Kovalam

Fast Facts
District : Trivandrum
Distance : 13 kms, south of Trivandrum
Attractions : Kovalam Beach
Best Time to Visit : October to March, for ayurvedic treatment - June to September

Locations
Kovalam is a wonderful beach strip that lies near the capital city of Kerala, Trivandrum. Kovalam used to be a fishing village that has been transformed into one of the acknowledged beach resort areas. The place is about 16 kms from the capital city and comprises of a series of beaches, three in number.

Introducing Kovalam
Kovalam features a beautiful shoreline that is lined up with coconut and palm trees. The presence of these trees, along the beaches is in itself an attraction. The monotony of the beach is broken at many places by local fishermen that have long been inhabiting the lands. The pleasant weather accompanied by the natural shade makes the place one important destination in the state of Kerala and beyond. The shoreline has rocks jutting out at a number of places that provide for a picturesque of the sea and the beach. The moonlit view of beach is a great catch for the tourists who reach here for the fascination.

The most popular and the most beautiful part of Kovalam is the beach strip that lies to the farther south. The southern part comprises of clear beach land which is not crowded and features cool shades and gentle turf. The beach activities include sun bathing, swimming, surfing and body massaging and toning.

There has been a great inflow of foreign tourist, especially from Europe. The popularity of the beach in recent years has multiplied manifolds. One reason for this is the inception of Ayurveda and Spa resorts in the region. The accommodational facilities at Kovalam are also up to the mark. The region is dotted with a number of hotels and restaurants that provide facilities and services to the tourists. Compared to other beach resorts, the ones at Kovalam are quite economical and that further complements the fact. And to add to all the growing number of health and spa resorts has opened new avenues for the region.

The sea food served in the restaurants here is exotic. To serve fresh food the catch is often recovered from the sea that lies nearby. Prawns, lobster and Kalamari are the best catches.

Nearby Attractions
The capital city, being in proximity, makes Kovalam one of the frequently visited places in Kerala. Apart from daily commercial activities there are many places of interest one can visit. Some of these places include Veli Lagoon, Govt Art Museum or Napier Museum, Observatory, Science and Technology Museum, Shanghumugham Beach.

Yoga and Meditation in Kovalam
Ancient Indian wisdom has given the practical science of Yoga which provides mental peace, radiant health and spiritual fulfillment amidst modern life intense stress. As Yoga and Meditation is becoming Kerala's big tourist attraction, so a crop of ayurvedic ashrams, clinics, resorts, centres and spas have mushroomed all over the Kovalam town as well as Beach.

At Kovalam, almost all reputed hotels have their own Yoga and health centres where you can learn the intricacies and dynamics of Yoga and meditation taught by experts. Besides, there are several Yoga schools offering yoga and meditation classes, in and around Kovalam beach.

Some of the popular Yoga and Meditation centres in Kovalam include Somatheeram Ayurvedic Beach Resort, Kovalam Ashok Beach Resort, Ayushya Ayurvedic Centre, Franklin Ayurveda Centre, Hotel Samudra, Medicos and Gopals Ayurvedic Beach Resort.

Places Where You Can Stay
Kovalam is provided with all the arrangements that suit almost any class of the tourists. Located in the region are numerous resorts, premium hotels and economical class. Some known accommodation providers as such include :

Resorts : Somatheeram Beach Resort, Manaltheeram Beach Resort, Poovar Island Resort. Coconut Beach Bay Resort.

Premium Hotels : Surya Samudra, The Travancore Heritage, Swagath Holiday Resort, Taj Green Cove Resort and Spa.

Economy Hotels : Beach and Lake Resort, Palm Shore Hotel, Hotel Sea Face, Hotel Uday Samudra.

How to Reach
The nearest railhead and airport to Kovalam is located at Trivandrum. The airport features both national and international terminals and as such provides accessibility to and from the cities of Indian sub continent and many international countries. The place as such is connected to the cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Goa, Bangalore, Cochin, Srilanka, Singapore, Maldives and several gulf countries. One can also reach the place by taking a bus or taxi from Trivandrum.

	Best of Kerala (11 Days) Features : Kovalam is one of the many destinations covered in the tour package Best of Kerala. There are full three nights and two days stay at this famous place. The sojourn also provides for trips to some famous hill stations, historic places and backwaters of Kerala. The tour takes across the destinations like Cochin, Periyar,Munnar, Kumarakom and more.

Kerala Vacation Package (10 Days) Features : Kerala Vacation Package features a trip to the famous Kovalam beach, trip to the southern most part of India, Kanyakumari, wildlife cruise at Periyar, bird watching at Kumarakom and more. It has been customized to provide leisure, especially to foreign tourists. The tour concludes with city tour of popular Indian city Mumbai. The places expected during the tour are Cochin, Kumarakom, Periyar, Kovalam and Mumbai.

	Kerala Spice Trail (16 Days) Features : This tour covers important tourist destinations of Kerala including beaches, hill stations, plantations lands and backwaters. The package provides for a complete beach holiday at the popular Kovalam beach. An adventurous tour accompanied with much leisure. Places to be visited include Trivandrum, Munnar, Madurai, Thekkady, Cochin, Alleppey and Kovalam.

Kerala and Tropical India (14 Days) Features : As the name of the package suggests it offers an exploration of the tropical tourist destinations in the state of Kerala. There is a beach trip meant for Kovalam and Varkala. The tour begins from metropolitan city, Chennai and concludes with a day vacation at Kovalam Beach. Places to be visited include Madras, Mysore, Ooty, Guruvayoor, Cochin, Varkala and Kovalam.

India and the Tropical South (15 Days) Features : Against 15 days the tourist gets almost three day and nights stay at the famous beach of Kovalam. The tour traverses through the heart land of Kerala encompassing destinations like Quilon, Alleppey, Cochin, Munnar, Thekkady, Kumarakom and Kovalam. The tour also provides a trip to the neighboring attraction of Madurai, in Tamil Nadu state. It is a very enlightening tour.