Cherai Beach - Kochi

It is easier to claim that the Southern part of India houses the best of the best Beaches. You may ask why? Well, you have a lot of big names on the list which goes from the infamous Marina Beach in Chennai, Tamil Nadu to the hidden gem, Perumathura in Trivandrum, Kerala.   What else do we have? When it comes to the best beaches, Cherai always stays in the top 10, as far as I'm concerned. Located at the northern end of Vypeen end, Kochi, Cherai holds the spot for the most visited beach in Kerala. 

Even though the place itself is quite far from the capital city Trivandrum, I stopped by the beach when I visited Kochi last year. Once I got to the place, the first thing that I recognized was that the tides were surprisingly much gentle and I could see kids swimming on the beach without much difficulty. Spread over a range of 10 km, Cherai is undoubtedly the best spot for all those who like swimming and those who wish to experience a gentle breeze on a fine sunny day. 

The main attraction is mainly due to the spectacular atmosphere which holds the active sea and the gentle backwaters on a single frame. Chinese fishing nets on the waterfront and thick coconut groves add charm to this place. Apart from the serene beauty that the beach offers, there is a small children's park on the side and for all those who like adventure sports, they can rent a speedboat or a water scooter to blaze through the gentle tides. Hiring a bike on rent at Cherai is also very reasonable. 

Getting a beautiful view of village life in Cherai is very refreshing and it gives a wonderful experience. Kite Flying is another very interesting activity to do in Cherai as locals are really very fond of it. This activity is so popular that there is an annual kite flying festival celebrated every year with great joy.

Just as the afternoon shine began diminishing, we walked towards to Munamam point where one could cherish the beauty of the beach where the Arabian Sea comes in contact with the gentle backwaters. Moreover, this is the best spot to watch the sunset and sunrise. 

There is a reason why people call Kochi the Queen of Arabian Sea. My trip to Kochi and Cherai beach, in particular, was amazing and I plan on visiting the place more often so that I could plan to watch the Sunrise when I get there next time. 


Contributed by Sooraj Ram

Jadayupara - Historic Sculpture recognized by Guinness

The one place that would singlehandedly increase the number of tourists in Kerala is Jadayupara. Moreover, Jadayupara is a place with a massive historic importance. In the great epic Ramayana, Jatayu is characterized as a noble bird of divine origin. One day he happened to hear the plaintive cry of a lady. It was Sitha lamenting for help while she had been abducted to Lanka by the demon king Ravana. Jatayu rushed to her rescue, stopped Ravana’s chariot named Pushpaka Vimana and engaged in a battle with him. Eventually, Ravana took his powerful sword Chandrahasa, cut off the bird’s left wing and went away with Sitha. It is said that the injured Jatayu and his lost wing landed on top of a rock. In time, the rock got the name Jatayupara. Also, one could find a footprint near the giant sculpture, which is said to be the footprint of Lord Rama who came to the place in search of his wife Sitha. Having these much historic tie-ups, Chadayamangalam, Jadayupara became a perfect spot for the sculptures to carve the giant structure of Jadayu. 

My curiosity compelled me to visit the place on a fine 2017 Sunday evening. Chadayamangalam is a small town near Kollam district which is almost 40 km from the capital city of Trivandrum. Picturing the grand project on my mind, my curiosity quickly became some sort of obsession which made me go out earlier than the scheduled time. 

Once I reached the spot, I came to know that the place is still under construction yet the place is half finished hence I was permitted to go inside and take a look. The place has an adventure club nearby which offers a wide collection of games ranging from archery to trekking. 

Once I reached the place, I witnessed the view of my life. The sculpture is made looks perfect and I can't wait for it to be complete. The place has a small temple dedicated Lord Rama. There is a small water reservoir which is said to have water 24x7 365 days regardless the climatic shifts. Next, there is a small man-made reservoir which reassures that the place has an uninterrupted supply of water. 

Overall, Jadayupara is a magnificent work of art that will surely attract tourists worldwide once the construction is complete. This colossal statue is 200 feet long,150 feet wide and 70 feet making is the largest functional bird sculpture in the world with an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. If that doesn't make you anxious enough to visit the place, then I'm not sure what will make you visit a place.






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

Madavoorpara - A Treasure hidden in the heart of the city

Kerala is known as the "Gods own Country" for a reason. The entire coastal strip of Kerala is solely dedicated to breathtaking beaches and spiritual places. The Dravidian architecture as practiced in the South is rather a rare sight in Kerala as the architecture in Kerala combines the small portion of Dravidian Architecture along with a share of unique construction and Vastu Shastra. However, the religious gatherings are all widespread and the architecture practiced is surely a must see. 

Rock Temples are not widely practiced around Kerala, hence the Mudavoorpara tourism is a rare place in a Southern part of Kerala. The place itself is a bit close to the busy city, but the poor roads shadow this beautiful place. The place itself is hidden and not many people visit this place often. However, the occasional visitors are those who visit the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. 

