A refreshingly new perspective and appreciation of life and the world around us; that’s what being in beautiful places flourishing with nature’s absolute best offerings does to your mind. This is especially true now, considering the fact that we were stuck at home staring at screens for what seemed like an eternity.

It was still dark when we reached Kodaikanal and the morning sun barely peeked through the pine-covered valleys. Our homestay (Muraleegeetham) was right in the Kodai valleys’ cradle, overseeing the hilltop town’s mist-ridden rooftops. The striking colors of the roof tiles were profound even through the mist, and on the far side, a wavy green canopy extended to the horizon.

Our day started at the breakfast place right in the middle of the town, where they served different kinds of freshly made Tamilnadu-style dosas. The view from here was also very charming – the windows of the hotel opened to a big gorge from across the Kodai town, and a stream ran through it. 

Our first official destination was the Kodai Ecological park. It’s a big place, with kayaking, ziplining, and horseback riding among the adventure activities available. It was exciting, especially the horseback riding, which most of us tried – and one of our boys even managed to fall off a horse.

Evenings in Kodaikanal are magical, especially if it’s raining, chilly, and you’re riding a bicycle downtown. And that’s precisely what we did. We also did some window shopping at the Kodai flea markets while soaking wet. Back at our homestay, we partied, played cards, and engaged in friendly debates all night.

We traveled to Gunaa caves the next day. We admired its beauty for quite a while,  as for some of us, this experience is wildly nostalgic – being in this place, where Gunaa once took Rohini, and they together birthed that epic romantic melody. The cliffs near Gunaa caves are also amazing vantage points with terrifying views of what seems like a bottomless abyss.

All in all, the trip was very refreshing, and a special bonding experience, especially for our new developers who joined us during the pandemic.