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Attraction · Kodaikanal

Bryant Park

A botanical garden laid out in 1908 on the eastern shore of the lake — glasshouses, a rose collection, old specimen trees, and a horticultural show that takes over the town each May.

Time needed1 hour
WhereEast shore of the lake
Laid out1908
SizeAbout 20 acres
Flower showMay
EntrySmall charge
About

Bryant Park

Bryant Park occupies about twenty acres on the eastern shore of Kodaikanal lake and was laid out in 1908 by a British forest officer whose name it carries. It is a proper botanical garden rather than a municipal park: terraced beds, glasshouses, a rose collection, an ornamental section and a number of specimen trees now well over a century old, including eucalyptus and conifers planted when the garden was made. It is well kept and it is busy, particularly in season. Its main event is the horticultural show held each May, which effectively takes over the town and which is when the garden is at its most impressive and its most crowded. The rest of the year it is a pleasant, unhurried hour between the escarpment in the morning and the lake in the afternoon.

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What to See

What to see

Beds, glasshouses and old trees, on a slope above the lake. An hour.

The garden

  • The terraced ornamental beds, which are replanted seasonally and are the main display.
  • The rose collection, which is substantial and is the garden’s best-known feature.
  • The glasshouses, holding cacti, succulents and orchids.

The trees

  • Specimen trees planted when the garden was laid out in 1908 and now well over a century old.
  • Eucalyptus and conifers, which are a large part of what the British planted across these hills.
  • The lake visible below through them from the upper terraces.

The flower show

  • Held in May and effectively taking over the town, with displays and competitions.
  • It is when the garden looks its best and when it is at its most crowded.
  • Accommodation in Kodaikanal is at its tightest that month for exactly this reason.
Getting There

Getting there

On the lake shore in the middle of town, and walkable from most of it.

From town

  • On the eastern shore of the lake, a short walk from the town centre and from most hotels.
  • Autos and taxis drop at the gate.
  • It is on the standard morning circuit between Coaker’s Walk and Pillar Rocks.

At the gate

  • A small entry charge, with a separate charge for cameras at some times.
  • It keeps daylight hours and is busiest in the middle of the day.
  • The main paths are made; the terraces have steps.

Combining it

  • With the lake, which is immediately outside and is the natural next thing.
  • With Coaker’s Walk earlier in the morning, which is ten minutes away.
  • With the boat house and the lake circuit in the afternoon.
Best Time

When to visit

Morning, and May if you want the show and can accept the crowd that comes with it.

Time of day

  • Morning, when it is quiet and the light is good for the beds.
  • The middle of the day is the busiest, particularly in season.
  • Late afternoon is pleasant and quieter again.

Time of year

  • May for the horticultural show, which is the garden at its peak and the town at its fullest.
  • December to March is clear, cool and quiet.
  • The monsoon months are green and wet and the beds are between plantings.

How long

  • An hour covers the garden properly.
  • Half an hour if it is a stop between two viewpoints.
  • Longer in May, when there is a great deal more to see.
Visitor Intelligence

Visitor intelligence

A well-kept botanical garden in a hill town, which is exactly what it says it is.

Expectations

  • It is a garden. Visitors expecting a wilderness or a viewpoint will be disappointed and those expecting a garden will not.
  • It is best in May and perfectly pleasant the rest of the year.
  • It is busy in season; early morning is the answer.

Practicalities

  • Small entry charge and sometimes a separate camera charge; both are modest.
  • Take a layer — Kodaikanal is cool and the garden is exposed on the upper terraces.
  • There is a plant nursery selling cuttings, which visitors from India often use and overseas visitors generally cannot.

The May show

  • Book accommodation well ahead if you are coming for it; the town fills completely.
  • The garden is at its best and the queues are at their longest.
  • It is a genuine horticultural event rather than a tourist creation.

Access

  • The main paths are made and broadly manageable, with gradient across the site.
  • The terraces are reached by steps and the upper part of the garden is harder going.
  • A visit that stays on the lower level is a reasonable one.
Nearby

Nearby

The lake is immediately outside the gate.

Kodaikanal Lake
Directly outside — the star-shaped lake, cyclable round in an hour.
Coaker’s Walk
Ten minutes away — the escarpment path, and the first stop of the morning.
Pillar Rocks
Seven kilometres west — three granite faces out of the shola.
Kodaikanal
The town around the lake.
Good to Know

Frequently asked

About twenty acres of proper botanical garden on the eastern shore of the lake: terraced ornamental beds replanted seasonally, a substantial rose collection which is its best-known feature, glasshouses holding cacti, succulents and orchids, and a number of specimen trees planted when the garden was laid out in 1908 and now well over a century old. It is well kept, and it is a garden rather than a park.
May, and it effectively takes over the town — displays and competitions, the garden at its absolute best and at its most crowded. Accommodation in Kodaikanal is at its tightest that month for exactly this reason, so book well ahead if you are coming for it. It is a genuine horticultural event with a long history rather than something created for visitors, and it is worth planning around if gardens interest you.
An hour covers the garden properly, and half an hour is enough if it is a stop between two viewpoints, which is how both Kodaikanal packages use it — Coaker’s Walk at first light, Bryant Park after it, then the Pillar Rocks. In May there is considerably more to see and an hour is the minimum. Morning is the quietest and gives the best light on the beds.
A British forest officer who laid the garden out in 1908 and whose name it has carried since. The specimen trees he planted — eucalyptus and conifers among them — are still standing and are now well over a century old, which is a large part of the garden’s character. Eucalyptus in particular is a substantial part of what the British planted across these hills, with consequences the region is still living with.
Yes, a small one at the gate, with a separate camera charge applied at some times. Both are modest. The garden keeps daylight hours and is busiest in the middle of the day, particularly in season. There is also a nursery selling cuttings and plants, which visitors from within India often make use of and which overseas visitors generally cannot take home.
Partly. The main paths are made and broadly manageable, though there is gradient across the whole site since it sits on a slope above the lake. The terraces are reached by steps and the upper part of the garden is harder going. A visit that stays on the lower level sees the glasshouses and a good deal of the planting and is a perfectly reasonable one.
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