The Monsoon Traveler -
Hills of Kodaikanal

chillibreeze writer — Roopal Kewalya

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You have to be a rain-lover and a hill-lover to spend monsoons in a hill station. The green algae, slippery roads, dangers of landslide, and fear of being caught in the middle of an outpour on a chilly day are only some of the dampeners that people would recount if you so much as broach the topic of spending a monsoon in a hill station. That is precisely what happened with me. Nevertheless, I braved myself, rejected all advice from friends and one fine morning in mid-July I landed at Kodai Road railway station, a distance of 80 km from the hills of Kodaikanal only to witness a bright sunny morning.

At Kodaikanal
Pleased with my decision and optimistic with the warm rays of the sun, I made my way to the Sterling Holiday Resort in the city. Once there, I was dying to get out and wander. There were lots of options like full day trekking and sightseeing but unfortunately everything was planned for the next day. That left me with half-a day and a full night to spend. I headed to the Kodai Lake. Before I could reach, I was stopped by a boatman who asked me if I wanted a ride. I jumped in without blinking twice and he actually took me for a ‘ride’. He charged Rs. 200 for the boat ride across the lake only to drop me at the lake front Boat Club where boats on hire were charging Rs. 30 only. What saved the day was the fact that the boat ride was actually fun. With the spread of Kodai Lake, the misty air and the colorful company of the boatman, I didn’t mind the expense.

Things to do in Kodaikanal
I have always felt that the best way to explore the hills is to cycle. That’s precisely what I did right after my lake sojourn. I rented a bicycle from the resort and cycled my way through little nooks and crannies towards the Kodai Lake and further beyond into the market. I was looking for an interesting place to eat and came across a small, quaint restaurant - the Punjabi Dhaba and had a hearty north-Indian meal in the heart of South-India. Back to my cycle after a late heavy lunch, I decided to get back to the resort and the crisp air took away the post-lunch drowsiness but a lesson was learnt. Never cycle after a heavy lunch.

The evening was spent looking at knick-knacks in the market and it was time for an early sleep to bed due to travel exhaustion, lots of cycling, a heavy drizzle outside (yes, the monsoons made a guest appearance) and very dimly-lit streets back to the resort. Next morning I woke up bright and fresh to get ready for my full-day trek. The first destination was Dolphin’s Nose which is actually a flat rock that overlooks a 6600-feet deep chasm and a breathtaking or rather breath-stopping view especially if you sit on the rock and look down into the deep valley. A long, winding hill up to the highest point provided great fun, beautiful valley views and a nature lover’s paradise. The looming mist added to the experience and even though it almost felt like less oxygen higher up, I reached safely with the other tourists and a tourist guide provided by the resort.

Pambar Falls
Next stop was Pambar Falls which seemed to emerge out of nowhere in the midst of a rocky terrain and slippery stones. A refreshing sight of the water fall revived me from the long trek although since it was just the beginning of monsoon, the density of water was not as great as expected. Nevertheless, it was fun clicking pictures there and at a stop nearby which was supposed to be a lion’s cave. This had taken practically half the day and then we headed towards the Pine Forest. On the way, we saw a 500-year old tree, the Moier’s Point memorial and after a long drive saw the beautiful, serene and really tall pine trees. A popular shoot location for a lot of Bollywood and Tollywood cinema, the pine forest was an absolute delight. Almost like a wandering labyrinth, the forest made all tourists gasp at the sight of abundant nature away from the city blues.

Even though we didn’t feel like it, it was time to go back to the resort. Once there, the aching limbs found respite with the hot Kerala massage offered by the resort and a steam bath right after that. Refreshed with the massage, I made my way to the recreation room where the resort management had planned a Tambola night for all its guests followed by a lovely crisp south Indian meal of dosas and hot sambhar. It was a perfect end to an absolutely delightful day although I wish I had won something at the Tambola night. Next morning was the half-day trek but the warm sun like the previous day eluded us throughout. The clouds had gathered menacingly and had all intention to pour. We headed out to various places like the Suicide Point, the Upper Lake View, Devil’s Kitchen, also known as the Guna Cave and did quite a bit of shopping from the market leading up to the suicide point or the Green Valley View.

Coaker’s Walk and Pillar Rocks
The must-buys from Kodaikanal are lip-smacking home-made chocolates and of course the medicinal eucalyptus oil, bottles and bottles of it to keep you warm in the cold winters. However, two strikingly vivid memories of the day that remain are those of the Coaker’s Walk and the Pillar Rocks. The Coaker’s Walk is actually a kilometer-long narrow pedestrian path paved out along the edge of a steep valley and provides a splendid view of the slopes below. However, thanks to the heavy mist, there was no view although the walk was one to remember. I enjoyed shooting at the little balloons to sharpen my aim and got better at it the fifth time but had to give in after that to an excited bunch of kids waiting for me to finish. A cone of ice-cream in the cool weather at the end of the walk was a refreshing delight.

Another magical site was that of the Pillar Rocks. Named after Pillayar (Lord Ganesha in the local language Tamil), these are massive granite rocks standing shoulder-to-shoulder. The heavy mist that I had been cursing since morning actually worked its magic at this site. When a huge throng of crowd gathered to watch the rocks, there was nothing to be seen. Just as people almost lost their patience, the mist cleared away for a bit and from beneath it emerged the Lord Ganesha-resembling rocks almost as if the deity had made his appearance. It was a moment and it is for moments like these that one loves to travel. It was time to head back to the resort as I had an evening train to catch from Kodai road to Bangalore and the cab was waiting for me right outside the resort.

I packed my stuff and as I set out the monsoon in Kodaikanal decided to make its entry and in a way that I will never forget. The clouds came hammering down and I was almost scared to look out of the cab because nothing could be seen in the torrential downpour. I could have spent another day in Kodaikanal and seen the missed attractions. The Solar Observatory, the Silver Cascade waterfalls, the Kurinjiandavar Temple, the Bryant Park and many more but for now the rains stalled my ambitious adventure and I decided to come back one more time. I would say that I loved the monsoon madness in Kodaikanal. I am sure any traveler would. Just remember to carry those umbrellas...

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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in January, 2011. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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—About our writer:

Roopal Kewalya is a graduate from NID, Ahmadabad and has studied English Literature in Delhi University. An independent writer and filmmaker, she excels in fiction writing for TV, short-film scripts and has written web articles and song lyrics in English and Hindi for various organizations. She has donned many hats as a copywriter, travel writer, children’s fiction writer and has directed short films as well. She is currently based in Toronto, Canada.

The Monsoon Traveler - Hills of Kodaikanal

chillibreeze writer — Roopal Kewalya

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The Monsoon Traveler -
Hills of Kodaikanal