Warm January in Kerala (and a bit of Karnataka) (page 1 of 3)

Hi everyone, We're back in India for the 7th time (for the other trips, check here: https://www.unendroitoualler.fr/asie/) ... But this time, no more exploring or trekking! With age, we're just spending a quiet month in southern India, a country we particularly love... Our journey starts in Kovalam, then Monroe Island, Varkala, Kochi, Kannur, Udupi, and finally, as in recent years, Gokarna. No problem getting around—there’s the train all along the coast...

Night in Trivandrum

Prepaid taxi to the « Safire Residency », where we stayed last year. This hotel is still just as nice and welcoming (980 INR). Then, dinner at the restaurant « Ariya Niwas » where we enjoyed those delicious dosas again! (We missed them!)

4 days in Kovalam

Thursday, January 9: From Trivandrum, where we spent the night, we take a rickshaw to Kovalam (350 INR to Lighthouse Beach). We soon arrive at the stairs leading down to the promenade along the beach, "Lighthouse Beach," where our hotel is located... After a bit of searching, we find the « Wilson Ayurvedic Resort ». Actually, it’s at the very start of the promenade, near Hawa Beach. (Here, everything is called "Ayurvedic"! Wilson, which is very pleasant, isn’t Ayurvedic at all.) For 1,800 INR per night (about 20 €), we have a room with a balcony overlooking a garden filled with beautiful trees surrounding a pool! Gorgeous... It’s very well located, set back a bit from the promenade, and the manager is eager to help. He even exchanges money for us at a great rate. Then we buy a SIM card at a small shop on the promenade (no problem getting an Indian phone card here, unlike last year when we struggled in Trivandrum without success).

Wilson Ayurvedic Resort

The promenade along the beach

In Kovalam, there are several beaches:

LIGHTHOUSE BEACH, the long crescent-shaped beach along the promenade, is where the shops and most Western tourists are concentrated. North of the promenade, you’ll find HAWA BEACH. We discovered a really nice little restaurant there, the Rock Café Restaurant 😊 We ended up going back often, especially since our hotel was right nearby. These are the two beaches we visited the most, of course, since they were so close to our hotel...

Lighthouse Beach

Hawa Beach

Walk to Samudra Beach We took the road heading north (Kovalam Beach Road) to two other beaches: Kovalam Beach and Samudra Beach, separated by rocks. A mosque stands by the sea, and a few luxury restaurants and hotels are perched on the hill behind, on the other side of the road. After a nice swim at Samudra Beach, we headed back to our place. Kovalam Beach and its mosque, with Samudra Beach extending beyond

Between Hawa and Lighthouse Beach, there’s a rocky ridge with a watchtower. Behind the tower, among the rocks, fishermen gather sea urchins and shells...

Awesome! I’ll be following along very closely. Hope 7 was a lucky number for you.

Thanks Joel, We’d already chatted on this forum when I was traveling in Myanmar... I even carried a little package for you there! And I took inspiration from some of the destinations you described in your travel journal in Thailand (Prachuap Kiri Khan, among others)—that was a few years back now. I don’t know if the number 7 will bring us luck, but this 7th trip to India sure was, and I think it won’t be the last! !

I can tell you we haven’t forgotten that gift of a trip, and we still reminisce about it regularly! 😊

Haha!!! Okay, continuing my story: Evening at Hawa beach: Like on many beaches frequented by Indians, there's plenty of activity: Indians love admiring the sunset and taking a dip at that time, vendors set up with colorful, glowing trinkets, and the stalls light up...

A beautiful devil!

Soap bubbles...

Another day, a walk to Vizhinjam port In the late afternoon, after our nap, we head out for a stroll toward the south. After the lighthouse, the path overlooks a beach: Palm Beach, and a few luxury hotels... Then, we reach a road that runs along the village of Vizhinjam and its first houses...

Schoolkids heading home from school



And there we are, in sight of the commercial port. Unfortunately, the cliff from there on is covered in trash! Behind the port stand two mosques. The population is largely Muslim in that area... On the other hand, on the side where the fishing port is, it's Catholic. There’s a large church and a Christ the Redeemer statue standing by the sea, at the foot of houses perched on the hillside. We often noticed that fishermen in southern India are Roman Catholic (as was the case in Pondicherry and Kanyakumari, among others). On the commercial port side, two mosques stand...

