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Kovalam
Pop: 3,000
Phone Code: 0471
Kovalam, 17km south of Thiruvananthapuram, has a beautiful, clean beach. November through January is the high season, and the area is especially busy during the Christmas holiday. Kovalam is popular with package tours and families. You can get good Ayurvedic massages and oil baths here
There
are three stretches of beach, but two main areas. Most of the foreigner’s
stay on Lighthouse Beach, which is more developed. There are some vendors
on the beach, but they are not too pushy.
The climate is hot here all year round. The best and coolest time to come
is between December and March. It starts to get very hot in April. Between
April and October the waves can rise to 6m (20 ft) high, and swimming
can be dangerous because of the undertow.
There
is almost nothing to do at night, except to eat in a restaurant or see
a video. If you are young and single and are interested in meeting people
you most likely will prefer to go to Goa (especially if you are interested
in the party scene), Varkala or Gokarna (if you want a nice secluded beach).
I consider Kovalam a conservative beach.
Orientation
There are three beaches extending over a 4km stretch. The southern one
is known as Lighthouse Beach and is the most crowded. This is where most
of the cheaper hotels are located. It takes about five minutes to walk
from one end of the beach to the other.
The middle beach, Hawah, is just north (actually connected to) of Lighthouse Beach. There are several hotels along this beach. The north beach, Samudra, is not yet developed and only has cottages. The Ashok Resort is between the middle beach and the north beach. Kovalam village goes along the main road and has some small bookshops, a post office, and other shops.
Information
The KTDC Tourist Office (480-085) near the Ashok Hotel
can supply a map of Kovalam, can arrange for a Kollam-Alappuzha backwater
ticket (Rs 150), and can book hotels. Open during the season daily 10
am to 5 pm; off-season Mon to Sat 10 am to 5 pm.
There
are many people giving massages here. You can get a good Ayurvedic massage
(Rs 150 per hour) at the Seaweed Hotel. The man is professional.
There is a women masseuse at (Rs 150 per hour) Wilson’s Tourist
Home.
United Arts and Books, up the road from the Hotel Sea Rock, have a decent
selection of books.
The
lighthouse can be visited from 2 to 4 pm daily.
Boogie boards and surfboards can be rented on the beach for Rs 30 per
hour.
The
tailor at Wilson’s Tourist Home is good.
Upasana Hospital, near the Ashok Hotel gate, has an English-speaking doctor.
Money, Post and Internet
You can change travelers cheques at the Central Bank of India
at the Ashok Radisson Beach Resort (Mon to Fri 10.30 am to 2
pm, Sat 10.30 am to noon). Pournami, a shop on the road to Kovalam Junction,
a ten-minute walk from the bus stand, changes money (9 am to 6.30 pm).
You can also change money at Wilson’s Tourist Home
and the Hotel Neptune at the bank rate.
The Post Office is in Kovalam village. Poste restante
that is sent to Kovalam may end up in Thiruvananthapuram. Postal code:
695527.
Pournami (48147) has e-mail and internet facilities.
Travel
Agencies
Aries Travel, with an office in Kovalam and Thiruvananthapuram,
is an established travel agency.
Western
Travels (481-334; fax 481-429), next to the bus stand, sells
plane tickets, confirms plane reservations, and arranges train and bus
tickets (Rs 50 service charge). They hire out taxis and send and receive
faxes. They allow callbacks for Rs 5 a minute and book sight-seeing tours
to Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari.
Visit India (481-069), Lighthouse Rd, is a good travel
agency.
WARNING!
The local water can be very bad, as there are many pit toilets
leaking into the well water. It is advisable to drink only bottled water.
Go To Top
CAUTION! Swimming in the ocean here can be dangerous and many people drown. The lifeguards mark different areas of the sea as
DANGEROUS. They are not kidding. If the current catches someone, it pulls them both down and out.
It is a good idea to swim with another person. Most people should not swim past where they can touch the ground. If you are caught in an undertow, do not try to fight it. Immediately call for help (don’t be proud), try to swim sideways out of the rip tide, and use the incoming waves to return to shore. Remember that good swimmers are more likely to drown in the sea than bad swimmers (they take more chances). I have a Red Cross Senior Life Saving Certificate and I almost drowned myself.
The lifeguards have an ingenious system for saving people. A few men stay on the beach while one man swims out with a rope to the person caught in an undertow. When he reaches the victim, he hands the person the rope and the men on shore pull them both in.
You
also have to be careful of the jellyfish. The small orange jellyfish are
dangerous, and the purple ones are harmless.
Where to Stay
Prices for hotels vary according to the season. December and January are
the peak months, and November and February are also busy. The price of
a room in March can be half the price of the same room in January. You
can sometimes get a lower rate if you stay for a long time. As you get
further from the beach, room prices usually drop or you get a better room
for the same price as a room on the beach.
