July 15, 2018

Just like the previous day I woke up at 5:30 AM and I went to the Triveni Sangam to grab another opportunity for a sunrise. And as usual, it was beautiful. I left Kanyakumari at 7:30 AM for my next Destination, i.e. Kovalam beach. Since my motto was to travel by local transport only and since there was no direct transport available from Kanyakumari to Kovalam, I took a bus to Nagercoil and from there I got the bus to Thiruvananthapuram. Thiruvananthapuram is the capital city of Kerala and which is famous for its Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

I heard about the beauty of the roads of Kerala, especially the route from Kovalam beach to Varkala beach which is about 55KMs of a drive. And the best way to enjoy this beauty is to drive through by two-wheeler vehicle. And that is what I have done and rented a bike for a couple of days. I kicked it up from Thiruvananthapuram and scooted all the way to Kovalam beach. It is about 20KMs of a drive from Thiruvananthapuram to Kovalam beach. There will be a series of coconut trees on both sides of the road to let you feel majestic throughout your drive.

Kovalam Beach:

By 3:30 PM I reached Kovalam beach where an amazing sea facing view hotel room was waiting for me to check in. After taking some rest, in the evening I went for a beach walk. Kovalam beach is attached with another beach i.e. Lighthouse beach. 

Lighthouse beach was named after its 35 m tall Vizhinjam lighthouse at the seashore. Climbing the top of its spiraling staircase can treat you with the spectacular view of the surroundings. Lighthouse beach has mixed sand of Black and Yellow color with crystal clear water. There are a series of sea facing hotels and restaurants at the beach that serves the delicious seafood. I started my walk from the lighthouse beach and moved towards the Kovalam beach.

Kovalam beach is known as ‘Paradise of the South’. This beach was brought to the public eye by the Maharaja of Travancore nearly in the late of 1920s. Today Kovalam is one of the hottest tourist destinations in India. Kovalam beach has mixed sand of Black and Yellow color just like Lighthouse beach with crystal clear water. And the cherry on the cake is pleasing beach background with lots of coconut trees which will make you feel very delighted. There is one huge cliff which joins the Lighthouse beach and Kovalam beach. By standing on that cliff you can see both of the beaches at the same time. Before going to the Kovalam beach I climbed that cliff and looked at both of the beaches. It was spectacular. People around me were busy in taking photos while I sat down at one place to enjoy the beauty. After spending some time on that cliff I moved towards the Kovalam beach.

The beach was heavily crowded. Many people were taking a bath in the beach water. Few kids were playing with sand and were trying to build various shapes with the sand. That scene reminded me of my childhood days when I used to do the same when I go to the beach with my father while I was a kid. I spent some time on a beach and returned to the hotel room after the sunset. The nightlife at Kovalam and Lighthouse beach is another amazing thing. One can enjoy amazing seafood cuisine with the cold breeze coming from the sea. One can also do shopping of handmade materials made by locals. After having dinner, it was me, sea facing hotel room’s balcony and Kishore Kumar’s songs on my phone. It was a perfect trio and one of the best moments I had.

Next day, I woke up early at 7 AM to have a morning walk on the beach. The beach was not much crowded as yesterday. Generally, I don’t go into Beach water to take a bath. But the water was so clear that tempted me to take a bath. The water was too cold, but who cares when you are at a wonderful beach which has clear water and lots of coconut trees in the background. That was so refreshing. I spent some time on the beach and then returned to the hotel to get ready for another beach experience, i.e. Varkala beach.

Varkala Beach:

Kovalam beach to Varkala beach is about 55KMs of a drive. Believe me, that drive was one of the amazing drives I ever had. You will come across those roads where on your one hand, you will have a series of the coconut tree and on the other hand, the Arabian Sea. One has to drive through Chilakkoor – Vallakkadavu road to have this amazing view. BY 2:30 PM I reached the hotel which was about 5 minutes away from Varkala beach.

It is said that Lord Narada threw his Valkalam (a cloth made from the bark of a tree) on earth and the place where it landed that came to be known as Varkala. Varkala beach is one of the rare beaches where the cliffs are adjacent to the sea. Varkala Beach is also called Papanasam beach as it is believed that taking bath here will wash away all sins. This beach is very famous for its Spa and Ayurvedic centers which offer the best treatments and therapies. 

In evening at 5 PM I went to Varkala beach. Varkala beach has its own beauty as compare to Kovalam beach. The beach is adjacent to the cliff which goes on for over a kilometer. The cliff has lots of resorts, restaurants, and shops over it. The beach was crowded with fewer people. A group of boys were playing beach volleyball. I sat at one place and went into my thinking mode. I was feeling peaceful over there. As the sun was setting, the beach was becoming more and more magnificent. Believe me, the sunset from Varkala beach was amazing.

In the morning I was watching the sunrise from Triveni Sangam, Kanyakumari. And on the same day, I had the sunset from Kovalam beach. It was a very special feeling for me. Beaches in Kerala have their own beauty which attracts not only Indians but also foreigners. One should definitely visit the Kovalam and Varkala beach once.