The Hills Have Secrets

Kodaikanal, like many Indian destinations, has seen a post-lockdown boom in tourism. DEVANSHI MODY makes a week-long family trip to discover its many undiscovered historic and spiritual sites.

- Devanshi Mody

The Hilly Kingdom of Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu has reopened, and all of humanity has descended upon it, clogging its serpentine roads. There are crowds, noise, chaos. We hope things will be more civilised at the heritage property The Tamara Kodai. Here, entire families bolt out of BMWs, if not coaches.

DAY 1

The general manager of the property, Dhrubo Ghosh, ushers us into his “best cottage.” He beams, “It’s the one Tamil Nadu CM Stalin occupied recently!” Guest relations executive Reena warns us never to leave the terrace unlocked—hooligan monkeys invade, leaving you a thumping mini-bar bill!

Unique guest experience manager Sayed Mehaboob and the inimitable Ravi, whose father was a tracker during the Raj, explain that tourists are flouting COVID protocol, so the top sites and wildlife reserves have been shut (at the time of our visit). Yet, Sayed has crafted a seven-day itinerary for our family.

DAY 2

We drive to Thandikudi past swards of eucalyptus, pine, cypress, and wattle forests that Sayed strenuously disapproves of. The British, trying to conjure Europe in India, extirpated indigenous shola forests and planted imported trees with devastating ecological repercussions.