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Archive for the ‘Beaches in India’ Category

are not to be missed for anything. Well, almost anything. If there’s a football tournament coinciding with your planned tour, tape it. If your boss wants your assignment completed by Monday, turn it in on Friday itself. If your wife wants to go shopping for jewelry, well…take her. Or have her wait till you arrive in Orissa for your tour to Chandipur Beach.

For, the beach at Chandipur is distinct from any beach you have ever seen in your life. Here, the sea recedes into the horizon by nearly 5 km twice each day. If the thought of a receding sea makes the alarm bells ring in your head, relax and sit down on the sand and take in the beauty of this rare sight.

Unlike the expected reaction from a retreating sea, the waves take their own sweet time to slowly drift back to the coastline and caress the feet of those who braved to walk on the temporarily abandoned seabed.

Once the sea retreats back into the horizon, the exposed seabed, littered with red starfishes and drift woods that make for souvenirs also, is open to all for walks and jeep rides. If you are a beachcomber then go gathering abandoned seashells and gift them to your wife as a pendant for her deserving neckline.

Once the sea is back to its resting spot, you can go swimming and build sand castles and wait for the sea to head for another round of hide and seek.

There are other places that you can visit on your tour to Chandipur Beach that will make your stay in Chandipur, arranged by Tourism of Orissa, an unforgettable vacation.

The Khirachora Gopinath Shrine in Remuna (25 km); Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary and Jagannath Temple in Nilagiri (40 km); Bhudara Chandi Shrine in Sajanagarh (45 km); Shivalinga, elephant herds and trekking of Nilgiri Hills at Panchalingeswar (45 km); the Simlipal National Park and Tiger Reserve (100 km) and the nearby waterfalls and Shakti Shrine of Deokund are the other tourist attractions nearby Chandipur Beach, Orissa, that you can visit on your tour to Chandipur Beach with Tourism of Orissa.

There are many beach facing hotels, resorts and lodges where you can stay on your tour to Chandipur in Orissa.

Varkala Beach

Varkala Beach is a beautiful beach that has a more than 2000 years old shrine of Lord Vishnu. This beach of Kerala is rich in mineral water springs that are known for their medicinal value. The sea shore is called `Papanasm’ and hundreds of Hindu devotees perform ‘Vavu Bali’ on new moon days of th Malayalam month of Karkidakam.

Varkala is less crowded with less number of shops, beach sellers and still lesser amount of commercialization.

The development we see today in Varkala happened only in a period less than two years. The raw and unused stretch of beach is a loner’s delight where one could swim, play cricket or volley ball and even manage to practise yoga. If you are lucky, you also get sight of a naughty dolphin.

Warning to the Visitors

Like much of the Kerala coast, Varkala too experiences strong coastal rips. Many lives, even that of experienced swimmers have been lost in the turbulence of the tides. It is not advisable to swim too far into the sea. Varkala has only one lifeguard post with two lifeguards and it is advised to swim around this area. On a crowded day spotting when in trouble becomes difficult.

Kovalam Beach

Kovalam is the only beach resort of Kerala, and is very popular with the Indian as well as international tourists. Industry is relatively small scale in this area and the prices low. The beach is just a few minutes walk from the village. The fishing village of Kovalam lies 10 kilometres south of Thiruvananthapuram,the capital of Kerala.

Kovalam consists of three successive small crescent beaches; the southern most known as Lighthouse Beach, is where most of the visitors spend their time. The beach is bordered with low cost lodging houses, and restaurants which offer adequate facilities, at affordable tariffs – ideal for a long stay. The light house on the promontory at the southern end of the beach, offers a spectacular view across to the Vizhinjam mosque.

Swimming on the beaches is not always safe, as the undertow can be very strong, therefore it is essential to follow the warnings of the safety flags. However, days can be spent here just lolling around on the sands or retreating under the awnings of the beach cafes.

There are numerous craft and carpet shops (usually of Tibetan, Kashmiri and Rajasthani origin), clothing stores and general stores, yoga schools, travel agents and massage parlours lining the beach.

Mr. Steven from Missouri, US have beautifully described the enchanting green paradise of India – Kerala. He explored the endearing place in the August 2004.

Kerala opens it’s magnificent gateways with love for the visitors. It is Beautifully located and wonderfully blessed with natural charisma, Kerala beholds spectacular magic.

In fact, I was mesmerized by the beauty of it’s virgin beaches and lush green wildlife sanctuaries. The colorful culture echo the melody of passion and desire to welcome relentless explorers like us. Kerala boost a rich folk tradition, of the volume and variety of its performing art. No other state could match the splendor and creativity of Kerala performing art.

I was specially impressed by the their cuisine- Sambhar and Dosa. What I liked in Kerala dishes is mildly falvoured, gently cooked and certain soft delicacies on the stomach.

I was enticed by Kerala

Kerala – an abode where heaven meets the Earth. A land of sparkling blue,enchanting green and houseboats. Popularly known as God’s own country , the land adorns serene beaches, emerald backwaters, lush hill station and exotic wildlife.

As I was too tired of my daily routine, I needed a decent break. I wanted to go to a place where I get the time and facilities to rejuvenate myself and Kerala was one such place where natural beauty and ayurveda provided me the healing touch that I needed.

The Path Taken !

Since there are very few international flights to Kerala, I decided to land on Mumbai airport and from there took a flight to Kerala. Kerala is well connected to New Delhi, Madras and Mumbai through railheads and airways.

The Resonance with the melody of Nature !!

Through various travel books that I read earlier, one thing became clear that Kerala endorses exotic beaches which one should definitely visit. As Kerala boasts a long coastline lined with the swaying coconut palms. Out of all the beaches I visited, Kovalam and Varkala beach had the most enthralling coast.

