Travel Ideas & Trip Inspirations | South India
Day 1 – Thiruvananthapuram/Varkala
Your tour commences as soon as you arrive at the Thiruvananthapuram airport or railway station. You will be met and then driven to the beach town of Varkala. After a short drive, you arrive at the hotel where you meet the rest of your travel mates at an orientation at the hotel. You have the rest of the day to wander around and familiarize yourself with the surroundings, before trying out some of the adventure activities that we have to offer. You stay two nights in Varkala.
Varkala, a coastal town located just 40 kilometres from the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram, is known for the Papanasham beach, with its rocky cliffs and glistening water bodies. With cliffs running adjacent to the Arabian Sea, and known as the Varkala Formation, it is a geological wonder. Varkala is also a town of historical significance. Renowned for the 2000 year old Janardhana Swamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Varkala is also an important pilgrimage site. Owing to the temple, Varkala is also known as the ‘Benares of the South’. The temple is filled with exquisite carvings and there is a banyan tree surrounded by sculpted serpent god idols. The 17th century Anjengo Fort was used by the Dutch, Portuguese and the English. It also houses an English fort and a cemetery. Varkala Tunnel was built in to accommodate the seafaring trade between Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. At a length of 924 feet, it took 14 years to build and is a tourist highlight. Other notable sights are the Sivagiri Mutt, a popular ashram built in 1904 by Sree Narayana Guru and the Kaduvayil Thangal Dargah, which is the tomb of a local Muslim saint.
Day 2 – Varkala
You start your day off with a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel before setting off for a half day tour of Varkala. The rest of the day you can opt to relax at the beach or at the hotel or participate in an afternoon of activities.
Day 3 – Quilon
This morning, you depart for Quilon, another cluster of backwater aqua bodies. You board a houseboat and cruise the Ashtamadi Lake and its canals.
The grand town of Quilon, also known as Kollam, is located on the Ashtamudi Lake. It is noted for being a gateway to the backwaters of Kerala. The houseboats take different routes – some go from Kollam to Allapuzha while others do a round trip on the Paravur Lake. Either way, you pass through some charming canal homes and water-bound villages. The famous “Cheenavala” or Chinese fishing nets can also be seen here with sprawling lotus and water lily ppads. There are a host of water birds that frequent the area and you may see them on skating across the water.
Quilon is also known for its marine and cashew industries and being on the coastline it is one of the oldest trading ports. There is a large boat building yard, where some of the largest Kettuvallams (cargo boats of rural Kerala) were built. These were once used for transporting goods like rice, spices, as well as people. Later on with the advent of motorized boats and the boom in tourism, the Kettuvallams came to be used as a lure for tourists, and they were renovated to provide all the comforts of a luxury hotel.
Quilon is also home to a number of temples constructed in traditional Keralite architecture style. Some notable places are the Sasthamkotta fresh water lake, Thirumullavaram beach, Subramanya temple and Rameshwara temple.
Day 4 – Kovalam
This morning, you head for another coastal town in Kerlala called Kovalam. Here you spend another two nights enjoying your time on the beach. In the afternoon, you go for a half day orientation of Kovalam.
Kovalam was once a sleepy beach and fishing town that saw the start of tourism in the 1930s. It moved to a bustling tourist destination in the seventies with the influx of hippies. Easily accessible being just a short drive to Kerala’s state capital, Trivandrum, there are four lovely beaches to choose from. The town is also known for Ayurvedic massages and the art of meditation and yoga. Interested in shopping? Then look out for teak, sandal and rose wood handicrafts, ivory sculptures and spices. There are also interesting curios made from coconut, coir, cane and bamboo.
The Napier museum showcases a variety of Keralite ornaments, costumes influenced by Chines and Mughal styels as well as a model of the “Tharwad”, a traditional Nair family home. Vellayani Lake, just seven kilometres away, is a freshwater lake made famous by the annual boat race that is organized during the festival of Onam. Padmanabhapuram Palace contains elaborate woodwork, bright murals and Belgian mirrors along with a distinctive feature of black granite floors. Veli Tourist Village is a great place to try water sports. The Vizhinjam village is known for its cave temple and a marine aquarium of exotic sea creatures.
Day 5 – Kovalam
You have the full day at your leisure to enjoy the best that Kovalam has to offer.
Day 6 – Flight/Train
Your tour ends today, with a transfer to Thiruvananthapuram airport or to the railway station for your onward journey.
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