DRIVE TO KODAI IN THE BE(A)ST BIKE!!!

For a very long time, I have been wanting to go on a drive in my Royal Enfield 350. Everytime, the idea will be dropped at the planning stage due to some constraint. However, few months back, myself and my friend wanted to get this plan worked out and decided to go on the trip on Jan 26th 2017. Basically, the plan was to do a round trip, Chennai - Kodaikaanal - Chennai.

Planning Phase:

During the initial period, there were many who showed interest in joining us for the trip. However, as the days passed by, the interest level got drained off and it was myself and my friend who decided to go on this trip. Finally, it was 2 bikes (2 Royal Enfield 350cc), 2 people (Myself and Sudhakar), 4 days trip. The plan itinerary was to start our drive on 26th Jan early morning 4:30AM and reach Kodai around 5PM the same day. Next day (27th Jan), local tour of Kodai (Visiting all the primary spots). By 28th Jan morning, around 8AM, start our journey and head towards Salem for our night halt and on 29th Jan morning, drive to Chennai.

Next in line was the readiness of the bikes. We both gave the bikes for service and also checked for all the nagging issues. Thanks to the sincere effort of the service people at Sri Venkateswara Bike Zone, our bikes were ready for the drive.

We also purchased rider jacket for both of us and also made a checklist of all the things to be packed for the trip.

Day 1:

We decided to start our journey by 4:30AM from my friend's place @ Tambaram. However, as always, we could only start our drive by 5:30AM. We had the checklist verified and everything was in place. The climate was cool and it was a pleasant start to our journey. We took the Chennai GST road and drove for almost an hour. The road condition was good and the traffic was minimal due to the early morning hours. The traffic on the opposite side (heading towards Chennai) was bit thick. Our first pit stop was at 99KM coffee shop, located exactly 50km after the 1st Tollgate @ Chengalpattu. We had a simple breakfast and very good coffee. The coffee at this place is awesome and the amenities are also very well maintained.

After the break(fast), we started our journey in the Chennai-Theni highway via Trichy. The climate was awesome and to our surprise, there was no sunshine at all. Either it was cloudy, or it was drizzling. We never felt the tiredness and we reached Trichy around 1PM. Yes, we took breaks inbetween and since we were not bound by any timeline, we had the audacity to stop whenever and wherever we needed to stretch our legs. Finding the route from Trichy was quite tricky as there was bridge construction happening and after a few mins of fighting with the maps, we were back on track following Chennai - Theni highway. Once again, the route was very smooth however, compared to the Chennai Trichy route, this one was bit boring! The climate remained the same and suddenly we had to take cover at a tea shop due to heavy rain. By 3PM we reached Dindugal and for the first time, we saw the name of our destination (Kodaikanal - 102KM)

We took the bypass and decided to have our lunch at Saravana Bhavan (nothing to with the chain of HSB hotels at Chennai). The lunch was quite filling and the thought of travelling another 100+ km made us to eat less (which isn't true). After travelling for almost 90 mins in the Bathalgund Bypass road, we took the right which lead us to the foothills of Kodai. After driving for almost 250 km in plain roads, we were thrilled to start the journey in Ghat section.

The ghat section route was also very well maintained and we were hoping to reach the top before darkness sets in. En-Route we stopped to admire the beautiful scenery  and the view was jaw dropping. Since the climate was so good, the journey was very very pleasant.

After almost 2+ hours of drive we finally reached Kodaikanal, around 7PM. We were welcomed by heavy mist and it was a great feel. Rather than the climate, the achievement of driving through the day made it an awesome feel!

We spent the next day roaming around Kodaikanal and ofcourse dropping by to see the important view points. The route to each and every place was very much good and the biggest comfort for me is that everywhere I go the parking becomes so easy (being a 2 wheeler). Checkout the few pics clicked at different places
PINE FORESTS:

GUNA CAVES:

PILLAR ROCKS:

KODAI GOLF COURSE:

WAX MUSEUM:

RANDOM CLICKS:

 By 28th Jan, we started our return journey and we planned to head to Salem for a night halt. The route we choose was via Palani, Kangeyam, Chennimalai, Erode and Salem. The route from Kodai to Palani was absolutely marvellous. There are no words to describe the scenery you would experience in this route. My kind suggestion for people who love nature, do travel in this route but stop at places where you want to enjoy the views. Never try doing that during the drive. It's remarkably mesmerizing. If at all you need to take pictures, stop the vehicle, get off, enjoy the views. Few pics we clicked during our return route via palani. The first stop of course will be near the silver cascade falls

SILVER CASCADE FALLS:

RANDOM CLICKS enroute to PALANI from KODAIKANAL:

Finally after almost 4 hours of driving, we finally completed our ghat section driving. Yes, it was 4 hours because for every 3 mins, we had to stop and enjoy the views. You will have to experience the moment so that you will also agree that it took almost 4 hours to climb down. 

After reaching Palani, we took the SH route via Kangeyam, Chennimalai to reach Erode and there was not much to share on the details. The route was good, the roads were smooth and the only suggestion is that being a SH it runs through many villages, so you have to be extra careful while crossing through junctions. We reached Salem around 8PM and called it Night. We started from Salem by next day (29th around 9AM) after a good night's sleep. It was the usual route and we reached Chennai by 4PM. Again, we did not hurry much and we took numerous breaks because we were beginning to feel the tiredness of driving for almost 3 days. But the entire journey really was an awesome experience.

1220 KM in 3 Days!!!

So, overall, one of the task in my to-do list , is now checked off and I am very sure, it's just the beginning!!!