The Dunnottar Walk: A Self-Guided Loop Through Old Kodaikanal
There is a walk we have been giving Dunnottar guests for years. It leaves the lake, climbs through some of old Kodaikanal's residential roads, passes shola forest, La Salette and La Providence, and eventually drops back to the water. This is the route.
How We Spend a Day in Kodaikanal
Most of our favourite days in Kodaikanal are organised around very little: walk in the morning, come home hungry, eat outside, and leave the afternoon alone. Four generations of our family have spent days here in some version of this rhythm.
The Morning Lake Walk
We walk around Kodaikanal Lake on most mornings when we are here. The circuit is about five kilometres. Leave around seven or eight, before the traffic arrives, and you are back at The Dunnottar in time for breakfast.
Dolphin’s Nose and Vellagavi: How Far Do You Want to Walk?
We do this walk in two ways. Stop at Dolphin’s Nose for a shorter morning trail and one of the best views below Kodaikanal. Or keep descending towards Vellagavi. The second version is a different proposition: a full-day hike, with the climb back waiting at the end.