Be Wild !!!

Well! This land should have been called the Green land of India. Since 30 % of this exotic land is covered by forests, it houses some of the major major wildlife sanctuaries in India. I covered few of the leading wildlife sanctuaries like Periyar wildlife sanctuary , Eravikulam National Park and Parimbikulam Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Knowledge of Life !!!!

Ayurveda was one of the major thing that lured me to Kerala. Since I needed to rejuvenate from my monotonous life and 24 x 7 work routine, Ayurveda provided me with therapies that assisted me to recover from my hectic past.

Touch the Undiscoved Zone !!!!!

Kerala is quite famous for their backwaters and I was one of the lucky few in the world to actually experience the magic that they hold. The magic of ‘Kettuvallams’, a special type of houseboat, that provided with accommodation for a stay. The major towns and cities that endorses backwaters are Kollam, Alleppey, Kumarakom and Cochin.

Holidays in Kerala!

My trip to Kerala is one thing I am not going to forget all my life. In fact if God give me another chance to visit Kerala, I will not like to miss the opportunity. Today when I recall Kerala, I feel as if the green land again calls me with open arms.

The sensational coastlines, coconut, exotic beaches, rolling grasslands, Kettuvallams all give grand welcome to the magnificent land.

“What was the best thing in Kerala?” asked Mathew, my friend. “ Boat cruises”, I exclaimed. The backwaters indeed holds a distinct attraction to every visitor in Kerala.

I particularly liked Kettuvallams, the specially designed houseboat. I had an incredible experience when I sailed in those beautiful ornamented houseboats along the soothing water.

Memories to Cherish!

Another thing that attracted me was the greenery around. Since most of the Kerala is still covered with forests, the land boasts some of the very famous wildlife sanctuaries like Periyar. I couldn’t forget the boat safari which I took in Periyar wildlife Sanctuary. The animals were so near that I could have literally touched them. “Sher” yelled an Indian child in fear, all of us became cautious and soon found it was merely a wild dog.

Kerala is strikingly blessed by nature with lush vegetation, tranquil beaches, stunning mountains and hill stations.

Konark Beach

Konark is the world famous site of the most exquisite Sun temple one can ever come across. The sqrawling beach at Konark is rated as one of the finest in the world. With a long stretch of clean sands and cool blue sea making rapids in rolling waves, the beach has its own lovely serenity.

Konark beach is calmer than the Puri beach, which tends to get very rough. However, the waters tend to be trickier – even strong swimmers need to be wary. The immense backdrop of the Sun Temple looks breathtaking when illuminated in the evening. Three kilometres away from the temple, you can either walk down or hire a bicycle or cycle-rickshaw to reach the beach. A walk along the beach is a pleasant exp

Miramar Beach

Miramar Beach is the nearest beach from the capital of the Goa, Panaji. The beach is just 3 km from Panaji in the north of the state and a km away from Dona Paula. It lies adjoining the estuary of the river Mandovi as it opens into the Arabian sea.

A lovely golden beach of soft sand girdled with palm trees, Miramar is one of the most popular beaches.It was originally known as the “Gasper Dias Beach”.From here one has an excellent view of the Aguada fort just across the river . If you wish to watch the sunset from Panaji then the best location would be this beach, which is fifteen minutes’ walk along the riverfront avenue called Dayanand Bandodker Marg.It is not a safe beach to swim. There is a strong undercurrent.

One can have an excellent view of Fort Aguada. Apart from its proximity to Panaji, it is very much commercialized and a large number of hotels and exclusive homes of Goa’s rich and famous stud the area. The beach is crowded with locals and tourists alike on most days.

The Palolem Beach

Palolem Beach is also known as “Paradise Beach”. This beach in south Goa is about a mile long and it provides idyllic scenery. The most idyllic beach of Goa, Palolem beach has a sweeping crescent of white sand, fringed by a sandy rim of coconut palms. It has a crescent shaped bay lined with swaying coconut palms hemmed by a pair of rocky crags. The white sand beach in an arc is picture perfect. The village located nearby has several cafes and souvenir stalls catering to day-trippers and vacationers who arrive in droves on sightseeing tours of the beaches. The beach still looks very virgin. Its unlike the beaches of North Goa, which are more or less full with dirt, filth and visitors.

Some of the major activities on Palolem beach can be Dolphin watching, beach activities, swimming and shopping. The resorts and other agents can book a good trip to the sea on a boat for dolphin watching. Shopping on the sea side markets of Palolem can be a fun, and the road side eateries offer a sumptous meal at a reasonably low price.

Arambol Beach

Arambol a small remote fishing village in Goa, lies 50kms from Panaji. The place has two beaches, more popular is the main beach (Harmal beach), the northernmost beach in Goa with clean sand, some bays and fresh water pools good for swimming. The beach is beautiful and the village is quiet and friendly, with just a few hundred locals mostly fishing people. The rocky headland or the cliffs near the beaches are popular for paragliding. The second, more picturesque beach lies beyond the rocky headband and can only be reached on foot and is bordered by steep cliffs on both sides.

Every tourists dream, the beautiful beach is secluded and has a primitive, untouched feel to it. The place is ideally peaceful allowing you to have a close experience of local life and culture. The relaxed environment coupled with peace and tranquility attracts many vacationers from other beaches of Goa.

Arambol is along the Goa border with its fresh water lagoon. Due to its isolation, some tourists has been unable to reach this beach.It is the 16-km-long sea beach. The main beach has adequate body surfing and there are several attractive bays a short walk to the north. Beyond an idyllic, rocky-bottomed cove, the trail emerges to a board strip of soft white sand hemmed in on both sides by steep cliffs.