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Kovalam Travel Guide
Kovalam
Travel Guide
Along the 600 kilometre length of the Kerala coast, there are many sandy beaches,
rocky promontories and coconut palms. The fishing village of Kovalam lies 10 kilometres
south of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. Kovalam is the only beach
resort of Kerala, and is very popular with the Indian as well as international
tourists. Industry is relatively small scale in this area and the prices low.
The beach is just a few minutes walk from the village.
Kovalam
consists of three successive small crescent beaches; the southern most known as
Lighthouse Beach, is where most of the visitors spend their time. The beach is
bordered with low cost lodging houses, and restaurants which offer adequate facilities,
at affordable tariffs - ideal for a long stay. The light house on the promontory
at the southern end of the beach, offers a spectacular view across to the Vizhinjam
mosque. Photography is prohibited here.
The middle beach, overlooked
from a rocky headland by the five star Ashok Radisson resort, functions each morning
as a base for local fishers. North of Ashok, is the third beach which is very
little affected by the changing times. It is dotted with a few rudimentary wooden
fishing vessels.
Swimming on the beaches is not always safe, as the undertow can be very strong,
therefore it is essential to follow the warnings of the safety flags. However,
days can be spent here just lolling around on the sands or retreating under the
awnings of the beach cafes.
There are numerous craft and carpet shops
(usually of Tibetan, Kashmiri and Rajasthani origin), clothing stores and general
stores, yoga schools, travel agents and massage parlours lining the beach.
When to visit November to February
is the best time to visit.
How to reach there
There is direct and regular daily bus service from Thiruvananthapuram. There
are direct bus links to Ernakulam and Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin), which is two
hours away. There is also a bus to Periyar Wildlife sanctuary in Thekaddy.
Thiruvananthapuram, is linked by air from Colombo, Male and the Indian cities
of Mumbai, Kochi, Delhi and Madras. There are bus links from all the major cities
of Kerala, and also from Madras, Bangalore, Kochi, Madurai, Pondicherry, Nagercoil
and Erode to Thiruvananthapuram. It is also well connected to all the major cities
of the country by train.
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