Kodaikanal is the most appealing hill station in Tamil Nadu, sitting at 2,133 metres in the Palani Hills, 120 km northwest of Madurai. The British established it in the 1840s as a summer retreat from the Madurai heat, and unlike Ooty it has retained something of that quiet quality — though it gets very crowded in April and May when the plains become unbearable.
The centre of everything is Kodai Lake, a star-shaped artificial lake ringed by hired bicycles and boat rental. The eucalyptus and pine forests smell different to anything on the plains, and on clear days the views down the escarpment to the lowlands 2,000 metres below — best seen from Coaker's Walk or Pillar Rocks — are extraordinary.
Getting there is an experience in itself: the road up from Kodaikanal Road (the railhead, 80 km below) is a spectacular succession of hairpin bends through shola forest, passing Silver Cascade Falls near the top. The nearest airport is at Madurai, 120 km away; buses and taxis from Madurai take 3-4 hours. Beyond the lakeside circuit, the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory and the atmospheric Guna Caves are the hill station's most distinctive offerings.