Magnificent Kerala

AT VARKALA : If you're looking for beaches and are fed up with the crowds and prices at Kovalam, then its well worth checking out Varkala. The best times to go, are of course in the season, when the beach extends out all around the cliff face for 500 meters. The beaches around this area are excellent and if you're looking for a cheap holiday Varkala should definitely be on your list. In the off season its really mellow and relaxed, swim and sleep and chill out. Only in December does it get really busy and prices start rocketing till January/February, when it starts to quieten down. AT KOVALAM :The beaches are the star attractions here. Kovalam has three crescent shaped beaches separated by rocky outcroppings. The larger of the beaches is called Lighthouse Beachknown for its 35 metre high lighthouse which towers over it atop Kurumkal hillock. Most of the foreigner’s stay on Lighthouse Beach, which is more developed. There are some vendors on the beach, but they are not too pushy. It takes less than five minutes to walk from Lighthouse Beach to the second largest beach, Hawah Beach. AT MUNNAR MUNNAR: Munnar is a beautiful hill station, and was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners. The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located. AT TRIVANDRUM :The name Thiruvananthapuram' means the 'abode of Anantha' - referring to the sacred snake god on whom Lord Vishnu reclines. The British found the name too much of a mouthful and anglicised it to Trivandrum'. The capital of Kerala, this unpretentious city is clean, green and has a leisurely feel to it. The Padmanabha Swamy Temple that holds the deity of the royal family of Travancore is an important landmark.  AT ALLEPPY: Situated at the south-western tip of India's longest lake, the Vembanad, Alappuzha lies sandwiched between the lake and the Arabian Sea - a sliver of land barely 4 km wide. It attracts tourists throughout the year for that singular experience of backwater cruising, AT ERNAKULAM: litary parades and processions from the nearby Shiva Temple. The one-time Parikshit Thampuran Museum situated here has been converted into an academy that showcases contemporary arts. more Kochi A small area that was once bequeathed to a member of the royal family; Kochi later expanded to form a kingdom and then the State of Cochin.