Kodaikanal Avocado Hill Trek

The best time to go to Kodaikanal is anytime between August and March. However, expect December and January to be colder than the other months.

Yes. The Kodaikanal trek is a great trek for beginners. This is because, you will experience a variety of landscapes, flora, and fauna within a short distance. However there are a few tricky sections along the trail that you will cross.

The Kodaikanal trek is 3 kilometres one way, which makes the total distance of the trek (on Day 2) 6 kilometres.

The Kodaikanal Avocado Hill Trek is a trek that is easy on the legs. This makes it accessible to a larger trekking audience.

Yet, we suggest that you don't do it on your own. The presence of wild animals makes it dangerous to trek without experienced personnel.

Yes, it is safe to drive at night to Kodaikanal. There is frequent bus movement on the route.

Nevertheless, please know that if the person driving will be doing the trek, it may become a little tiring. In this case, we would like you to travel by bus, keeping in mind the safety concerns.

Tamil is the most common language spoken in Kodaikanal. The locals in Spice Valley speak Hindi and English fluently. The locals in Kodai and Perumal Malai also understand basic Hindi and English.

The Kodaikanal Avocado Hill Trek's base camp is located in a remote area in Kodaikanal, just 20km from the main town of Kodai. Our campus is easily accessible by road.

You will cross the waterfall, both on Day 1 and 2. You can fill your water bottles here. But after you cross this, there are no water sources ahead.

No, there are no toilets on the trail.

Avocado Hill and Elephant Valley are known for a lot of Elephant movements.

Given that this is just a one-night weekend outdoor program, with very comfortable weather, we advise you to travel light.

Here’s a list of things you must bring along with you: 

• A 30L backpack – A small comfortable backpack will suffice. (Available for rent)
• 2 full sleeves t-shirts – Expect to get sweaty, you will need a change of clothes after your trek
• An extra pair of trekking pants – Avoid shorts at all costs, there are tall lemongrass along all the trails.
• Shoes with good grip – Even sports shoes will work, as long as they have a good grip
• One jacket or fleece sweater
• Rainwear (mandatory)
• Headlamp (Available for rent)
• Trek Pole (Available for rent)
• Sun cap
• Sunglasses
• 2 pairs of socks (for the trek) + 1 extra pair
• A light towel 
• Two 1-litre bottles (reusable) (Available for rent)
• Your lunch box, coffee mug, and spoon (Available for rent)
• A small toilet kit (only essentials)
• Insect repellent

Note: Trek pole, tiffin box and spoon, 800 ml water bottle, 30L backpack, headlamp and mug are all available for rent. Once your registration is completed, click on this link and fill out the form to rent the required gear.

You will camp in 3-sharing tents on the night of Day 1.

No, trekking shoes are not mandatory. But, the shoes must have a good grip on the soles.

The main town of Kodai has stay options after and/or before the trek.

There is only 1 ATM in the town of Perumal Malai. The Central Bank of India ATM is at Palani Checkpost. But it is best not to depend on this ATM and keep 2-3 thousand rupees with you beforehand.

No, there is no network on the trek. You may get network, sparsely, in certain areas. But this cannot be guaranteed.

Yes, carry about 2000 rupees with you. There are ATMs in Kodai. But you may not find ATMs in Perumal Malai. It is best to withdraw in Bangalore or any other city before your trek.