Our plan called for a three-night
stay in Kodaikanal that included a day-trip to Berijam Lake. 
As it turned out,
we had to skip the trip to Berijam Lake, as they were not giving permits to
enter the area due to reconstruction of the road - normally, for a visit
to Berijam Lake, one has to get a permit the previous day from the Forest
Department Office (location - on the left as you approach Kodaikanal on Laws
Ghat Road around 3KM before 7-roads junction) - some travel agents and hotel
front desks can arrange this for you as well.
As it turned out,
we had to skip the trip to Berijam Lake, as they were not giving permits to
enter the area due to reconstruction of the road - normally, for a visit
to Berijam Lake, one has to get a permit the previous day from the Forest
Department Office (location - on the left as you approach Kodaikanal on Laws
Ghat Road around 3KM before 7-roads junction) - some travel agents and hotel
front desks can arrange this for you as well.
We had reservations at the Kodai
Resort Hotel next to Coaker’s Walk.
It is a good choice for families with
children - there are play areas for kids (both indoors and outdoors) and the
cottages have plenty of space and a huge balcony. They have around fifty
cottages designed in such a way that all of them have good views on to their
private garden area. Access to the balcony is from the living room by climbing
a few stairs at the farthest corner. The cottages have a refrigerator, TV, and
coffee maker along with hot water service from 6-11 AM and 6-11 PM. They do not
have other amenities such as room-heater, AC, and lockers. They smoke the
cottage at night-fall to deter mosquitoes and also offer a huge campfire in the
private garden area (between 7:15 PM and 8:30 PM), weather permitting. The
reception area in front is a heritage building dating back to 1888 with the
rest of the cottages constructed in 1984. The included BF has a very good
spread and variety every day. 
The restaurant is also good for lunch/dinner
although there are better options within walkable distance, both in terms of
quality and price. The location is good although it is not a lake-facing
property: it is on the other side of a hill that faces the lake. For good lake
view, one option is to go with the Carlton property which is a five-star
facility - they have more amenities as well including a swimming pool.
It is a good choice for families with
children - there are play areas for kids (both indoors and outdoors) and the
cottages have plenty of space and a huge balcony. They have around fifty
cottages designed in such a way that all of them have good views on to their
private garden area. Access to the balcony is from the living room by climbing
a few stairs at the farthest corner. The cottages have a refrigerator, TV, and
coffee maker along with hot water service from 6-11 AM and 6-11 PM. They do not
have other amenities such as room-heater, AC, and lockers. They smoke the
cottage at night-fall to deter mosquitoes and also offer a huge campfire in the
private garden area (between 7:15 PM and 8:30 PM), weather permitting. The
reception area in front is a heritage building dating back to 1888 with the
rest of the cottages constructed in 1984. The included BF has a very good
spread and variety every day. 
The restaurant is also good for lunch/dinner
although there are better options within walkable distance, both in terms of
quality and price. The location is good although it is not a lake-facing
property: it is on the other side of a hill that faces the lake. For good lake
view, one option is to go with the Carlton property which is a five-star
facility - they have more amenities as well including a swimming pool.
The Lake, Coaker’s Walk, and 
Bryant
Park are all located very close to the hotel. Coaker’s Walk is a 1KM paved
scenic walkway with sweeping views of the valley below. The one catch is that
the area may get covered with fog obstructing the view - the best time to
avoid the fog is between 5 and 6PM. There are street vendors and monkeys on the
walkway. A word of caution - the monkeys are known to snatch food from visitors. Bryant Park is adjacent to the Lake and you
can enter the park from either the lake side or from just outside the entrance
to Coaker’s Walk. It is a flower park with a large open area running through
the middle - they have a large variety of roses and lilies - entrance is Rs 30.
Bryant
Park are all located very close to the hotel. Coaker’s Walk is a 1KM paved
scenic walkway with sweeping views of the valley below. The one catch is that
the area may get covered with fog obstructing the view - the best time to
avoid the fog is between 5 and 6PM. There are street vendors and monkeys on the
walkway. A word of caution - the monkeys are known to snatch food from visitors. Bryant Park is adjacent to the Lake and you
can enter the park from either the lake side or from just outside the entrance
to Coaker’s Walk. It is a flower park with a large open area running through
the middle - they have a large variety of roses and lilies - entrance is Rs 30.
The Lake is the main center of
activity in Kodaikanal. 
