Kovalam
General Information about Kovalam

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.

Owing to its natural beauty the beach resort of Kovalam is often referred to as the “Paradise of the South”. The amazing Arabian Sea, the golden glowing sands and the coconut canopies all come together as a package for the picture perfect holiday. Tourists from across the globe throng the dream destination of Kovalam. Just laze around on a moonlit night! Swim or bath for rejuvenation and relaxation. Feel the cool breeze of the wondrous waves on your face! Better still try out the various Ayurvedic massages. Catamaran cruising is a not to be missed. You may even snorkel and catch some unparallel underwater views. The colorful corals are so captivating!

Life on the Kovalam beach starts late in the day and the fun continues till late in the night. Kovalam offers you some of the best seafood specialties. Do not miss out the lobsters, king prawns and kalamari. Though Kovalam has enough eating joints for the European food too. There are several hotels and budget accommodation options available at Kovalam.

 Holiday sans shopping, of course not, Kovalam beach offers hot and happening handicraft items from Kerala as well as Kashmir. These items are excellent options for souvenirs and gifts.

Since Kovalam is just 16 kms away from the capital city of Kerala- Thiruvananthapuram, reaching your holiday destination is hassle-free. Thiruvananthapuram happens to be the nearest railway station as well as the airport. Though Kovalam is pleasant throughout the year the best time to visit Kovalam is from September to May.

So pack your bags for the kaleidoscopic holidays at Kovalam! Have a splash!!

Orientation
Kovalam consist of two palm-fringed coves separated from less-populated beaches north and south by rocky headlands. The southern headland is marked by a prominent lighthouse. It's is 15 minute walk from one headland to the other.

How to Reach There:
Air: Thiruvananthapuram is an international airport.  It is 20 minutes by road from Kovalam.  Daily flights connect Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai while flights to Bangalore operate on all days except Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  Direct flights operate from Thiruvananthapuram to Dubai, Abudhabi, Bahrain, Muscat, Saudi Arabia, Singapore Male and  Sri Lanka.  Chartered flights arrive from the European countries in this airport during the tourist season.
Air India, Indian Airlines, Jet Air, Air Lanka, Silk Air, Oman Air, Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways and Qatar Airways operate to and fro Thiruvananthapuram.
Rail: Thiruvananthapuram is the nearest railway station The railway line connects all the main towns in Kerala and the major cities in India. For over-night and long distance trains, you have to book tickets in advance. For the rest, you need to hire tickets at the time of the journey only.
Road: A journey from the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, would take 20 minutes. The bus station is at Thampanoor. The city is 4 1/2 and 9 1/2 hours away from Kochi and Kozhikode respectively, reachable by rail or road. 

Reaching Kovalam
 From Thiruvananthapuram it is better to hire a taxi or an auto-rickshaw to go to Kovalam. Both the domestic and international air terminals, located adjacent to each other in the same premises, have official taxi kiosks close to the exit of the airport. You can order a prepaid taxi while inside the airport which will save you from the hassles of bickering with the drivers. The taxi service will for the 16 km journey. A journey by the auto-rickshaw. Or you can take a bus to East Fort, the nerve centre of the city's transport and take another one to Kovalam from there.

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