Cafe Cariappa

Top choice in Kodaikanal (Kodai)


A caffeine addict's dream, this rustic-chic wood-panelled shoebox of a cafe crafts fantastic brews from its own locally grown organic coffee. It also does homemade carrot cake, crêpes, sandwiches and fresh juices, and sells Kodai-made cheeses.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kodaikanal (Kodai) attractions

1. Kodaikanal International School

0.11 MILES

Set up in 1901, the renowned Kodaikanal International School lends Kodai a bit of a cosmopolitan air, with students from around the globe.

2. Coaker’s Walk

0.35 MILES

Assuming it isn't cloaked in opaque mist, the views from paved Coaker’s Walk are beautiful, all the way down to the plains 2000m below. The stroll takes…

3. Bryant Park

0.43 MILES

Landscaped and stocked by the British officer after whom it’s named, pretty Bryant Park is usually full of tourists and canoodling couples.

4. Sacred Heart Natural Science Museum

0.77 MILES

In the grounds of a former Jesuit seminary 4km downhill east of town, this museum has a ghoulishly intriguing miscellany of flora and fauna put together…

5. Bear Shola Falls

1.04 MILES

Compact Bear Shola Falls are in a pocket of forest on the northwest edge of town.

6. Kurinji Andavar Temple

1.66 MILES

Dedicated to Murugan, this nondescript temple 3km northeast of town affords beautiful panoramas of the surrounding hills and the plains miles below.

7. Dolphin's Nose

1.97 MILES

A narrow rock lookout overhanging a precipitous drop, with views of the valley below. Follow the trail to it for 15 minutes from Vattakanal, or walk all…

8. Green Valley View

2.1 MILES

Green Valley View, 6km southwest of Kodai centre, has spectacular views to the plains far below.