There are three boat-houses (Kodaikanal Boat Club,
Tamil Nadu Tourism Boat Club, and the Carlton Boat Club) spread around the
5.5KM Lake Road. The road is shared by city traffic, horses, and bicycles and
so can get quite messy when crowded. The activities available at the lake
include boating, horse riding, bicycling, jogging, and pea-shooting. A
four-person pedal boat can be rented from the main boat house for around Rs
100/- for half-an-hour. Single-bike rentals go for as low as Rs 20 per hour to
around Rs 40 per half-hour based on the condition of the bicycle. Also,
duo-cycles are available starting at around Rs 50 - they are good fun, if you
are going as a couple. Walking around the lake and jogging are also good
options and there is a paved pathway covering the lake - although using the
pathway is ideal for walking/jogging, it is sometimes more practical to just
use Lake Road instead, as there are too many “obstacles” along the pathway.
There are several street vendors around the lake and some of them offer games.
The most popular option among them is “shooting” - the idea is to shoot
balloons using an air-gun that use peas in-lieu-of pellets - pricing varies
between Rs 10 for five rounds and Rs 30 for ten rounds - it is great fun,
especially for kids.
There are three boat-houses (Kodaikanal Boat Club,
Tamil Nadu Tourism Boat Club, and the Carlton Boat Club) spread around the
5.5KM Lake Road. The road is shared by city traffic, horses, and bicycles and
so can get quite messy when crowded. The activities available at the lake
include boating, horse riding, bicycling, jogging, and pea-shooting. A
four-person pedal boat can be rented from the main boat house for around Rs
100/- for half-an-hour. Single-bike rentals go for as low as Rs 20 per hour to
around Rs 40 per half-hour based on the condition of the bicycle. Also,
duo-cycles are available starting at around Rs 50 - they are good fun, if you
are going as a couple. Walking around the lake and jogging are also good
options and there is a paved pathway covering the lake - although using the
pathway is ideal for walking/jogging, it is sometimes more practical to just
use Lake Road instead, as there are too many “obstacles” along the pathway.
There are several street vendors around the lake and some of them offer games.
The most popular option among them is “shooting” - the idea is to shoot
balloons using an air-gun that use peas in-lieu-of pellets - pricing varies
between Rs 10 for five rounds and Rs 30 for ten rounds - it is great fun,
especially for kids.
Kodai is famous for home-made
chocolates
and that is a good shopping option to consider. The best, if pricey
option is to go with Chocolate Factory (Anna Salai just off 7-roads junction a
little up from Domino’s Pizza). They have a number of premium chocolates and also
the ever-popular hot-chocolate (Rs 75) - they are melted chocolate served in a
small cup - excellent dessert option. For authentic Indian handicrafts, Danish
Display (Bazar Road off 7-Roads Junction) is a very good option - they have a
good selection of jewellery and specialize in handmade craft made from Jute,
Brass, Bronze, and Terracotta.
and that is a good shopping option to consider. The best, if pricey
option is to go with Chocolate Factory (Anna Salai just off 7-roads junction a
little up from Domino’s Pizza). They have a number of premium chocolates and also
the ever-popular hot-chocolate (Rs 75) - they are melted chocolate served in a
small cup - excellent dessert option. For authentic Indian handicrafts, Danish
Display (Bazar Road off 7-Roads Junction) is a very good option - they have a
good selection of jewellery and specialize in handmade craft made from Jute,
Brass, Bronze, and Terracotta.
As far as moderately priced
restaurants, the best options are 
Tava at 7-Roads Junction (below ground level)
and Royal Tibet (Tibetan Bread and Honey Ginger Tea are not be missed) on the
other side of the same road (PT Road). More uppity options include Cloud Street
and Pot Luck, both on PT Road - they are both European style café’s that serve
pastas, pizzas, and such. Astoria Vegetarian Restaurant (PT Road) and Rasoi
(Annasalai) are other good options in the main city-center.
Tava at 7-Roads Junction (below ground level)
and Royal Tibet (Tibetan Bread and Honey Ginger Tea are not be missed) on the
other side of the same road (PT Road). More uppity options include Cloud Street
and Pot Luck, both on PT Road - they are both European style café’s that serve
pastas, pizzas, and such. Astoria Vegetarian Restaurant (PT Road) and Rasoi
(Annasalai) are other good options in the main city-center. 
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