Just an hour's drive from Kodaikanal, you can immerse yourself in the charm of village life and coffee plantations. The trek starts amidst nature and takes you downhill, so sturdy shoes are necessary for the rocky terrain.
Don't miss the breathtaking views from Dolphin's Nose. While wildlife sightings may be scarce, the area is a delight for birdwatchers. Your journey ends in the village of Vellagavi, where you can find comfortable accommodations or camp near the forest—the villagers' tradition of going barefoot highlights their deep connection to the land. Whether camp or continue to the stunning Kumbakarai Waterfalls, this adventure offers warmth and discovery!
KEY ATTRACTIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Maximum Elevation: 1997 MSL(Approx.) Meters
Forest Type: South Indian sub-tropical hill savannah
Nearby Medical Facility: Kodaikanal GH - 4 km
Nearby Bus Stand: Kodaikanal - 6.5 km
Nearby Airport: Madurai - 140 km
Nearby Railway Station: Dindigul - 100 km
Parking Facilities: Yes
Very professionally organized. Kudos to Forest Dept of Tamil Nadu. The coordination of HQ, Chennai and Mr. Madhiazhagan and Mr Dahanapal were excellent. The food, stay and guides made the entire trek very memorable. Looking forward to climb uphill soon.
I booked single. started from Vattakanal, from Kodaikanal to Vattakanal I took a taxi which charged 500.When I reached Altaf Cafe everyone already left to Dolphin's nose point. I was bit late and our guide Natrayan was waiting for me to picjup at Altaf's cafe. After competing formalities from trek tamilnadu at dolphins nose point, we took group photo of 5 and headed towards eagle'e nest camp site which was scheduled to camp. It is steep downhill of 7km till camp site which is nearer to vellagavi village, throught the trek our guide explained the topography, flora and fauna of the surrounding. After reaching campsite , we all got fresh up had raw tea ,tasty launch pf rice and sambar< took some pics at the beaytifil viewpoint at eagle nest camp site which is good for sunrise photos.Then we headed to vellagavi village which is 2000 years old and was first kodaikanal prior to the formation of present kodaikanal.People in the village used to walk in bare foot and we also removed our shoes and entered the village, there were hardly 80 families living in this beautiful village and it is under panchayat.Guide provided us black coffee from one of the house in the village and we roamed the entire village and back to the campsite.Had aunthentic biryani without any chemicals and camp was arranged by the property. I choose the tent which is down the hill and it was awesome experience. Early morning we got to witness beautiful sunrise, but due to some cloud we couldn't see properly and I am the alone to start trek towards Kumbakkarai, rest others back to Vattakanal. Mr Babu was waiting me at the Vellagavi village to descend towards Kumbakkarai and it is reserved forest with animals movement were high in number. It is downhill 9km from Vellagavi and it took 3 hours to reach falls. Overall it was great experience to trek this.Thanks to trektamilnadu for bringing such a initiative.
The whole trek was wonderful from kumbakarai to kodaikanal. It's my first time to such an adventurous trek. Thanks for our trek guides, camp hosts, fellow trekkers and trek tamilnadu for the safe and best trekking and camping experience ever. @sivapriya_sivzz
The trek was a wonderful experience! The arrangements were well organized, and the food was excellent—tasty and always served on time. We stayed at the beautiful Eagle’s Nest campsite, which offered stunning views and a peaceful atmosphere. A special thanks to our guide, Babu, who was very friendly and knowledgeable. He shared many interesting details about Vellagavi village, which made the journey even more memorable. It was also a great experience interacting with fellow co-trekkers and the campsite team members.
Very first of all thanks a lot for Trek Tamilnadu for such an amazing initiative to arrange such hikes. We hiked from Kumbakarai to Vattakanal. Mr Dhanabal and his team Saravana Kumar guided and made arrangements at the best. They are informative and helpful throughout the trail. Vellagavi Village is considered as scared place and we have go around with bare foot. People in the village are amazing. Food arrangements were good and tastier, point to note all the supplies to village has to be carried by foot or by horses. Stay at eagles nest camp is superb and one of the unforgettable lifetime experience. I'll rate trek tamilnadu arrangements 10/10. And wishing them all the best and keep thier good works all the time.