There
are cottages along the beach for rent at cheap rates—starting at
Rs 30 per day. The prices vary according to the season and the naïveté
of the customer. It is best to inspect a few places before you choose
one.
Where to Stay—Lower
Eden Seaside Resort (481-749), Lighthouse Rd, like many
of the places, is willing to charge about half their normal day rate if
you stay for a month. Fairly basic double rooms are Rs 600 in the high
season and Rs 300 in the low.
Nearby,
Hotel Thiruvathira (480-787), Lighthouse Rd, has ground
floor doubles for Rs 500 and upstairs rooms with a balcony for Rs 700.
Low season prices are Rs 250 and Rs 350.
Apsara Guest House is a fairly good place.
Surya Tourist Home (481-012), a little back from the
beach, is a cheap place that has rooms with common bath for Rs 150 and
Rs 200 with bath in the low season and Rs 200 and Rs 300 during the high
season.
Sandy Beach Resort (480-012) has renovated rooms for
Rs 650 (Rs 450 in low season).
Thiruvonam Hotel (480-661), on the beach, has good double
rooms for Rs 500 to Rs 650.
Sergeant Guest House, inland from Lighthouse Beach, is
a popular place managed by an interesting retired sergeant.
Hotel Jeevan House (480-662) has rooms for Rs 300 to
Rs 1400. During the low season rooms are Rs 150 to Rs 500.
Green Valley (480-636) and Silent Valley Hotels (480-636),
back from the beach next to some rice fields, has good clean rooms for
Rs 650 (Rs 350 in low season).
Sabeeh Bhavan (480-140), near Sea Rock Rd, has four rooms
in a house for Rs 150 (Rs 75 in low-season).
Blue Sea (480-401; fax 480-490), is a nice Kerala style
house with a garden. It is a good value. The rooftop rooms have a good
view.
Royal Retreat (481-080), Light House Beach, is a good
budget place with rooms for Rs 300.
Pappukutty Beach Resort (480-235; fax 480-234; email: natraj@kelnetxlweb.com)
has cottages with hot water ranging from Rs 300 to Rs 900.
Where to Stay—Middle
Rockholm Hotel (480-306; fax 480-607), Lighthouse Rd,
is a very nice, recommended place beside the lighthouse. It has a good
view of the sea. In the busy season rooms are Rs 1250/1400. 25% off-season
discount. The rooms on the roof can get very hot during the day.
Sea Weed Hotel (480-391; fax 480-806) is a nice place
with clean rooms downstairs for Rs 600/700 and rooms upstairs with a view
of the sea for Rs 1000/1200. There is a man here who gives good professional
Ayurvedic massages. Recommended.
Varmas Beach Resort (480-478) is another really good
place with balconies overlooking a cove. It has modern, well-furnished
rooms for Rs 1400 and Rs 1750 with A/C. During the low season, rooms are
Rs 750.
Hotel Samudra Tara (54653) is also a good place with
rooms for Rs 700 up to Rs 900 for a room with a balcony on the sea.
Moonlight Tourist Home (480-375; 481-078), set back from
the beach, has large, modern, clean rooms for Rs 700 to Rs 1000 (low season)
and Rs 1200 to Rs 1700 (high season).
The popular Hotel Sea Rock (480-422; fax 480-722), right
on Hawah beach, has sea-facing rooms with balconies for Rs 1250 (high
season) and Rs 650 for a room in the back. In the low season the same
rooms are Rs 400 and Rs 300. It is one of the best places on the beach.
The new Golden Sands (481-077) has spacious, comfortable
rooms for Rs 850 and Rs 450 during the low season.
Hotel Orion (480-999), well located overlooking Lighthouse
Beach, has rooms for Rs 700/1400 and a suite with A/C and a fridge for
Rs 2200 during the high season. During the low seasons rates are Rs 600
and Rs 1000.
Hotel Parklane (480-058), back from the beach, has comfortable,
clean rooms, some with balconies, for Rs 900 (includes breakfast). During
the low season rooms are Rs 450.
Even further back from the beach is Raja Hotel (480-355),
with rooms facing the sea for Rs 1000 (Rs 500 low-season). It has a vegetarian
restaurant.
Wilson Tourist Home (480-051), back from the beach, has
clean rooms for Rs 450 to Rs 1500. During the off-season rooms go down
to Rs 200 to Rs 500. It is a friendly, well-managed place.
Paradise Rock (480-658), Lighthouse Rd, has large, nice, clean rooms overlooking
the beach.
Neptune (480-622), back from Lighthouse Beach, has rooms
for Rs 500 to Rs 1000. The rooms are half this price during the low season.
There are Kathakali dances at this hotel.
The popular Moonlight Tourist Home (480-375) has large,
clean rooms, some with small balconies for Rs 1000 (Rs 500 low-season)
and Rs 1500 with A/C.
