Kovalam, 15 km (9 1/4 miles) from Trivandrum, was once the Arabian Sea beach resort of the court of the Rajahs of Travancore. Today, its scimitar-sweep of sand between two high headlands is a popular tourist beach 
catering not only to hippy-dippy backpackers but also, since it began developing into south India’s premier beach resort, to international yuppie jetsetters. Kovalam is famous for its soft white sands, its warm, clear waters, and its panoramic views extending to the ocean-line. Small beach restaurants provide the laid-back tourist community with fresh seafood and delicious Western-style cuisine. It’s a lovely place as yet undefiled by tourism; villagers still cultivate their paddy fields, pawpaw, bananas and coconuts, fishermen still put out to sea in their catamarans each morning and most visitors find it very difficult to leave. The coolest and best months to come are December-March. In April, the heatwave arrives driving many people north. The result (if you don’t mind sunburn and a few pre-monsoon showers) is empty beaches and cheap accommodation.
Kovalam has two popular beaches, separated by a large rock outcrop extending into the sea. The luxury beach, overlooked by the five-star Ashok Beach Resort Hotel, is just below the bus-stand. The main beach, with all the budget accommodation and beach restaurants, is a 15-minute walk (through shady palm groves) from the bus-stand. The end of this ‘budget’ beach is marked by the lighthouse up on the headland.
Popular beach activities at Kovalam include snorkelling (easy to hire equipment), water-skiing 
(contact the Ashok Hotel), and body-surfing the big waves. Semi-nude bathing is still allowed, but do respect local sensibilities and the inevitable attraction created by topless bikinis. Swimming is very pleasant in the shallows, but don’t go out of your depth as the currents are dangerously strong. Also, try not to swim underwater. Recently, fishermen have taken to lobbing hand-grenades into the sea to knock out the fish, and have knocked out or deafened quite a few bathers as well.
In high season, sun-worshipping on the tourist beach is quite impossible as hordes of grinning salesmen come selling fruit, seashells, sarongs and soft drinks. For peace and quiet, try the quieter cove directly behind the lighthouse, or wander up to the bay above the big Ashok hotel. This bay is often quite deserted, and one lucky swimmer went far enough out to be taken for a ride by a dolphin!
The only real problem with Kovalam is sloth. Too much sun, sea and sand makes people careless. They either doze off on the beach and wake up, badly sunburnt, to find all their belongings gone, or they get bored and begin experimenting with the i infamous ‘Kerala grass’. Drugs may be freely available in Kovalam, but don’t be fooled: police informers are all over the place.
