Chennaiites take to the hills to escape summer

CHENNAI : The Queen of the Hills in the west and the Princess of the Hills in the south of Tamil Nadu continue to be the most sought after summer destinations for Chennaiites trying to ‘beat the heat’ this summer.According to industry sources, Udhagamandalam and Kodaikanal attract a good number of tourists from the city, closely followed by the poor man’s Ooty – Yercaud in Salem district. “About 20 per cent of the occupants in hotels across the Nilgiris are from Chennai,” said Chandrasekar, secretary,A Nilgiris Hoteliers Association. “Travellers also visit Coonor, Dolphin’s Nose and Pykara at Nilgiris,” he said.Kodaikanal too calls to Chennaiites with the middle classes flocking to the hill station by all roads and railway routes. The State Express Transport Corporation daily service to Kodaikanal from Koyembedu is carrying its full capacity this month, and several holidaymakers get to Bathalagundu in the foothills to proceed to the Princess of the Hills.“Ten in every 100 tourists to Kodaikanal are from Chennai. Many tourists head straight for the hill station to enjoy the pleasant climate without clubbing other tourist attractions on the plains,” a tourism official at Kodaikanal said. Ticket booking on trains is witnessing a spurt in the Chennai-Kodai Road and Chennai-Ooty sectors, estimated at around 40 per cent over normal days. Besides families, student groups are big takers for train tickets, sources added.‘Affordability is the key’Why do Chennaiites still favour Ooty and Kodaikanal. “It’s affordable,” says a travel manager with experience in the tourism sector. “These two hill stations, I would say, are affordable summer destinations for people from the city, when compared with other hill resorts in the south. Availability of budget hotels is the key,” he said. Lesser known tourist spots like Yelagiri in Vellore district and Megamalai in Theni district are chosen by those who want a new experience after exploring Ooty and Kodaikanal several times.