Kovalam ( Trivandrum)

Beaches

Evening time view of the beach

Kovalam has three beaches separated by rocky outcroppings in its 17 km coastline, the three together form the famous crescent of the Kovalam beach

• Lighthouse Beach

The southernmost beach, the Lighthouse Beach is the one most frequented by tourists, Lighthouse Beach got its name due to the old Vizhinjam Lighthouse located on a rocky promontory here. Its intermittent beams at night render the beach with an unearthly charm.^[4]

• Hawah Beach

Eve’s Beach, more commonly known as Hawa Beach, ranks second, in the early day, is a beehive of activities with fishermen setting out for sea. With a high rock promontory and a calm bay of blue waters, this beach paradise creates a unique aquarelle on moonlit nights.

• Samudra Beach

A large promontory separates this part from the southern side. Samudra Beach doesn't have tourists thronging there or hectic business. The local fishermen ply their trade on this part.

Venice of the East

Alappuzha :, also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. It is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha District. Alappuzha is considered to be the oldest planned town in this region and the lighthouse built on the coast of the town is the first of its kind along the Laccadive Sea coast (reference encyclopaedia of Kerala in Malayalam language). As per 2001 census Alappuzha is the sixth largest town in Kerala with an urban population of 177,029. Alappuzha is situated 62 kilometres (39 mi) to the south of Kochi and 155 kilometres (96 mi) north of Trivandrum.^[ A town with picturesque canals, backwaters, beaches, and lagoons, it was described as the one of the places known as the "Venice of the East" by Lord Curzon. Malayalam is the most spoken language. Hindi, English and Tamil are also widely spoken in the town.

The Munnar Tea Gardens are a must visit if you are in Kerala. Until 1760, Munnar and its surrounding area were covered by forests. The place was first recognized by a European known as Duke of Wellington. A first sapling of tea plant was planted and today one can see miles and miles of lush green tea gardens. One can walk through these picturesque tea gardens which are filled with rich and scented fragrance of tea. You can also spot Neelakurinji, a flower that blooms every 12 years while taking a walk through these tea gardens. One also gets an opportunity to see the picking of the tea leaves and its processing in the factories on the visit. Tourist can also pick these leaves and take them back home as a souvenir of wonderful memories.

Tourists can also capture on camera beautiful flora and fauna while taking a walk through these gardens. One may encounter with the rare species of mountain goat Nilgiri Tahr or Ibex, elephants, tigers, and lion tailed macaque, flying squirrel, Nilgiri wood pigeon and many more while on excursions to these gardens.

Some of the main tea estates here are the TATA Tea Company and they even have a Museum at the Nallathani estate.The Kolukkumalai tea estate is 35 km from Munnar and at 8000 ft is said to be the highest tea garden.

Quaint cottages, fragrant tea gardens and mist-draped mornings are hallmarks of Munnar that affords a serenity and tranquility. So capture the beauty of morning dew drops and exotic fauna at Munnar Tea Gardens and feel nature in its purest form.