Kovalam-the hot tourist spot in kerala

FACTS ON KOVALAM

Altitude Sea level
Latitude 8' 05'
Longitude 77' 15"
Rainfall 170 cm
Season Throughout Tropical
(Best September to May)
Languages Malayalam, English, Hindi, Tamil
Temperature Summer 20.6c(mean min)
Winter 18.0c(mean min)

HISTORY

Thirty years ago, Kovalam, was a tiny fishing village, known for its fresh fish, fruits and toddy (coconut beer). The potential of this tiny village fishing ground being a tourist destination came when Regent Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore constructed her beach resort at the end of the 1920's. The European crowd gave attention to the Kovalam beach in the 1930's, and it came into limelight when several hippies visited Kovalam in the early 70's. Today, the beach is also known as 'Paradise of the South'.

ETYMOLOGY

Kovalam means grove of coconut trees, and true to its name, the suburb offers large numbers of cocunut trees to witness and enjoy.

LOCATION IN KERALA MAP

Kovalam, mainly a beach town, and famous for its beaches, is situated on the Arabian Sea, and is around 16 kms from the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram. It is also around 13 kms from the Central business district.

PLACES OF INTEREST AT KOVALAM

The beaches of Kovalam, which is crescent-shaped is usually divided into three different beaches.

* Lighthouse Beach

Lighthouse beach is the southern part of Kovalam beach and the most poplar among the three. It offers a magnificent view of the Vizhinzam mosque and its vast surroundings. The cool winds blowing from the Arabian Sea, and walking barefoot on the soft sands, makes the destination a lot more pleasant and visitable.

*Hawa Beach
It is the middle one of the Kovalam beach, and is the first topless beaches in India. The beach describes a normal day of a fisheman, and is cluttered with a large number of fishermen, who set out to the sea early in the morning to catch fresh fish, which is their main source of livelihood.

*Samudra Beach

The northern part of the Kovalam beach, it is a laid-back and quiet beach, ideal for naturelovers and sunbathers. It is over here that the trade of fishermen takes place.

*Ashoka Beach
It boasts of having the first, finest and largest five-star beach resort of Kerala, including 4 royal suites in the Halcyon Castle, the construction of the Maharaja himself.

*Vizhinjam Lighthouse

Its mesmerizing view attracts large number of tourists. An interesting and added attraction to the lighthouse, is that it spreads out light even in the dark at regular intervals. This light, emitted all over brings about aromatic touch to the tourist spot.

THINGS TO DO AT KOVALAM BEACH

Sunset
Sunset at Kovalam

One of the main attractions is the sunset, which can be viewed from the beach.The view, is just mesmerizing and beautiful, taking away a beat from you normal heartbeat.

Leisure activities
If you are tired of lazying on the sands of the beach, walk around and shop at jewelry, handicrafts and cloth shops. The sea port of Vizhinjam is just about 3 ams away, and admire the fresh fishes brought in everyday by the handwork of the fishermen and the old places of worship. Ayurvedic massage centers, herbal, body-toning massage therapies are other areas of interests for the tourists.Being the safest cove, swimming and bathing in the shallow and calm saline waters are a favorite among the tourists. Snorkeling is also available, which helps you view the magnificence underwater.

Adventure Sports
Surfing, swimming, kayaking and skiing are highly fantasized by tourists apart from angling. Hire a boat from a fisherman, and enjoy a day of a fisherman, buy catching fishes with your net.

More Sightseeing
There are always the architectural extravaganza awaiting you in Kovalam, like the Kovalam Jama Masjid and the Ganapathi Temple.

HOW TO REACH KOVALAM

By Air: Thiruvananthapuram is the closest airport, with a drive of around 16 kms from there to Kovalam.

By Rail: Again, Thiruvananthapuram is the closest railway station

By Road: Direct and regular buses ply regularly from Thiruvananthapuram to Kovalam. There are also buses linking a Kovalam with Ernakulam, Kanyakumari and Periyar.

HOTELS IN KOVALAM

There are a variety of places to stay, starting from the cheap concrete boxes to high five beach resorts. The resorts include restaurants, and various other entertainments like ayurvedic massage centers, pools and indoor activities.

> The Coconut Bay- Located next to the Kovalam beach, it facilitates around 22 conformable deluxe villas and five beach rooms, with a fantastic view of the sea. Other attractions are the Ayurvedic and Yoga packages. It is 21 kms away from Trivandrum and is a drive of 35 minutes from the city's airport.

Contact:
Coconut Bay Beach Resort
Mulloor P.O, Vizhinjam
Trivandrum-695 521
Kerala, India.

Central Reservation Tel: +91 471 2343524
Resort Tel: +91 471 2480566 / 2480668 / 2484566
Fax: +91 471 2343349
Email: cocobay@vsnl.com

> Sagara Beach Resort- Located at the Lighthouse beach, it is a 3 star classified hotel, with 92 air conditioned rooms, classified as:
A/C Standard Graden view
A/C Deluxe
Palace Sea view
Suit and honeymoon suits
The rooms contain balconies which faces the Arbian Sea.

> Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel- At a distance of just 15 meters from the sea, and 15 ams from Trivandrum International Airport, this beach hotel is a 4 star leisure beach hotel with facilities ranging from spa, a multi cuisine restaurants, health clubs, pools, beauty parlor, shopping, candle light dinner luxury transportation and a lot more.

Contact:
Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel
GV Raja Road, Samudra Beach, Kovalam
Thiruvananthapuram - 695527, Kerala, India
Phone: +91 471 2485766/67/68 ,2481654
Fax: +91 471 2481578
Email: info@uds.co.in

> Kovalam Ashoka Beach Resort- The first and largest 5 star hotel in Kerala, it offers 196 rooms including 4 royal suits in the Halcyon Castle. The hotel has 3 swimming pools and a large convention rooms. Other amenities include bar, beauty services, game room, golf, parking, restaurant, shopping arcade, tennis and a doctor on call. It also facilitates 6 various cuisine restaurants.

For the backpackers, there are other hotels in Kovalam depending on your budget. The large number of under-equipped restaurants catering to standard Asian travelers' menus are also to your advantage.

Though, a highly commercialized centre, Kovalam retains its charm, which made it popular in the first place. People from various countries and cultures, come together here and enjoy their time to the fullest.