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Depending on the time you intend to spend in
Kovalam, you can
plan small tours to places nearby. Here are a few
guidelines.
Padmanabhapuram Palace -
Kanyakumari:Another package for a two day tour. The
Padmanabhapuram Palace is 63 km from Thiruvananthapuram. Start the journey
by early morning, say 6 a.m., you will reach the palace within three
hours. Hang around the palace for another three hours. Have lunch then and
by noon, continue the journey. You will reach Kanyakumari by 3
p.m. After a short nap in a hotel room, it's time to view the
sunset. The visit to the Vivekananda rock can be made the next day
morning. The short trip by boat is exhilarating. By afternoon, you can
return and you'll be in Thiruvananthapuram by evening. Pix:
Padmanabhapuram Palace, Kanyakumari beach, Vivekananda rock.
Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary - Ponmudi:An
ideal package for spending two days. Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary spreads
over 53 km and is accessible from Vidurai, which is on the way to Ponmudi.
The sanctuary is host to a rich variety of flora and fauna. Nearby is
situated the Peppara Dam. Covering the dam and the sanctuary, will take
you around half a day. Then move on to Ponmudi, 8 km from Peppara. Spend
the rest of the day exploring the green winding lanes of the beautiful
hill resort. Go for trekking the next day. Pix: Peppara dam and Ponmudi.
Varkala - Neyyar Dam -
Ponmudi:If you have a week at your disposal, go for a tour
package covering the three places Varklala, Neyyar Dam and Ponmudi. In
Varkala, the sea and the Papanasom beach is calm and serene, compared to
Kovalam, which at times turns murky due to an overflow of tourists. You
can spend up to three days in and around Varkala climbing the high cliffs
and bathing in the mineral springs. Neyyar Dam, 32 km to the south of Thiruvananthapuram, has a
watchtower, crocodile farm, lion safari park and deer park. You can spend
two days here roaming around the parks and enjoying the boat
safari.
Ponmudi, the beautiful hill resort, with its narrow,
winding pathways and cool, green woods is an ideal place for trekking.
Walking around the place immersed in lush greenery soothes you with a
sense of cool. Two days will be enough to cover Ponmudi. Pix: Ponmudi,
Varkala.
Thiruvananthapuram :If your stay
in Kovalam is limited to one or two days, you can trip in and around
Thiruvananthapuram. The capital city is known for its architectural
magnificence. The many buildings built with red bricks and tiles also
speaks of the historical past of the city. A short skip around
Thiruvananthapuram would take one day. Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple,
Napier Museum, Sree Chithra Art Gallery and the Priyadarshini
Planetarium are places not to be missed. Do not forget to visit the
Akkulam and Veli lakes. Pix: Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple,
Museum.
Thiruvallam - Vizhinjam:Thiruvallam
and Vizhinjam are places nearer to Kovalam and are places ideal for one
day tours. Thiruvallam is a serene backwater stretch enroute to Kovalam.
You can enjoy canoe rides in this place. Vizhinjam is just one km away
from Kovalam. There is a cave temple in Vizhinjam with rock cut sculptures
of the 18th century. The outer walls of the cave temple depict half
complete carvings of Lord Siva and Goddess Parvati. Pix: The
backwater at Thiruvallam, Vizhinjam beach.
Aruvikkara -
Koyikkal Palace, Nedumangad: Aruvikkara is just 16 km away
from Kovalam, a picturesque spot situated on the banks of the Karamana
river. You can roam over the beautiful dam site and feed the fish that
fearlessly come close to the banks of the stream near the Durga Temple.
Spend half a day there and move on to Nedumangad, where the Koyikkal
palace is situated. You can see the nalukettu, the traditional
Kerala style building which dates back to the 15th century. There is also
a folklore museum and numismatics museum that preserves relics such as
quaint musical instruments and household instruments of the past
centuries, rare and historically valuable coins etc. You need only spend
half a day here.
Kumarakom - Thekkady -
Munnar:Another one-week tour package. Get to Kumarakom
first and spent two days there. Spend a day in the backwaters in the
house-boats, and another one roaming around the Kumarakom bird sanctuary.
Move on to Thekkady, where you can spend two days. The journey to Thekkady
itself is an enjoyable experience. Once you reach there, make a boat ride
to take an overview of the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. On the second day,
you can go for trekking. The tribal villages offers a variety of sights
and experiences. In Munnar, you can spend three days. Spend your first day
in Munnar ambling through the sprawling tea gardens of the idyllic hill
resort. Go to the Mattupetty lake and dam on the second day and the
Eravikulam National Park and the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary on the third
day.
Neyyar Dam -
Agastyakoodam:If you are interested in trekking,
Agastyakoodam is the place where you should go to. The place is accessible
from Kotoor, near Neyyar Dam and also from Bonacaud. The advocated time
for trekking in Agastyakoodam is from December to April. You have to
obtain a pass from the Wildlife Warden, Forest Department, PTP Nagar,
Thiruvananthapuram. Agastyakoodam is a part of the Sahyadri range of
mountains. The place is known for its teeming wildlife and for rare
medicinal herbs and plants. Pix: Agastyakoodam.
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