And on the fishing port side, a Roman Catholic church

Hi Anne, What a pleasure to see you back here with this new travel journal. My visit to Kovalam feels like ages ago now, and I really enjoyed it. I remember that village with the mosques—I was the only tourist wandering around there. Are there many tourists in Kovalam these days? Between Kovalam and Vakarla, which place do you prefer? Varkala must be packed with tourists? And full of hotels, I imagine.

Hi Mariejo, First of all, thank you—it’s thanks to you that I recently discovered this forum was up and running again... and I’m so glad it is. Yes, Kovalam is lovely, and we really enjoyed staying there for a few days. When we were there in January, there weren’t that many Western tourists, I found. We even managed to find a room easily in this really nice, affordable hotel. Actually, there were more Indian tourists, especially since it was a weekend, but the beach is big, so it wasn’t a problem. In the mornings, it’s very quiet—Indians tend to go out more in the late afternoon. As for Varkala, we liked it a lot too because we had a hotel on a very quiet street, not on the cliff but near the beach entrance where the priests perform their rituals. It’s a much more local part of the beach. The beach itself is huge and beautiful, and it’s easy to find a spot with no one around. That said, don’t swim too far out—there are big waves and currents, so it’s dangerous... I’ll write more about our stay in Varkala later... Good news: Our site "un endroit où aller.fr" is back up and running! Yannick managed to get it working again... until the next attack! Fingers crossed! I know you’ve been on even more trips. I haven’t had time to dive into your stories yet, but I will—I’m interested...

Thanks for your reply—I didn’t wait to dive back into your blog, and now I’m ahead of your travel journal and have read everything. I’m gonna end up caving and walking the beaches all the way to Gokarna, where I was supposed to go 3 years ago. I’ve still got plenty to do 😁☺️

Oh wow, thanks for bringing back those memories, Anne! I was in the area back in 2010. Kovalam was nice but a bit too touristy for my taste, but I had a massive crush on Vizhinjam port. We’d rented a scooter to just ride around aimlessly, and I had no idea we’d stumble upon such a stunning scene—I was totally blown away. I’ll definitely be following along, thanks! 😊 Christelle

Thanks, Christelle, your photo of the port is gorgeous...

MUNROE ISLAND

After four days in Kovalam, we take the train to the small station at Munroe Island, Monrothurutu...

The train to Monrothurutu, the "Kottayam Express," finally arrives, an hour late. The carriage is packed, but we still manage to find two seats—phew! It’s really cramped and super hot... It eventually arrives almost on time (6 PM) at the little Monrothurutu station...

Munroe Island is located near Kollam, in the backwaters. Actually, Munroe Island is an archipelago made up of a group of inland islands at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River. It’s the peaceful side of India where all you have to do is stroll along the little paths by the rivers, on foot or by boat. There’s not much else to do... It’s so relaxing!

A floating locomotive!

One of the many paths we take every day...

We’re staying at « Valiyath Hollidays Homestay », where we stayed last year too. We’re still very comfortable here (room with bathroom + living room). After warm reunions with the family hosting us, the father tells us his daughter is getting married in February. Unfortunately, we won’t be in India anymore by then... What a shame! Our homestay...

In the evening, after dinner at the family home across the street (where we have breakfast and dinner), the father brings us two glasses of rice pongal (rice with coconut milk, lentils, and spices). It was cooked, following tradition, for the Pongal festival in front of the temple by his daughter. Every family cooks this rice during the Pongal festival (harvest festival). The pot’s contents must boil over as a sign of a good harvest for the year.

Stroll along the little canals:

A fisherman in a cool hat!

A group of women... Young Indians kayaking...

A boat ride:

At our request, our host had booked us a morning "boating" session (last year, it was in the evening). The boatman picks us up at 6:30 AM for a ride lasting about 3 hours. At this early hour, it’s really pleasant, and there are lots of birds: egrets, black-crowned night herons, fishing eagles, kingfishers, cormorants, etc... The water level is very high this year, much higher than last year.