This Cave temple is one of the two cave temples in the Southern Kerala, the other one being the one in Vizhinjam. While we were en route to Madavoorpara, we stopped by a hotel to have our breakfast. I was fortunate enough to have a nice little chat with a person who was kind enough to tell the historic importance of Madavoorpara.

The cave temple at 'Madavoorpara' is believed to have been built around the 8th century A.D. Prior to that, this place was part of which is now affectionately referred to as ‘Tamizhakam’ It is believed that kings of the Ay dynasty ruled over this place. A place with this much importance, I immediately got curious as to why this place is hidden within plain sight. We got there within an hour and the first thing that we saw was the well-constructed rock temple. Surprisingly, on a pleasant Sunday morning, I found the place to be deserted. After that, we trekked up the hill and walked for 10 minutes to get to the Bamboo bridge. 

It is the bamboo bridge that took us to the hilltop where one could see the panoramic view from a hilltop hut which sets up a good ambiance. From the hut, we were able to see the tall buildings of Technopark and, the rest was covered in green. After spending see quality time in the hilltop we got off as the afternoon heat was setting in. 

Madavoorpara is undoubted, the best place that I've been to. It's a treasure hidden in the heart of the city which, surprisingly is hidden to many. If only the tourism is better and the roads do show proper signs, Madavoorpara would have been one of the crowded tourist destinations in Kerala. 






Quick facts about Madavoorpara -

1. How to reach – Frequent Buses from Trivandrum and Kazhakootam, but, it is preferable to visit in a private vehicle. 

2. Nearest town – Trivandrum 

3. Nearest railway station – Trivandrum, 18  km

4. Nearest Airport – Trivandrum,  19 km

5. Places to stay – Ideal for one day trip, if, you want to visit the place on a long run, accommodation can be obtained from Kazhakuttom 

6. Best time to visit –Monsoon

7. Things to do – Visit to the Temple and getting to the hilltop for experiencing a good view. 

8. Is it Child-Friendly- Yes

Contributed by Sooraj Ram

Shangumugham- A Silent Beach in the heart of the City

Who would expect to see a Beach in the heart of a busy city like Trivandrum? Not too far from Trivandrum International Airport, Shangumukham or Shangumugham is a cozy spiritual destination for all.  Shanghumugham beach is considered as the ‘Arattukadavu’ of Sri Ananthapadmanabhan - the presiding deity of the city. Moreover, there is a temple dedicated to Goddess Devi. This beach is also the prime location for Ganesh Nimarjan at the time of Vinayaka Chathurthi.

Keeping all the spiritual significance aside, Shangumugham beach is a cozy place to spend some quality time with your loved ones. With the beach covering the majority portion, there is a small shore for people to hold picnics. Luckily for me, the place is close to my residence and I often visit the beach with my friends. Every time we get there, we always find something memorable to cherish for rest of our life.

Apart from the beach, the main attraction of this place is the 30 m long structure of a Mermaid, known as the "Matsyakanyaka"(which is Mermaid in Malayalam). When we got there, we saw a huge crowd in front of the structure, taking pictures and standing bedazzled by the way the structure is constructed.

It wasn't until half past five when the crowd began turning up in huge numbers to witness the sunset. Unlike most of the places where I've seen the sunset, Shangumugham had a packed crowd on a perfect Sunday evening. Even though the place was packed, we were able to get a glimpse of the beautiful sunset.

Now that we have got an indoor stadium near the beach, we now plan on spending our weekends playing badminton on the court and watching the spectacular sunset after we finish playing. Also, for all those who try hard to find their inner peace, Shangumugham is a perfect place to visit. In addition to the beach, the temple and church hold the spiritual significance.



Having said that, Shangumugham is a perfect place to visit if you find it hard to travel far seeking an excellent beach to spend some quality time. Even though the place itself is not remote, it still remains one of the finest tourist spots and no doubt it will still remain one.

Quick facts

1. How to reach – Frequent buses to the beach are available.

2. Nearest town – Veli

3. Nearest railway station – Trivandrum, 8 kilometers away  

4. Nearest Airport – Trivandrum, 2 kilometers away

5. Places to stay – Ideal for one day trip, but if you plan to visit in the long run, the rooms can be easily found in Trivandrum, which is just 8 km from the beach. 

6. Best time to visit – There is no specific time for visiting, you can visit anytime.

7. Things to do – Sculpture of the famous "Matsyakanyaka" is just 100 meters from

the beach. Temple dedicated to Goddess Devi is a perfect place for finding the spiritual mood. Moreover, Valiyathura church is at a walkable distance as well.

8. Is it Child-friendly - Yes

Contributed by - Sooraj Ram