Kodaikanal - The 'Princess of Hill stations'.

I always wonder what to do next weekend.  As a working professional, you can find every other fellow discussing the hot topic 'What's your plan for this weekend?' While some people prefer to take rest from the 5 days of work, rest of them search for the right company to go somewhere for some adventures.

I also have a similar story, an IT professional from Bangalore searching for the places to go for rejuvenation therapy. I find all the answers in nature's lap, in exploring the weekend get-aways at the most affordable budget.
Thus, in this blog, I would like to share my travel experience for the people who find it difficult to find a company to go on exploring and the answer is 'Travel SOLO'.

As you travel alone, you are solely responsible for your own figuring out that how capable you are. Travelling solo doesn't mean that you're a loner, It pulls out the curiosity from the inside of your heart to know yourself better, to break the limitations in your mind.

It was my first solo trip after coming to Bangalore, I decided to go Kodaikanal. A 450 kms overnight journey.

Prerequisite:
How to reach: If you wanna make a sudden plan you can quickly go through the various bus booking sites as well as State-run bus services such as in Karnataka KSRTC.in, If you're booking from the travel portals, make sure you explore all the available options and discount coupons too which could at least save your internet handling charges.

Where to stay: Even if you're planning at last minute, you can get some of the best deals from the travel sites. Check the travel sites and apply filters, such as apply sort pricing from low to high or for the nearest location from the center of the town so that you can at least save in the intercity traveling expenses.

Here is my itinerary: 
I booked KSRTC bus boarding from electronic city at 10:45pm and arrived Kodaikanal at 09:30 in the morning. It was a beautiful sunny day of the springs and the view after entering the ghats was phenomenal. I arrived at the bus station and as usual was surrounded by the tourist guides. I gathered all the necessary pieces of information because no matter what you search on Google, the local-ites are the best guides and posses more information than Google.
I had already booked a shared dorm which was very close to the center attraction of the city 'the Kodai Lake'. It was walking distance from the bus station, so I checked-in early and went back to the bus station. there I booked a shared tourist bus costing only 600 bucks for 2 days covering all the major sightseeings namely:
Day-1

• Coaker's Walk: Scenic walk through the mountain cliff 

  

  View from Coaker's Walk

• Pine forest: Shades of Tall Pine trees with small flowing water bodies

  

  Straight long pine trees

• Kurunji Andavar Temple: A panoramic view of mighty mountains

  

  Pano view from the Temple

• Guna caves: Where the roots will give you path

  

  Guna Caves way

• Golf course: Where you can not go ;)
• Kodai Lake: take a 7 kms ride on bicycle around the lake which looks like our country's map from ariel view and enjoy some shopping (for girls😛)

I reached to the town center in the evening, had a decent vegetarian food with an unknown foreigner face😄

Day-2

Arrived at the pickup point at 9:30 am to do the rest of the sightseeing

• Silent Vally: Where you can shout 😃

  

  Talk to clouds

• Dolphin's nose: where you have to trek down to see her nose and the tree roots will support your steps

  

  Root steps on the way to Dolphin's nose

• Pillar rocks: well it looks like pillar from far and enjoy some balloon gunshots there

If you do come early from the sightseeing try boating in the lake. Take the same KSRTC bus at 6:30 pm and reach Bangalore early morning with a bunch of memories and pictures boasting about your adventurous solo trip.

Budget:

• Round trip bus fare: 810*2= Rs. 1620
• Shared Dorm: Rs. 40 (after applying promos and discount)
• Sightseeing: Shared Rs. 600
• Food: It depends
• Bicycle ride: Rs. 30 for half an hour
• Coaker's walk entry: Rs. 40
• Tip to guide: On you
• Total= Rs. 2330 (excluding food)

In less than 3k bucks you can explore such a wonderful place so why not make it a habit to be a wonderful loner and make some new friends in the journey called Travel.

#travelers tip:

• Beware of monkeys
• Do not try magic mushroom
• Take good pair of sport shoes

See you soon!!

#LetsTravelAbhi


Watch it!

Water bodies inside Pine forest

Coaker's walk