We often have to lie down in the boat to pass under the bridges! And there are so many of them! Dawn breaks... A small Hindu temple by the water

A hearty breakfast awaits us after our boat ride, served by the family’s daughter. She tells us about her upcoming wedding and explains that wedding traditions vary by caste... For some, you have to prepare three different outfits for the big day! The rest of the day passes quietly... Another day, we take a long walk to the Kallada Bridge. We follow the trails... until we reach a bridge near a Syriac church...

View of the river from the bridge that spans it

And here’s the Syriac church, with its characteristic column: In the region, there are many Syriac Catholics... but also Muslims, Roman Catholics, and Hindus. However, in Kerala, in the coastal towns we know, there aren’t cows roaming freely everywhere. We’ll find them in Karnataka!

The Syriac church of Kallada

After crossing the bridge, we follow the path along the river... It continues through a very wooded area. The vegetation is lush. A few small huts line the way, and plots of land bordered by banana trees are planted with cassava. The scenery is really pretty around here...

The path becomes wilder and wilder...

A woman cultivating cassava on a small cleared plot... We ate quite a bit of cassava around here... Then, we reach the spot where there’s a ferryman to cross the river in his boat. The ferryman...

Once on the other side, all that’s left is to follow the paths back to the homestay. A really lovely walk...

Friday, January 17: Departure for Varkala After breakfast, we say goodbye to the charming family who hosted us these past few days. We pay 7,280 INR (about 80 € in total) for the 4 nights, meals, and the boat ride (1,400 INR, included in the price). A rickshaw takes us to Mondrothurutu station, and we head to Varkala. The train arrives late and is packed. No seats, but luckily, it’s only a 45-minute ride!

I’ve heard about Munroe Island on VF several times now, but unfortunately, I didn’t read up on it at the time. A great reason to go back when we need to escape the world in an enchanting setting 😊... especially when you see the unbelievable price!! At this point, it’s not just "a great deal"—it’s like winning the jackpot 😂. Have a nice day, Anne

Indeed, our accommodation on Munroe Island was really cheap (and we had a large room with a bathroom plus a living room). I even thought I had made a mistake when noting down the amount we paid, but Yannick confirmed it was correct! It must be said that the food was very simple: mostly chapatis, dal, chickpeas, and rice... Last year, we had fish, but this year, the owners were very busy with their daughter’s wedding preparations and didn’t have much time to dedicate to us. Last year, we attended a strange ceremony at a nearby temple (a man in a trance believed he was the serpent Naga) and an elephant parade. I wrote all about it on my site: https://www.unendroitoualler.fr/munroe-island/

Anyway, back to my travel journal: 4 Days in Varkala

We arrived from Munroe Island by train in the morning. A rickshaw took us to VIP Garden Resort. It consists of several bungalows staggered up a hill (around 20 €)... It’s located in a quiet spot, on a dead-end road. To get to the beach, we just followed a small path winding through the vegetation with little streams. At the end, we reached Beach Road and the entrance to the long beach, Papanasham Beach.

At VIP Garden, the bright red bungalows are staggered up the hill

To reach the beach, we took a small path through the vegetation

Varkala Beach:

It’s very long and overlooks a cliff, “the cliff”... At its northern end, it’s lined with shops and restaurants. The path we took from our guesthouse leads to Beach Road, further south. That’s where the entrance to Papanasham Beach is... Every morning, priests welcome Hindu devotees who come to perform various rituals. On both sides stretches the very long beach—wilder to the south and more westernized to the north... The sea is great but rough. The big waves and strong currents make it dangerous.

The beach seen from the top of the cliff

The middle section of the beach. Above, on the cliff, there’s a large parking lot

Shops line the northern cliff

The long beach on the southern side... Very few people here

Papanasham Beach, “sacred beach”: At this part of the beach, where Beach Road ends, priests set up shop under their umbrellas...

Since it’s the weekend, there are lots of devotees performing rituals...



A ritual commonly practiced here: You have to go to the sea with a lit lamp on your head (or flowers and rice balls wrapped in a banana leaf), balance it on your head... Oops!... And drop it into the water by passing it behind your head!

