Kovalam

Thiruvananthapuram:
Capital of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram is surrounded with beautiful places like the Napier Museum, the Sri Chitra Art Gallery , the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Puthenmalike Palace, Zoo, Planetarium, Veli Lagoon, Ponmudi hill station etc. It has SMSM Institute, a State owned handicrafts emporium, an ideal place to pick up ethnic curios and other articles.

Kovalam Beach:
Kovalam is renowned beach of global repute in Kerela with three adjacent crescent beaches. It is situated 16 Km. south of Trivandrum city and one of the best beaches in India. It's a must-see destination in India. Kovalam has been a favorite haunt of tourists, especially Europeans, since the 1930s. A massive rocky promontory on the beach has created a beautiful bay of calm waters ideal for sea bathing. The leisure options at this beach are plenty and diverse - sunbathing, swimming, herbal body toning massages, special cultural programmes, Catamaran cruising etc. Today, tourism is a multi-million dollar industry here, the area of the beach is like a town by itself-you can find eateries, entertainment, shopping, Kathakali, Yoga and Ayurveda all under the same umbrella.

The crescent-shaped beach has three parts. The southern most beach, and the most popular, is light house beach. It offers an amazing sight of Vizhinjam mosque. The northern Samudra is a laidback one and time seems stands still here. The middle, hawah, in the early day, is a beehive of activities with fishermen setting out for sea. With a high rock promontory and a calm bay of blue waters, this beach paradise creates a unique aquarelle on moonlit nights.

Azure water and favorable climate make Kovalam a favorite spot for swimming. Sea here is pacific and shallow where you can take a dip in the saline waters. The clean white sandy beach will arouse a temptation irresistible: to lie idle on the sands and tan your body.You could get into any of the Ayurvedic massage centre and indulge in a rejuvenating herbal, body-toning massage and holistic therapies.

The beach is sprinkled 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.

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