Bryant Park and Cycling around Kodaikanal Lake
There are actually lots of places to visit around Kodaikanal, and it’s quite an itinerary overload when you think about coming here.
Bryant Park
My next stop was the Bryant Park, which is a well-maintained park adjacent to the eastern side of Kodaikanal Lake. Named after the British Officer, Bryant – who is also related to the Pine Tree Forest, which we visited last day on the tour. I had planned to cycle around the Kodaikanal Lake later, so quickly headed over to the Bryant Park. But the rain returned in the middle so I took shelter in this hut at the corner of the lake. With a boat in the hut which was really beautiful as you can see the whole of the lake from here.
You need to pay Rs 30 to enter the park and Rs 50 if you are carrying a camera. I didn’t expect many people as it was raining, but it was crowded near all the flowers. It was quite beautifully maintained with so many varieties of flowers you get to see there. And the people working there have a good understanding of the varieties of flowers available in the park. It is actually a botanical park and someone with an interest in Botany will definitely love this place. The flowers are cut from here to be exported to different places for the rare varieties and quality.
Flower Festival in May
The Department of Horticulture organises a summer festival in May here, which attracts the tourists and participants around Kodaikanal. Showcasing different varieties of vegetables and plants to be awarded prizes. The walk around the whole park would take you around 1-2 hours as you would not want to leave without seeing it all. The pathway around the park is also properly clean with properly marked flowers for your knowledge. I entered this glass building with many unique flowers and plants and also you are not allowed to use your cameras inside. It also had statues cut out of the smaller trees, amazing piece of art. I took a full round of the park before exiting the place as it didn’t rain.
Cycling around the Kodaikanal Lake
As you exit the park you will see people sitting there with many cycles to choose from. They charge Rs 50 for 30 mins. It has been a long time since I rode a cycle so I took the yellow one with no gears. The Kodaikanal Lake is famous for many activities including cycling you can also try the horse ride and boat ride there. I reached the other side of the lake when it started raining again, I took shelter under this tree but was still getting wet. So I packed my camera bag in a plastic wrapper and headed back to the place I took the cycle from and thought to change later as I reach the hotel. I saw people still boating in the rain, as I cycled my way to the shop.
After returning the same I immediately headed back to the hotel in the rain. The receptionist was very helpful and he gave me a room so I could change my clothes which were all wet. I had an hour before my bus would have left for Bengaluru so I went to the stop near Dominos. And ate one whole pizza, I was starving after the walks and cycling I did that day.
And yeah guys with this the Kodaikanal Series too ends. Hope you are enjoying to read one article every day on my blog. Would love some suggestions on something you would love to know more about Kodaikanal. Drop them in any of the articles and I will promptly reply you back. Till then bye bye and don’t forget to subscribe my blog for more.
