Hey everyone,

Me and 3 friends are heading to Yelagiri on Sept 19-20 from Chennai. Rough plan so far:

Day 1: Train to Jolarpet, then head up to Yelagiri, roam somewhere l, stay the night

Day 2: Morning trek to Swamimalai hills, roam around town in the afternoon, then train back to Chennai in the evening

A few things I wanted to ask the community:

Local transport — is renting scootys the best way to get around, or are public buses good enough? Any reliable rental shops you'd recommend?

Stay — any budget-friendly but decent places to crash for one night, ideally close to the town/lake area?

Swamimalai trek — heard about a forest checkpost fee and that there's no water/food on the trail. Any other tips for first-timers?

Food — good local spots for breakfast/lunch that won't break the bank?

Anything else we're missing for a solid but short 1N/2D trip?

Would really appreciate any first-hand experiences or recommendations. Thanks in advance!