Kovalam: Swiss Cafe

Kovalam is a lovely place to unwind. Believe me whatever mood you are in, if you go to Kovalam you will totally relax. Guess that's the power of the sea. The rumbling sea and the wind really put you at ease. At the Howa ( malayalam for "eve" as in Adam and Eve)beach there are plenty of small shacks which offer sea food. You don't have to be formally dressed up or anything. Just wear what u want. No one could care less. You can put your feet up while you engage in a conversation or read a book all by yourself.
The Swiss Cafe is a great place to get some grub. Here you can taste a bit of authentic Swiss food. I simply love their Schnitzels and Rosti. The Bolognese and sea food platter are also yum. The restaurant is on the first floor of a building. So look out for their board and take the stairs.
Wish I had a plate of Schnitzels and Rosti Now!!!

Lolling at the Travancore Heritage

This building faces the beach. Can you see the blue of the pool??? It has a kids area too.

This is the other pool next to the dining area. Great place to get a tan, if you care for one.

This is one of the cottages on the grassy hillock.

This is a view of the resort from the beach.

And this is a view of the beach from the resort:)

Dining hall with the lunch spread. The waitors & waitresses are in the traditional kerala attire.

This is a canopied walk which leads to the lift, incase you don't want to walk down to the beach.

And here's a small dhow on the beach, probably used by fishermen in the morning.

The pictures above are those of and from the Travancore Heritage, a resort in Kovalam. Now this is one place where you can really really unwind. It's one of the larger properties in Kovalam with 2 large swimming pools and direct access to the beach. They have rooms facing the sea as well as cottages on a hillock. These cottages are really transported manas ( traditional north kerala homes). The food is also good. I absolutely love their golden fried fish. Other yummy things which come to mind are the chocolate brownies, praline souffle, american salad and the aloo chat.!!! They have a nice gaming area where you can play chess,carroms, pool or simply pick up a book from the rack and read. :) Plus they have a large collection of books.

* Pictures are taken by Ashik. S and Sivan. S

Unwinding Near the Sea

Last weekend, I got a chance to dig my heels in the sand. Yes I went to the beach. I removed my flip-flops and pressed my feet in. It was such a wonderful feeling. I wish I had brought some sand back with me .
We stayed in the Pozhiyoram resort in Alleppey district. It's about 5 or 6 kilometers from the town. U gotta take a deviation from Thumpoly.You will be transported back in time here. The cottages have doors with 4 panels which used to be popular in Kerala in the olden days. So you can just keep the bottom panels locked and it becomes like a window, letting air and light in, but not people.

They have a small dining hall upstairs where we saw a bit of Pirates of the Carribean with the waves beating on the shore in the background. This was a different experience. Throughout the night and in the morning you can hear the waves rolling and pounding. You can also see the sea from wherever you are.
There aren't too many cottages here. So it's never crowded. Altogether there are 3 cottages. Two are twins and the one closest to the sea is single. They have tried to maintain a certain rustic ambience with only a few hammocks and beach chairs ( you can count them on one hand) thrown in here and there. The bathrooms are clean and some are open air with coconut trees bang in the middle.

In the morning we went for a walk on the beach. The fishermen were bringing in their catch. The water is salty, even in the resort. But that's ok, for a day.

If you go there, please remember to order food in advance. & I mean real early!! They make everything fresh...so it takes time.
It's not as expensive as some other resorts which have cottages on the beach. I must say I feel rejuvenated. Now I know why people buy those exclusive houses on the beach.