LOCATION
ADDRESS
Dostel Vattakanal,
Kodaikanal
Tamil Nadu, India
624103
Dostel Rishikesh,
Lower Tapovan,
Uttarakhand, India
DIRECTIONS
From Kodai Bus Stand,
start walking towards La Saleth Church to Tamara and then take a short cut on left through the dense forest trail along the Vattakanal waterfall to reach dostel in 40 mins. Use this map:
(Only for hiking or Bikes)
Please bear with us if you don't find anyone at the reception and take any beds that you find free.
Getting to DoStel Vattakanal
Please Note: Kodaikanal is the nearest town to Vattakanal which is 4 kms from the hostel. There are no public transport or tuk tuks available but we provide pick up for groups if requested. You can take a cab which charges 400 Rs or even Hike to save some money.
By air:
Madurai International Airport is the nearest to Kodaikanal, approximately 120 km (4 hrs) away and Coimbatore being 160 kms (6 Hrs) away. Regular flights of Air India, SpiceJet and Jet Airways are available from here for cities like Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore. From outside the airport, travelers can easily avail of bus or taxi services to reach Kodaikanal. From Kodaikanal you can get cabs to reach Vattakanal (300-400Rs).
By road:
Kodaikanal is linked by road with several prominent cities, including Bangalore (460 km), Trichy (198 km) Chennai (530 km), Ooty (255 km), Coimbatore (175 km) and Kumili (160 km). From Madurai (120 km), it takes less than four hours to reach Kodaikanal via NH 49. Depending upon their budget and requirement, travellers can choose from pocket-friendly state government buses or private luxury buses available from these cities. Direct overnight sleeper buses from Chennai, Bangalore, Pondicherry are best option and may cost 600-1000 Rs.
There are also direct buses from Bay1 Arapalayam Bus Stand in Madurai, If you miss one then you can take a bus to Batalagundu and continue to Kodaikanal which is 3 hrs drive from there. From Coimbatore there's only one direct bus which leaves from Ukkadam Bus stand at 10 am. Otherwise you can also take any bus to Palani and then switch a bus to Kodaikanal. Last buses from these places ply before sunset, so make sure to reach any of these transit points before 5-6 pm. After that cabs will be last option that will charge 1500-2000 Rs.
Bike Hire:
You can also rent Bikes from Kodai Road Railway Station from Rento.bike which is 80 kms away from Kodai town. Or from our hostel.
By train:
Kodai Road (approximately 95 km away) is the nearest railhead that links Kodaikanal with cities like Madurai and Trichy. This railway station mostly serves as the rail-to-bus transfer point for those visiting Kodaikanal, about two to three hours journey. Taxis are easily available from the railway station. Bike rental is yet another option available but pre-book to avoid any hassle.