Poovar, kerala

Poovar is one among the natural wonders where the Lake, River, Sea and Beach meet the land- a rare combination.

Poovar is unspoilt and unexplored, envoloped by the most serene backwaters, and opening out to the sea and a dream golden sand beach.

We took a Boat ride to the beach and back(1600 INR for 2)..The ride was Breath-taking..we spotted a lot of birds,mangroves..Surrounded by water ,trees and the sky,this is one ride Highly recommended..

Poovar was a trading center of timber, sandalwood, ivory and spices. Poovar has been one of the ancient Muslim settlements along the western coast of India.The Central Mosque here is believed to been built by Malik ibn Dinar and his missionary team, more than 1,400 years ago.

It is truly a window into paradise. The tranquility of Poovar is punctuated by the sound of waves and the birds. The area is abundant in well-preserved local flora, with hundreds of species of spices, exotic flowers, complete with banana and coconut groves.

Poovar Beach, near the Kovalam Beach, separates the River Neyyar from the sea. Poovar is basically a fishing village and the only way to reach Poovar is through water. The beach is known for its pristine and virginal beauty. Because of the active fishing population the beach is not really used as a sunbathing spot or for swimming as the currents are quite strong.

We were told by our boatman if we are lucky we might get to see a few birds..he showed the pictures of the birds we might spot..lucky enough we saw almost all the birds we were shown :))) 

Kingfisher-Spotting the birds in Backwaters adds lot of thrill to an already funfilled ride!! 

Kovalam-Vivanta by Taj(staycation)

Kovalam (Malayalam) is a beach town by the Arabian Sea in Thiruvananthapuram city, Kerala, India, located around 13 km from the city center. It would cost you around INR150 by an auto from Trivandrum to Kovalam. Trivandrum is well connected by trains and flights from all parts of India.

Kovalam has three beaches separated by rocky outcroppings in its 17 km coastline-Lighthouse Beach,Hawah Beach and Samudra Beach. Kovalam shot into limelight in the early seventies with arrivals of the masses of hippies on their way to Ceylon in the Hippie Trail. This exodus started the transformation of a casual fishing village of Kerala into one of the most important tourist destinations in India.

Kovalam has got lot of Hotels from low budget to luxury ones...We settled for Taj as it had a lot to offer with the lagoon and the private beach and the Infinity pool... We are glad we chose it..The weather was awesome the monsoon were just a month away. We got to see some Kerala Rain as well ,as it rained heavily in the evening the day we reached. 

Kovalam has a tropical dry climate. Summers (March to May) are hot and the temperature varies from a minimum of 21°C to a maximum of 33°C. Winters (December to January) are pleasant and have moderate temperature varying from 18°C to 33°C. Monsoons (June to August) are accompanied by thunderstorms and abundant rain falls.

Best time to visit is from August to February.

The Infinty pool,the lagoon and the sea..We enjoyed the view as we had our Breakfast and lunch at Jasmine(restaurant)!!

The lagoon at the Hotel..We loved almost everything about this property.

 The hotel property is surrounded with so many trees that it is difficult to spot the rooms..Gives one a lot privacy.

Athirappilly falls!!

Athirappilly  falls is located around 70km from Kochi. Many tour services offer you variety of option to visit the place. You can chose the best according to your budget, available-time and the size of the group (friends and family). We took a taxi to these falls from Allepey for 2.5K. 
Last leg of the journey to these falls (once you leave the highway) is quite refreshing; thanks to the lush green and dense vegetation surrounding the roads.

Athirappilly falls is a part of Chalakudy river, and the best time to visit is during the monsoon when the falls is in full flow.It is a bit crowded on weekends and the narrow road to the falls  is full of big tour buses and taxis.

 But once you enter,you are blown away by the beauty of this gigantic falls. You can hear the falls roaring from a distance. It is not surprising that many movies have used this scenic location for shooting- Dil se and Guru to name a couple.

Travel Tip

• It is open from 8 am to 5pm
• Try reaching the falls at the earliest as it gets progressively crowded as the day progresses
• If you have an option try visiting this place over a weekday to dodge the crowds

 The falls,milky white,looks beautiful as it flows down.You can also enjoy the beauty up close when you trek down around a km.

The trek is fun while descending but a bit taxing while climbing.It has some uneven steps so you have to be a bit careful as chances of slipping are high.The whole area is covered in a mist.Very difficult to take pictures,you have to be very careful with your cameras and phones here.We took the risk once and managed to get a few shots.

There are changing rooms for both men and women.So if you are up for swimming you can take some extra clothes.

 Swimming is allowed in some areas,where the water is shallow and the flow not that strong.

There a are lot of resorts around the falls which offer some great views of this beauty.You can stay there and enjoy the beauty day and night.
It is definitely one of the must places to visit in Kerala.

