Swagath Holiday Resorts

Kovalam Karnival

by ajayzener

The carnival was organised here for the first time by the tourism department and it was nothing great to boast of, but nevertheless we had a fun-filled evening and we left the place with our tummy heavy with the yummy food that we had. This is supposed to be an annual event in the future like the Goa Carnival. A good begining ....

Tea Plantation

by paul-motley

We hired our usual taxi for a trip to a tea plantation high up in the hills approx 50 KL from Kovalam. Whilst at the peak it was an anti climax of a small cafe serving tea at 2 RP, the journey and sights along the winding upwards roads were an experience not to forget. We bought fresh tea & coffee to take back to the UK.

Fishermen

by suvanki

One of my favourite sights in Kovalam was watching the fishermen hauling in the nets.

On Lighthouse Beach, at around 11am, lines of men form, to pull the nets out of the sea. While they do this they chant and sing.

It's quite a colourful sight, with the blue sky, blue sea, yellow sand and the multi colours of the fishermens lunghis (sarong style clothing) and headwear.

The nets are taken out to sea in boats, then cast across the water, between the vessels. As the nets are pulled in they scoop up the fish. This can take quite a while due to the strong currents. As the nets are dragged up the beach, crowds gather to see the catch.

You may even be invited to join in, helping to pull in the catch!

Soon, a group of women arrive, with bowls and trays balanced on their heads, ready to buy the fish, then sell to the nearby restaurants. By their expressions, they looked to be hard bargainers!

At night, lines of fishing boats can be seen in the distance, by their twinkling lights.

My first night in Kovalam, I was quite disorientated by this sight, thinking it was another town!
Apparently the waiters enjoy telling tourists that its the bridge to Sri Lanka!

Kovalam - The Beautiful Beaches

by ajayzener

"Kovalam Karnival"

We first visited Kovalm in Sept'06. This was a short visit and we spent a few hours in "The Leela". The next visit was in Feb '07 during the Kovalam Karnival. The carnival was organised here for the first time by the tourism department and it was nothing great to boast of, but nevertheless we had a fun-filled evening and we left the place with our tummy heavy with the yummy food that we had.

I guess it would not be long before we visit the place again and write more about the place.. but for the moment..we would be happy to have spent a nice evening by the sea....

Hi ! I am back with some more snapshots of Kovalam. Visited couple of beaches in March'07. The place was crowded, maybe due to the weekend crowd. But weather pleasant and the evenings were fun...I have tried to add some tips this time mostly on the beaches and what to do there....