These are two of Southern India's most famous 'hill stations'. In Tamil Nadu, Kodaikanal originated in 1845 when American missionaries and British civil servants created a cool retreat from the summer heat of the plains. Within easy reach of Madurai, it lies at 7,000 ft amid the Palani Hills - in an unspoilt setting of wooded slopes, great rocks, waterfalls and a beautiful lake. At a similar altitude, popular Ootacamund (or 'Ooty') stands in the Nilgiri Hills at the junction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, surrounded by rolling hills and plateaux covered with dense vegetation, tea gardens, and eucalyptus trees. Founded by the British in the early 19th century as the summer headquarters for the government of Madras, it still retains a faint flavour of the Raj (look out for Charing Cross!). Main sights are its lake and superb Botanical Gardens (the latter founded by the Marquis of Tweeddale!).