A trip to Kodaikanal – Weekend Getaway from Bangalore

Some trips are very memorable and you keep them close to your heart. Kodaikanal was one such trip.

My family was in Bangalore visiting me. One fine weekend, we decided to explore the surrounding destinations. We decided to visit Kodaikanal as it has beautiful landscapes and is less commercialized.

When we reached here, my family was elated. Kodaikanal is indeed a spectacular hill station, nestled in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. The literal meaning of “Kodaikanal” means “The Gift of forest“. This name is totally justified.

We stayed in Kodaikanal for 3 days and 2 nights. We visited some spectacular viewpoints during our stay.

To start the first day, we visited a beautiful church, known as La Saleth Church. It is an adorable church with beautiful architectural design.

After that, we visited the pine forest. The stalwart pine trees provided a great sense of being in nature’s lap. We spent a lot of time here clicking pictures and exploring the terrains. It was similar to getting lost in wilderness and losing the sense of direction. Wherever we looked, we saw the endless pine  forest. It was certainly majestic.

After we explored the pine forests, we decided to visit the Perumal peak. It took us 2 hours to reach the peak. It was not very hard to complete the trek because the weather was amazing and we continuously motivated each-other.

My grandmother was not in a position to tolerate the physical exertion. Hence, she had decided to stay back in the cab. But, my parents were very enthusiastic about the trek! It was great fun! When we reached the peak, we saw some breath-taking landscapes. The mist was very dense. When we were surrounded by the mist, overlooking the fantastic landscapes, it was no less than a magical experience.  After admiring nature’s beauty, we returned back to our cab parked at base of the peak.

After completing the trek, we returned back to our homestay which was basically a beautiful house owned by lovely landlords. Exhausted from the trek, we decided to sleep early.

The next morning, we woke up with full vigour to explore the remaining attractions. We started the day by visiting Chettiar park. It had some great collection of flowers & plants. The park was very well maintained and we explored it at leisure. After admiring the topiary, we proceeded towards the spectacular kodaikanal lake. Here, you can rent bicycles and explore the perimeter of the lake. You can also enjoy boating. As me and my brother cycled around the lake, my parents and grandmother visited the Satya Saibaba Ashram located near the lake.

We ended the day by visiting Croakers Walk, where we enjoyed some beautiful views of the valley.

We relaxed on the 3rd day as we had to head back to Bangalore that afternoon.

The trip to kodaikanal was really great! The best part was that my family was with me during this trip and together we had great fun. I returned back from the trip with optimism in life and admiration for nature. A relaxing trip with family had certainly rejuvenated me!