Hotel Thushara (481-693: fax same) has nicely built,
comfortable cottages and rooms for Rs 1000 (Rs 450 in low-season).
Nearby, the new Royal Retreat has comfortable A/C cottages
for Rs 1100 (Rs 600 in low-season).
Where to Stay—Higher
Hotel Palmshore (480-494; fax 480-495), south of the
lighthouse, overlooks a private cove in a peaceful location. It has comfortable
rooms for $65 and with A/C $75 during the Dec-Jan peak time. The rest
of the high-season rooms are $50 and $60 with A/C. The price drops to
$30 and $35 during the low season.
Ashok Beach Resort (480-101; fax 481-522) is a luxurious
place with an excellent location. It has a pool, a bookshop, tennis courts,
and a Yoga and Health Center that offers Ayurvedic oil massages and baths.
Rooms are $130/150 and suites are $175 up to $400 in the high season.
They accept most major credit cards.
Swagath Holiday Resorts (481-148; fax 330-990), above
the beach overlooking the lighthouse, has comfortable rooms for Rs 1500
to Rs 2000 and Rs 1800 to Rs 2600 with A/C and Rs 4000 for an A/C suite.
It does not have a pool. It has a good restaurant. Rooms with a view of
the lighthouse get hit by a brilliant light all night.
Hotel Sea Face (418-835; fax 481-320), on Hawah Beach,
is a new modern place that has rooms with TV for Rs 2400 and with A/C
for Rs 2800. Deluxe rooms are Rs 3500 and suites are Rs 5000. Between
June and October there is a 25% discount. The pool overlooks the sea.
KTDC Hotel Samudra (480-089, 480-413; fax 480-242), 2km
north of the main beach, by itself, has A/C doubles for Rs 1500/2500 (Rs
1800 during the low-season). It is close to the beach in a pleasant secluded
location, and the best rooms have a view of the sea.
Palmanova (480-494; fax 480-495), Lighthouse Rd, has
comfortable rooms with a good view from their own terraces for Rs 1800.
Palm trees surround it.
Where to Eat
There are many places along the beach. Many places show nightly movies.
Sanatana’s has a good sound system.
Serenity, south end of the beach, and the nearby Shiva’s
Moon, serve good Western breakfasts.
Garzia makes fresh pasta.
Classic is a popular place with budget travelers.
Hotel Appu, a good distance from the beach, has good,
cheap Indian food, and is popular with the locals.
Pizzeria Italian and Indian Restaurant, Light House Rd,
is a good place with Italian food including pizza, lasagna with cheese
and tomato sauce and grilled eggplant with cheese. It is medium priced.
Lonely Planet vegetarian restaurant is in a peaceful
location back from the beach. It is a good place for South Indian, Western,
and inexpensive thalis. Recommended.
German Bakery sells baked goods, muesli, pasta, and breads.
Hotel Sunshine serves good, cheap thalis (Rs 20).
Rockholm Hotel has a good restaurant with a view of the
sea.
Hotel Seaweed has a popular rooftop restaurant.
The Sea Rock Hotel restaurant has a view of the sea.
Ashok Beach Resort and the Swagath Holiday Resorts
have good restaurants.
Entertainment
Many restaurants along the beach show nightly movies. During the high
season there are often Kathakali dance performances at
the Hotel Ashok on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
The Neptune Hotel hosts a Kathakali dance troupe three
nights a week.
Travel
Air The closest airport is in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum),
a half-hour from Kovalam.
Bus The bus stand is located just outside the gate of the Ashok Hotel, next to Kovalam Beach. Getting to Kovalam usually means first passing through Thiruvananthapuram. From Thiruvananthapuram, buses (Rs 4) depart every 40 minutes from the Fort Bus Depot on MG Rd, opposite the Hotel Luciya Continental (bus #9D or #111).
There are direct buses to Kanyakumari (2 hr, four buses daily), Ernakulam, Kochi, Varkala, Padmanabhapuram, Nagercoil, and Kollam. There is a morning bus to Thekkady in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. The 7 am bus to Kollam gets you there in time to catch the backwater boat to Alappuzha.
If you are going to Madurai, you can take a bus to Nagercoil (2 hr) and from there, one of the regular buses to Madurai.
Taxi and Rickshaw A shared taxi from Thiruvananthapuram to here is Rs 20 per person. An auto-rickshaw to or from Thiruvananthapuram is Rs 60 to Rs 80. If you are willing to wait, you can sometimes get an auto-rickshaw to Thiruvananthapuram at a cheaper rate if the driver wants to return to Thiruvananthapuram. A taxi from Thiruvananthapuram to Kovalam costs Rs 150 to Rs 200. A prepaid taxi from Thiruvananthapuram airport to Kovalam is Rs 200. It is usually better to arrive at the lighthouse (Vizhinjam) end of the beach because there are not many touts in that area and that is where most of the hotels are located.
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