Bekal-Vivanta by Taj(Staycation)

It was our very 1st anniversary,we wanted it to be a relaxed trip since we had already done a lot of trips this year :). We decided to go to one of the resorts of Vivanta by Taj. We had stayed their earlier in the year and we were not disappointed. While researching the resort looked beautiful in the pictures and the reviews were outstanding. So we booked the hotel well in advance; a good way to get a bargain in the peak season.
Bekal is not top-of-the-charts in holiday destination for outsiders. Well known to those in surrounding cities though; it has long served as a weekend getaway for people living in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Bekal is the Kasargod district of Kerala. Kerala is well known for the backwaters and the greenery, Bekal offers you the same.The famous Bekal fort is here.
How to reach

 We took a train from Chennai, the train does stops at Kasargod. We  however planned on staying a day at Mangalore  and enjoyed the fantastic food the place has to offer before leaving for Bekal.
From mangalore we took a KSRTC bus from KSRTC bus stop at Bejai.There are buses for Kasargod every 15 min.We reached at Kasargod around 12PM after 2 hours’ journey. From there we took an auto from there for Bekal for 230INR.
TIP
1. Bus ride costs less but are not very comfortable.
2. Auto drivers may not know the exact location so make sense to make pit-stops along the way to make sure you are on track. Connecting up with the hotel on phone would be helpful
3. If you are driving by yourself it is all the more important you make sure you are on track
There are signboards of Vivanta on the way which would help. The landmark would be Kappil Beach

Hotel Entrance

Well received at the reception,we were taken to our rooms.Staff is courteous eager to help and very pleasant.

Reception

This 26 acres property has around 71 rooms of which 60 rooms are operating as of now.There is a touch of Balinese culture to the property with the local touch of course present all over the place.The property is beautifully done.The roofs are given the look of a houseboat which is very interesting and unique.

 It was our anniversary, our room was decorated  a cake was waiting for us too. Well done Taj!!!

The bathroom was big and very nicely done.We liked the way the tap  filled the bathtub,very innovative.
Some of the facilities available to the guests are lockers in all rooms, choice of English/Hindi DVD’s available at the reception, complimentary fruit daily.

 The chitra pothi art on our room wall.They have taken care of each and every minute detail.Its worth noticing the minute details.The outdoor sitting area and swing-bed made it even more wonderful.

Property is well decorated with beautiful and interesting statues

 The property is huge and has a backwater running through the property. This stream divides that hotel rooms from the spa area. As the property is big the hotel has put into use  ” buggies” for the guests to move around.

Strip of land separates backwater and the sea

We went for a walk in the evening on the beach.The beach is super neat and the sand feels like cushion under the feet.The best beach seen so far in India.Its simply  beautiful.

Loved the walk on the sand

Some Fun

We spotted a starfish too :).

The place sells itself as a spa resort and offers Spa and yoga session for relaxation and rejuvenation. They have  other activities like Kayaking,archery also.

We had our own fun and frolic session :)

Loved cycling around the place!!

The pool is neat and has an awesome view of the Backwaters and the sea.

They have made seating arrangements like these around the backwaters.Couples can sit here and enjoy the view over a drink.

The restaurant is beautifully done too.The property is just 1 year old so they have used quite interesting and innovative ideas which makes it stand out.

There are 3 restaurants By the Bay which specializes in Sea Food, Latitude-where breakfast  and Dinner-Buffet is served and Ivory bar. There is also a small grill restaurant near the pool which serves grill food.

The buffet!

The spread was pretty good.There were 2 soups.Some 3 Chinese dishes were there.Hunan potatoes,Stir fried vegetables,Noodles well cooked and good to taste.The Chicken(Chinese dish,not able to recollect the name now) was awesome,did not quite like chicken in wine.There were no North Indian Non-veg dishes :( .The veg north Indian dishes were quite tasty ..Dal tadka,Kadai paneer,Taurai ki sabji..We tried South Indian dishes as well and they were yummy too..They had a lot of Salads as well and the presentation was impressive.The desserts looked tempting and we thought we would taste and got some but could not taste at all thanks to the cake we had eaten in the afternoon which was yumm and soft like sponge :)
If you want to go on a relaxed trip and yet want to enjoy what the place offers,head here.The place is beautiful.We were smitten by it.Taj knows how to pamper their guests.We were quite impressed and would surely visit this place again.

Hotel Address-

Vivanta by Taj – Bekal, Kerala,
Kappil Beach,
Udma West (P.O.),
Paalakunnu,
Kasaragod District,
Kerala – 671319

Telephone: +91 467 661 6612

 Website- http://www.vivantabytaj.com/Bekal-Kerala