I wrote all about it on my site: https://www.unendroitoualler.fr/munroe-island/

Hi Anne, I was surprised I hadn’t run into you yet, since I saw you were back on the forum... I’ll definitely be following this travel journal, especially since Kerala is like a second home to me... This is the second time you’ve linked to your personal blog. You’re lucky this account wasn’t moved to the "travelers’ personal sites" section. When VF reopened, I did the same thing as you to avoid rewriting something I’d already posted on my blog. And I was immediately censored. My thread was moved to the section I just mentioned. I was told it wasn’t allowed to use VF to direct readers to your personal site or blog... I had to remove the link to my blog to get moved back to the travel journals section. I was really surprised at the time because I knew you’d done this before.

Side question: By the way, does it work? Does it bring you more visitors to your blog through VF?

Munroe Island is located near Kollam, in the backwaters. In fact, Munroe Island is an archipelago, made up of a group of inland islands situated at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River. It's the quiet side of India where all you have to do is stroll along the small paths lining the rivers on foot or by boat. Not much else to do there... It's so relaxing!

Hello,

I can confirm it's the quiet side of India, but there’s still plenty to discover so you won’t get bored if you stay for 3 or 4 days. I hadn’t found much information about Munroe Island (barely mentioned on VF), which explains why there are so few tourists and boat rides without the crowds of Alleppey. It was my highlight in Kerala ;) I was there last January too! Thanks for this lovely travel journal

Hi Jean-Marie, I took a chance by adding a link to my site even though I’d read your post where you said yours had been moved... Actually, I linked to an article on my site rather than the whole site—maybe that’s why? I don’t know. I only did it to avoid rewriting an article and posting more photos. While the forum was down, we had to write on another platform, and we’re not going to rewrite everything! I don’t know if I get more readers on my personal site when I post links here, but anyway, I don’t think I have a huge audience since it’s poorly indexed. Since we don’t do business or paid ads, it doesn’t show up in search engines. Really, it’s mostly for saving our travel memories and photos. I can post more... The travel journal here is more about exchanging with the "travel buddies" I’m happy to reconnect with! And sharing some tips too—I’ve picked up so many that helped me plan our trips. Nowadays, we’re older and don’t have the energy for too much scrambling through transport, but we love spending a month in Kerala and Karnataka during winter. I know you live in Kerala, near Kannur. Since last year, we’ve discovered Thottada, which is a gorgeous spot. Is that near you? See you soon...

Thanks Catherine, I can confirm that in Munroe Island, there’s almost nothing to do, but it’s so pretty and peaceful. I don’t think we’ll go back again—two 3-day visits were enough to explore the place!

Back to my travel journal:

VARKALA (continued)

A little trip to Black Beach We walk along the top of the cliff where all the shops are. Way too many Western tourists around there...

Once past the boutiques, the coastal path becomes wilder... And we arrive at Black Beach, a mix of black and blond sand, quieter than the main beach.



Visit to the Janardhana Temple This afternoon, the weather is rainy, so we take the chance to visit Varkala’s most important temple.

Dedicated to Vishnu, it’s very old and dates back to the 13th century. The site has been a place of worship for nearly 2,000 years.



Inside the temple grounds, there’s a huge banyan tree, as well as a strange tree called the "cannonball tree" or "nagalingam" in Tamil. It’s considered sacred by Hindus because its flower, with the stem growing from the trunk, resembles Naga, the serpent god.



In front of—or behind—the temple, depending on where you arrive, there’s a large basin at the bottom of a long flight of steps. A few young people are having fun swimming there. The water’s much calmer than in the sea!

Blessing of a motorcycle As we leave the temple, we stumble upon a unique ceremony: a young guy, with his parents, is getting his brand-new motorcycle blessed. A "Royal Enfield," as it should be!

On our way back to the beach along "Beach Road," we stop for a quick chai break, paired with delicious "vada"—spicy round fritters—at a tiny, very Indian, and super affordable spot called "Aloppura Restaurant."

