Kodai or Kodaikanal is on the southern crest of the Palani hills, about 120 km from Madurai, at an altitude of 2100 mt. It is surrounded by wooded slopes, waterfalls and precipitous rocky outcrops. It is an idyllic getaway for regular tourists, trekker and honeymooners. Blessed with nature's breath-taking beauty, the star-shaped lake dominates this sleepy hill-station.

Kodai is the only hill-station in India which was set-up by the Americans, though the Britishers soon joined. American missionaries established a school for European children here in the mid-1840s, the legacy of which is the Kodaikanal International School which is one of the most prestigious schools in the country.

The Kurinji shrub, unique to the Western Ghats, is found in Kodaikanal. This shrub has a light, purple-blue coloured blossoms and flowers every 12 years.  

The Coaker's Walk offers some fantastic views of the surrounding plains. Some of the popular picnic spots in the resort are the Green Valley View, Pillar Rocks, and Bear Shola Falls, etc. The flora and fauna are lavishly found in this region.

The temperatures in summer range from a maximum of 20° C to a minimum of 11° C, and in winter from 17° C to 8° C. Annual rainfall in the region is around 165 cms