Kovalam Tour was the pleasant gift that I got after completing my official conference in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), the capital city of Kerala State. It is among the best known beach destinations of the world located around 13 km downtown of Thiruvananthapuram. Though one day trip to Kovalam was not enough to explore its scattered awesome beauty yet it was sufficient to experience its charisma. On Sunday early morning I reached this place from Trivandrum by taxi.

I have heard and read about this place but never visited so the joy and enthusiasm of sea kept me busy the whole day. I was so much fascinated that I was unable to decide from where to start my exploration. I was sitting on the glistening sand with this thought bouncing around in my mind. Sitting there I was watching the beauty of rising and falling waves washing the shore. The freshness of air and the whooshing sound of waves captivated me for long. This hypnotic effect was broken by the passing by hawker who was selling coconut water. I bought a coconut from him and while sipping it marched towards the sea to pamper myself in foaming waves.

I enjoyed the thrust, chilliness and salty taste of sea for long. There I realized that it is not an easy task to resist the force of waves. Though it was a tiring experience but the charm of sea waves refreshed me. After that I moved to the nearby rocky cliff to enjoy the binocular vision of the entire surrounding. The view that I saw was beyond description and one must visit this place to experience it. I took several snaps from this place and moved towards the nearby rooftop restaurant to satisfy my appetite with exotic Kerala seafood. The lunch was good as it was made from the fresh sea fish and original spices whose taste is still lingering on my taste buds.

The Kovalam beach is internationally renowned for its three bow-shaped beaches which are separated by the Rocky Mountain Terrain. The largest beach is known as Light House Beach because of its 35 meter high lighthouse, situated on Kurumkal hillock which I visited in the evening. The second largest one is Hawah Beach. It was the first topless beach in India but now topless bathing has been banned here. And the third is Samudra Beach which is famous among the local fishermen of Kovalam.

Along with the scenic locale Kovalam Beach is also the hub of various water sports activities, herbal body toning massages, cultural programs and sunbathing. I saw scores of national and international tourists involved in these activities enjoying their vacation in the best possible manner.

Though I missed the evening charm and the beauty of sunset of this place because I had to reach Thiruvananthapuram airport to board my flight, but, with no regrets, I was happy with what I could enjoy.

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You travel to the God’s doors only when he wants! That was a hard luck for me when I was planning a trip to Kerala since one long year and could not get even a single chance. But surprisingly, this year when my mother wished to visit temples in south India, I got a two-week’s leave from office very easily! So we did a stretched packing for a long vacation in south India. This was the lifetime opportunity for me when I was about to explore the best three cultures – Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

While starting from Mumbai, we first visited Chennai – the place known for its cultural heritage & temple architecture. On the city tour of Chennai, we visited the finest of historical monuments like Fort St. George, St. Mary’s Church, Fort Museum, and many such places. Later we headed towards Mahabalipuram, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The true beauty of Mahabalipuram lies in its rock-cut & monolithic structures and authentic Dravidian architecture. The best part here was visiting Shore Temple (one of the oldest Dravid temples in South India), Arjuna’s Penance (world’s largest bas-relief), and Pandava Rathas (monolithic temples fashioned as chariots).

We also extract some time and took a day excursion to Kanchipuram, one of the seven holy cities in the country. My mom was willing to visit Kanchipuram as the place is world famous for its temples & silk sarees. We paid a short visit to Kailasanatha Temple (built in typical Pallava style), Ekambaranatha (ancient Shiva temple) and Kamakshi Amman Temple (where the deity is seated on Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Eswara & Sadasiva).

Our next halt was Tanjore, the Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu. Being an art lover, I appreciated the city’s fine art plates, pithwork, bronze icons, Thanjavur paintings & classical South Indian musical instruments. After lunch, we paid a short visit to the Brihadeshwara temple, one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a classic example of the Dravidian style of temple architecture. Next we moved on to Madurai via Trichy and spent one day there.