We eat most of our meals at the "Varkala Marine Palace." That’s where we go most often because it’s not on the cliff but near the beach entrance, close to our accommodation... It’s really nice to eat on their well-ventilated terrace overlooking the beach... Great view, good food, peaceful, and the staff is super welcoming. What more could you ask for? In the evening, you can dine at small tables set up right by the beach—pretty cool! The Marine Beach Palace

Dinner by the beach at Marine Beach Palace

Another good restaurant: We went twice to "Mamma Champo," located along Beach Road. The downside is that it’s so popular, there’s always a huge crowd. As a result, the wait is *very* long...

The cliff lights up at night...

Tomorrow, we’re leaving Varkala for Kochi. We’re continuing our journey up the Malabar Coast, with Gokarna as our final destination. There’s a train that runs all along the coast—super convenient!

Tuesday, January 21: A 2-night stop in Kochi...

We leave Varkala on the 9:55 AM train. Luckily, we had reserved seats when we arrived at Varkala station four days ago, because this train is packed... We arrive in Ernakulam at 1:30 PM. There, we want to book seats for Kannur the day after tomorrow, but no luck! No seats available. Darn, that’s annoying because it’s a 6-hour trip, and if we don’t have reserved seats, we’ll have to settle for unreserved carriages—and there’s no guarantee we’ll find two seats together...

We’ll see! We take a rickshaw to the Bastian homestay in Fort Cochin (320 INR). We’ve been to Kochi several times before, but we’re stopping here anyway to break up the journey. It’s better to stay for 2 nights because the first day is already half gone: time to take the train, travel from Ernakulam station to Fort Cochin (which are quite far apart), and find the homestay (since rickshaw drivers never know where our homestay is in the maze of small streets in the neighborhood)...

We had called the day before yesterday, and there was a room available. Good thing, because this homestay, which was recommended by some French travelers we met in Munroe Island, turns out to be really nice. It’s well located, in the same area where we’ve stayed in recent years. We have a small, very comfortable, clean, and quiet room for 1000 INR (around 11 €). The owner and his wife are very welcoming and ready to help us out. Thanks to them, we’ll find train seats. They advise us to wait until the next day. Starting at 10 AM, there will surely be Tatkal seats available, according to them... Well, let’s wait until tomorrow! In the meantime, let’s take a stroll along the waterfront, as usual...

As always when we stop in Fort Cochin, here we are again in front of the giant Chinese fishing nets... A must-see!

For dinner, we go back to the very Indian vegetarian restaurant "Anantha Bavan Inn," like last year... There, you can eat dosas, "meals," and basic Indian dishes in a lovely patio.

Wednesday, January 22: Hearty breakfast on the terrace of our homestay (150 INR/person). At 10 AM, we go see our hostess. Will she manage to find us train seats on her computer?... Eureka! There are seats available, and even in AC Chair, the best ones. Great! Our host also exchanges money at the same rate as in town. So convenient...

We then set off for a long walk through the streets of Fort Cochin to discover places we didn’t know: Located in the Vannar Sangam neighborhood, Dhobi Khana is a large artisanal laundry. According to the sign at the entrance: "172 families from this neighborhood have worked here since 1720. The Dutch government brought their ancestors from various parts of Tamil Nadu and the Malabar Coast to wash the army’s uniforms." Nowadays, they wash laundry for hotels and private individuals...







Continuing on our way, we arrive in front of the Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu, the Thirumala Devaswam temple and its pond. As is often the case in the south, non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the temple... Too bad!

The temple pond, covered in lotuses, is adorned with a pretty pavilion...

It’s very hot in Kochi... After the walk back, we’re pretty tired! Lunch at our usual restaurant and rest until late afternoon. Around 5 PM, we head to Princess Street for a bit of shopping...

A friendly encounter on Princess Street

... Then, a leisurely stroll along the waterfront where we sip a good chai at the "Mapples" café, located outdoors along the promenade... This time, we didn’t go to the old Jewish quarter or Bazar Road (Mattancherry) because we’ve been there several times before and preferred to discover places we didn’t know. We go to bed early because tomorrow, we’re taking a rickshaw at 6 AM to Ernakulam station.

On the waterfront promenade in the evening...