covers beside/in the lake.
Entering into the lake area

Berajim lake is a natural lake spread over an area of 24 hectares & is known for its pure water surrounded by lush green pine trees.
Near the lake the sky was very bright but the weather was cool & the cold breeze smelled fresh & pure.(In contrast to bangalore's polluted air)
few snaps of the lake



After a breif walk found a patch of grass to sit.

It was about 1-30pm & every one were hungry. So refuelled energy which was exhausted after morning biycle ride.
After energised it was photos session time.

Why did you distort 346? Some specific reason as not to disclose identity?
Was it a buffet breakfast?

Is this a special arrangement from Villa retreat or something that you arranged on your own? Pls enlighten us here.

@aargee,
No specific reasons was just playing with edit options.
@ astoria veg no buffet b/f it was shared between team members.
No. They arranged a travel agent to get the pass on behalf of us & along with the vehicle for few extra $$.
Actually the fees for the entry pass is only RS.300/- but they charged RS.1800/- for getting the pass, vehicle & the driver.

Pass fare = 300 per head, so four adults should be 300 X 4 = 1200; so the remaining 600 is for the car & the driver is it? But the car rental was for how many hours?

Few snaps around the lake
tem members on a fallen tree

lake & pine trees

kids trying to catch fishes in the lake

son posing for a snap

family balancing act

couple enjoying the romantic moments

Forest or lake - we can chat anywhere

team leader in sleep mode

youngest team member

A yellow patches grown on few trees

The lake premises gave us a nice picnic spot & so soon it was 3-00pm and the vehicle driver told us that we have to return to the forest check post by 3-30pm. The gates would close @3-30pm.
We left the place unwillingly & after few kms drive the weather suddenly changed and a mist covered the forest.
few misty snaps



Saw group monkeys on the parapet wall


Saw 3 bisons on the side of the ghat road


We were the last but one to exit the forest check post & the guard was hurrying to lock the gate. watched Moris memorial next to the check post.
one the way to the resort took the aerial veiw snap of the kodai lake.

the bright colors of the buildings spoiling the natural greens veiw

Reached the resort @ 4-45pm & checked into our rooms.
Ladies shopped wollen sweaters & shawls at the Tibetian shops association sitauted near the lake.
It was 6-30 pm & thought of driving upto Pillar rocks which is 7kms from the lake.
A snap of pillar rock @6-50pm

Came back from pillar rock & headed into this choclate factory located near to the astoria veg.

Choclate making machine

pouring liquid choclate mix into the moulds

adding flavoured syrup in between

after freezing, the hardened choclates being dropped from the mould

different varities of choclates arranged in shelves


The choclates tasted very good & costed RS.550/- per kg.
After purchasing the choclates headed to the resort.
Ordered for the dinner in the resturant @ villaretreat.
Even though the dinning hall was spacious but was painted in the evening for renovation.
Could not bear the smell of it so decided to have it together in a single room.

A colorful lanten in our room ceiling

A stiched snap

It was IPL3 time & then good night @10-30PM.

The entry fee for pass is charged per vehicle & not on persons.
1600-300 = 1300 for standing in the Q & getting the pass & for 5hrs of vehicle hire along with the driver.( about 50kms drive)
Hope this will clear the confusion.
sree70

Hey Sree!!

Very good pics. I havent been to Kodai yet. Will have to plan an outing now. Again, thanks for the cool pics.

Aha! Now I know :)

Same Same MX6 :thumbs up

I thought so. Not bad option at all.
We have went to the lake view before the checkpost trekking down. Now that option is not there since they built a wall there, and only possibility to enter is through the CP.

@Sree, once you finish the log shall I put a link to some logs and pictures?