Top 5 places in Kodaikanal: The Princess of Hills

The Top 5 places in Kodaikanal are tourist destinations which encompass places close to nature like Mannavanur lake, scenic viewpoints, solar observatory for the scientifically inclined and historical caves with age old tree roots covering the landscape. I have chosen these places to see in Kodaikanal, keeping in mind the paucity of time we have when traveling with families and the interest of all members.

This post covers

• Mannavanur Lake
• Poombarai Village View
• Guna Caves
• Pillar Rock
• Kodaikanal Solar Observatory

If Ooty is the queen of hills, Kodaikanal is known as the Princess of Hills. Less commercialised than Ooty (read here for must have experiences in Ooty) and more quaint too, Kodaikanal is an eco tourism destination as well as a backpackers paradise. Nestled in the Blue Mountains a.k.a. the Nilgiris, Kodaikanal offers a refreshing breath of air to people like us coming from arid deserts. That’s why the places to see in Kodaikanal are much more closer to nature than others.

It is easily accessible from Coimbatore, Madurai and Munnar. Kodaikanal is also one of the places in Nilgiris associated with blooming of the NilKurinji: the blue flower which blooms every 12 years lending its name to this part of the Western Ghats (Nilgiris). 2018 (this year) is the 12th year which will see the blooming in the months of Apr – June.

MANNAVANUR LAKE

An abode of peace and tranquility, this is a must do if you have time to spare in Kodaikanal. It is 1.5hr drive and you will not find too many people headed in that direction. That gave us some comfort and discomfort at the same time. We like to visit places which are quaint and at the same time it should be worth all the driving time and effort. Mannavanur was completely worth both the time and effort.

Trip time:

Due to the driving distance, plan for a 4.5hr trip during which time the whole family is bound to get hungry. Best is to pack a picnic, carry some snacks and juices.There are rolling grass slopes which offer a perfect picnic spot too. To know more about the recommended restaurants in Kodaikanal, take a look at this post.

Driving Conditions:
The road to the lake is mostly a smooth drive with the exception of an occasional pothole stretch. Running through the pine forests, the drive is as refreshing and close to nature as the lake with a pine wood fragrance throughout the journey.

The lake itself:
It isn’t a large lake and not a major tourist attraction either due to its distance from Kodaikanal. The lake is surrounded by the Nilgiris on all sides and is quite picturesque.The place is fantastic to just relax, soak in the scenery and listen to the sounds of nature like the wind rustling through the forest and the lake water ripples lapping against the coracle.

Activities:
There are a whole host of activities in which the whole family can take part: ATV riding, Coracle (a traditional round boat in South India) boat ride, kayak ride, trekking (these are relatively simple treks) and of course photography of and in the lap of nature.

The ATV ride was for both adults and children where children could do it with the trained adult (guide). It was priced at 300 per ride, wherein the ride was just about a 10-15minute ride covering about 750mts to 1km. A bit steep but when compared with similar activities outside of India, it didn’t seem that expensive.

We did not check the price of Kayak. Coracle ride was at Rs 75 per head excluding the children below 5. Again a little steep but not in comparison to a similar experience outside. It is a 10minute ride along the lake and its rowed by the people providing the service. A self rowing option is not available in coracle, although just for experience and fun you can request it along with the guide sitting in the coracle with you.

POOMBARAI VILLAGE VIEW
Enroute to Mannavanur lake, with a very slight detour, there are vantage points which offer a scintilating view of Poombarai Village. Probably years ago, it would have been a small settlement of just about 50-60 families which has extended well into the step farmlands surrounding it. Although, it still is a beautiful sight, it isn’t the same as some of the older pictures.

While the Poombarai village itself may not be amongst the places to see in Kodaikanal, this vantage point surely is.

GUNA CAVES

Trip time:
The driving time is around 45minutes from the city center and expect to spend about 30 minutes to 45 minutes at the caves (including the walking time from parking upto the caves).

Driving to Guna Caves:
Roads are quite good throughout except the initial part which has a few potholes.
This is one place where Google maps tricked us. There are 2 gates to this place and only one of them is the entrance one, so if you’re driving yourself, choose the one that goes via the Observatory road. That will take you straight to the entrance gate and as you move forward after seeing the caves you will automatically be heading to the exit gate. Most of the people on the road would be able to correctly navigate, however not worth taking a chance.

The caves:
You wouldn’t regret driving all the way to see these caves. Although the caves have been closed after an incident of someone falling in the caves, the trees surrounding the caves are far more interesting. These trees are probably 1000s is years old and their roots spread over the entire area like a carpet (a very woody one though).

Parking is closely and you have to climb a long fleet of steps to reach the caves. The place is not stroller friendly and if the baby is not in a baby carrier, you should be very careful and watch your steps. It isn’t really a dangerous fall rather being careful against minor slips or trips,
Next to the parking there are many a street vendors selling everything from local chips packets, mineral water, local juices, seasonal fruits (raw mangoes and cucumbers when we went).

PILLAR ROCK
The vantage point of Pillar rock is next to the Guna caves and for all practical purposes it is almost a part of the Guna caves.

SOLAR OBSERVATORY
It is a part of Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
If you are traveling with children, this could be a good break from just the scenic beauty of Nilgiris. I tried to make it even more meaningful and interesting for my daughter by giving her a scavenger hunt around solar system.