Kovalam

It is no doubt that our world is slowly deteriorating every second as a result of an unprecedented amount of pollution and inhuman deforestation. But, amidst all these developments, we always feel as if the world is beautiful and, it is no way near being deteriorating. Personally, living in the heart of the capital city I always feel special once I get to Kovalam. Kovalam is a beach town by the Arabian Sea In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, located around 18 km south of the city center. Kovalam is probably the most visited beach in Kerala and there is no doubt why it is famous. There are a plenty of reasons as to why one must visit Kovalam. Let us just say, the place has three beaches all layered and you get to enjoy the view from the lighthouse as well. 

Being no stranger to the place itself, Kovalam is probably one among those beaches to which I've visited multiple times. Kovalam has three beaches separated by rocky outcroppings in its 17 km coastline, the three together form the famous crescent of the Kovalam beach. Among the said three beaches, I always find Lighthouse beach the best one. The reason being the walk from Samudra beach through the Hawa and then to Lighthouse beach perfectly builds the excitement and the moment you see that 35-meter high Lighthouse, you'll be "Thunderstruck". The biggest of them all, Lighthouse beach is perfect to spend your evening. 

The second largest beach is the Hawah beach. Once you're there it might be a confusing sight. You will forget your whereabouts and would start thinking as if you have been transported to another country. Tourists enjoying their holidays and fishermen trying to get their daily work done, Hawah beach is a busy beach with a lot of activities going on. With a high rock promontory and a calm bay of blue waters, this beach paradise creates a unique aquarelle on moonlit nights.

There is nothing much to praise about the Samudra beach. It just the beach which starts off your expedition to the Lighthouse. Overall, Kovalam is a perfect place to go to if you are willing to spend some quality time observing nature's beauty. Moreover, People often stay here to get a glimpse of sunrise and sunset. So, make sure to do the same if you want to see the sun making its entrance or to watch it mark its exit.

Contributed by Sooraj Ram

Thenmala - - A Constellation hidden in the Surface

The thing about hill stations is that they are hard to not to stumble across, especially when you live in a place like Kerala. But there is this place where the Capital city, Trivandrum will surely blow your mind. Thenmala is a place of historic importance. Thenmala; "Then" stands for Honey and "Mala" stands for Mountain in Malayalam, is the first planned eco-tourism destination in India. Thenmala tourism quickly became a place for filming.

Fortunately enough, Thenmala is close to where I live and I was able to sort a plan out to visit the place on my sem break. Less than 80 km from Trivandrum, I was able to locate the place easily and could find a proper conveyance. After an hour and a half drive, I reached the place around 11 in the morning and after finishing all the formalities, I got in and the first thing I looked was the whereabouts and must-see places. The first thing that I had the pleasure to visit is a short trek towards the Sanctuary, placed near Thenmala. There is an affordable entry fee of Rs 100, but still the time you spend there will be cherished all through your life.

Next stop, The Butterfly park. There is a slight walking to do to get to the place, but, the moment you get there, all you could see is a place which holds the most varieties of Butterfly to be placed in a natural habitat for us to see.

After spending some quality time there, I went forward to explore more places. My favorite was the Nakshathravanam, which is a park holding 27 trees representing 27 birth stars. Moreover, the place is a must-see for those who like to study more about flora.

Thenmala is a huge place spread across a wide area, which is quite hard to cover everything in one go. To wrap up my short run, I visited the Parappar Dam, which is second largest irrigation project in Kerala and has the longest reservoir in the state. This trip to Thenmala was truly a memorable one as I got to see a lot of things which exemplifies the beauty of our mother nature. Thenmala is one such place which could easily make it to the top tourist places in Kerala or India, in general. I plan on visiting the place often so that I could see everything in one go.


Contributed by Sooraj Ram