It was a bright mornin with clear skies as 6 jubilant college-goers sped off to Kodaikanal from Madurai in 3 bikes on 06.09.08 (Saturday). The drive lasted 5.5 hours which included a 1 hr halt at Batlagundu for breakfast 'n' various foto sessions on the scenic route. With a sudden shower that started toward the end o' d journey, we all entered into sterling resorts in time for lunch, dripping wet and shivering. Alright, now lets not go into all d boring details about wat we did.. So goin to d highlights... I'm sure whenever u ppl visit kodai, u'd probably drop by d pillar rock, suicide point, pine forest, blah.. blah.. blah.. whatever is present in d regular brochures. But for a change, i suggest u guyz try Mannavanar lake i.e., if u haven't yet been there. Its abt 40-45 kms from kodai n its simply beautiful. U hav a few view points, n an interesting temple on d way. Most package tours take u 1ly to a view point frm whr u can c lake. But u got to cross Mannavanar village to actually reach d lake. A take away lunch n a drink of ur choice (remember dat u hav to drive back all dat distance) wud aptly blend into ur relaxing vacation.
Fairy falls (foto to d left) is another interesting n isolated place, apt for a good chat, located within d govt horticultural farming limits. Taking a detour on d way to d observatory should take u directly to d spot...
N here's another tip. If u r goin up there in a bike during d cooler seasons, I wud advice(wat i've learnt frm experience) a helmet, eye gear, n a pair of gloves to keep ur fingers frm becoming unreactive to motor signals. N dis is for d riders... Try not to stare at d walkers or d cyclists (js while riding) ;-).
Some gud food spots dat i wud suggest:
Non Veg
1. Nadar mess - Bus stand road
2. a couple of muslim shops(forgot d name) - market road
3. u also get gud pigeons n beef in market road
4. Tibetan bros restaurant
Veg
1. Astoria - near bus stand
2. Meenakshi Bhavan - Lake road
I'm poor in dis section. So if u r a veggie, u better look to sumbadielse for suggestions.
Btw, if u ever wanna find such outta d way places, u'd be better off chatting wid d tibetan shop owners near bryant park rather than d tourist guides. Those ppl hav lived their entire lives there n giv u info outta genuine interest rather than for monetary benefits.