Seeking for the true peace in the lap of nature, we headed for Periyar. This is the perfect heaven in Kerala that has endless attractions ranging from Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary to Periyar Lake, boat cruise facility, spice / tea plantations and the finest of divine greens. After a day of relaxation, we left for Kumarakom where we visited the Kumarakam Wildlife Sanctuary and spent the rest of the day at leisure in a luxurious houseboat (traditional Kettuvallom). The houseboat was equipped with all the modern amenities like bedrooms, attached bathrooms, kitchen, lounge, deck etc. We spent the night there only and travelled to Alleppey the next day, which is again a soothing, green and watery destination – meant for perfect relaxation.

Our next destination was Cochin, which is a popular historical sea trade center. A half day tour to Cochin is sufficient to visit the major attractions like Jew Town, Chinese fishing nets, and Kerala’s most popular classical dance – Kathakali. Cochin is located at a distance of about 300 km. from Ooty – the Queen of Hill Stations & the capital of Nilgiri district. We spent one another day at leisure at this picturesque picnic spot, and left for Mysore the next morning.

Along with Mysore, last on our list was Bangalore. Both these places are known for various historical monuments, temples and a cool climate throughout the year. We travelled like exploring the world. The trip was so fantastic that it refreshed my mind, body & soul. It was quite rejuvenating in every aspect.

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Ooty Tours

After completing my official work in Mysore, I with my colleagues booked one day Ooty Tour through Caper Travel Pvt Ltd. Ooty or Udhagamandalam nestled in the gorgeous green hills of the Nilgiris is one of the favorite summer retreats of people in South India. Orchards of peaches and plums, terraced tea plantations, eucalyptus, pine and wattle lining the landscapes make Ooty among the most sought after hill stations of India.

Our journey started at 5 in the morning. Our cab driver picked us up at 5 in the morning and we reached Ooty around 9 am. This four hour journey was really pleasing and soothing to my eyes because our cab passed through beautiful landscapes laden with dense forests. It was after a long time I saw lush greenery and nature’s scenic beauty. We took a breakfast break near Mudumalai where we had some awesome idli and coffee. Then we again embarked on our Ooty journey through the hilly areas. For me everything was like a dream, those beautiful farms, small cottages on hills and small churches amidst lush green valleys.

Ooty the queen of southern hill resorts of India is standing at 7,349 feet above sea level. This hill station is located at the junction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, three famous southern states of India.
Our cab driver dropped us at a point called Shooting Point which is named so because many bollywood movies have been shot here. At this place we climbed up the hill and reached the top of the hill. The panoramic views of surrounding landscapes just took our breath away.

We were stunned by the nature’s spell of rolling meadows lined up with tall pine and wattle tress. We stayed here for a few hours to enjoy the nature’s dramatic vistas at their best. The ecstasy of this place was maximized by the misty clouds which soon engulfed the entire surroundings. For the first time in my life I experienced the joy of clouds. The natural glory of this place fascinated us so much that we started running, shouting, jumping like crazy children. The drizzling cloud drenched us but romanticism of nature kept us engaged for long without even a single thought of cold.

Our next destination in itinerary was Botanical Garden which is located on the lower slopes of Dodabetta peak, the highest point in Ooty. This is among the most sought after destinations of this place which is visited by a large number of tourists round the year. We decided to visit this place quickly so that we can get time to enjoy boating in Ooty Lake. This Botanical Garden is a home to many rare species of trees, shrubs, flowers and bushes. The most prominent attractions of this garden are cork tree, paper bark tree, monkey puzzle tree and an old fossilized tree which is about 20 million year old. The monkey puzzle tree is so called because even monkeys fail to climb it which we didn’t accept at first but finally we agreed with this view.

After enjoying the floral beauty of Botanical Garden we went to Ooty Lake which is the foremost attraction of this place. It is said that if you have been to Ooty and not seen the Ooty Lake, then you have seen nothing at all. The Lake is synonymous with Ooty itself which was constructed by the first Collector of Ooty, John Sullivan in the year 1823-1825. The charismatic feature of this lake can be best felt with boating in the lake. Out of motor boats, pedal boats and rowing boats we preferred motor boat so that we can explore this wide expanse of lake in a short time span.

After enjoying the lake cruise we came back to our cab. And our cab driver headed back to Mysore.

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