English-speaking countries Over two billion people speak

How i spent the holiday

The quote reminds me of this hill station which I visited several months back with my family. Also known as the "Princess of Hill Stations", Kodaikanal is situated in the hills of the Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is easily reachable via Bangalore / Chennai through train or bus. I preferred traveling through train since I feel it is a safer option over the bus when you travel with family.  Moreover, you will skip the road traffic or any rainy season inconveniences. The train tickets are usually between 700-1000 INR per person one way and need to be booked in advance which can be done through IRCTC website.

When you arrive by train, you will get down at Kodaikanal Road station which is approx. 75 kms away from Kodaikanal. Let me tell you why it's worth spending extra bucks to go from the station to the hill top. The hill station is at a height of 6,998 feet. The entire road trip takes around 1.5 hours and you will pass through this amazing scenery along the way which will scare you & excite you at the same time.

Along the way, we stopped at one place to have some tea while enjoying the view. We booked the cab through kodaicabs for the 75 kms journey and it cost us 2000 INR one way for 4 people. Since Kodaikanal has become popular among tourists, there is no scarcity of accommodation. The preferable place in Kodaikanal to stay is near the Kodailake where the prices are quite steep. We were okay to book a little farther to stay away from the crowd and it was frankly the best deal we got for 4 people.

Generally, MakeMyTrip.com and Booking.com are the best options out there. However, many accommodations are also available in AirBnB to get you into the homely vibe.

How many times have you guys been over your head again & again, re-checked your plans thoroughly in order to avoid any panicky situation later? Join the league. Being obsessed with planning & scheduling, you can imagine how I felt when I realized that it's just not going to work in Kodai. Jeez!! I was stupefied when it dawned on me. Kodai did not have much of public transport and you have to book a car to get from point A to B. Additionally, there will be NO taxis/cabs which will charge you 100 bucks for 3 kms. The updated price as of 2019 is 200 INR. I summed up the amount required for the trip based on the previous blogs and my entire plan went into dust.

Thus, we stayed in a hotel for 3 days and enjoyed the view from inside.

Choose one package per day but choose wisely. For example, on our second day, we chose a village tour which covered Mannavanur and some temples (almost 8 hours of travel) and it cost 2500 RS (excluding entry tickets). I would still say it was worth because you will not really feel tired. Also, it will be safe with a experienced & friendly driver. After all, one has to choose convenience over money when it comes to traveling with your family.

Group:

C11-20