[skdking]

Am activating an old thread.

I am visiting Kovalam with my family at the end of Dec for a week long relaxed trip.

Can anyone please suggest any hilly/water fall/tea garden/similar place which can be visited by starting from Kovalam in the morn and coming back the same day by evening (this trip will be solely to appease my better half who starts fretting if there is nothing to do).

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by skdking

Am activating an old thread.

I am visiting Kovalam with my family at the end of Dec for a week long relaxed trip.

Can anyone please suggest any hilly/water fall/tea garden/similar place which can be visited by starting from Kovalam in the morn and coming back the same day by evening (this trip will be solely to appease my better half who starts fretting if there is nothing to do).

Ponmudi is a good place suitable for a day visit, some 60kms from Trivandrum city. Situated at a not so high altitude of approx 1000m above msl. You have a few mini-waterfalls and rivulets, but by December, they may dry out. But the weather will be pleasant though not cold. You may have to hire a car from Kovalam, or alternately there are buses from Trivandrum

[skdking]

During my trip to Kerala in end 2011 I am planning to stay at Kovalam for six days and make a quick 24 hours long trip to Kanyakumari from there.

We will leave Kovalam in the morning, stay in a hotel at KK overnight and come back to Kovalam the next morning.

Can someone guide me about the best way to go from Kovalam to KK and back. We are a party of 2 + 2.

In Kerala nowadays what are cab charges for 24 hours?

Frequency and comfort level of bus service?

Trains?

Thanks.

[skdking]

My apologies for bumping this thread. Will do so only once.

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

You may have to hire a car from Kovalam, or alternately there are buses from Trivandrum

During my trip to Kerala in end 2011 I am planning to stay at Kovalam for six days and make a quick 24 hours long trip to Kanyakumari from there.

We will leave Kovalam in the morning, stay in a hotel at KK overnight and come back to Kovalam the next morning.

Can someone guide me about the best way to go from Kovalam to KK and back. We are a party of 2 + 2.

In Kerala nowadays what are cab (Indica etc) charges for 24 hours?

Also, what is the frequency and comfort level of the bus service?

Trains or any other option?

Thanks.

[thoma]

Originally Posted by skdking

Can someone guide me about the best way to go from Kovalam to KK and back. We are a party of 2 + 2.

In Kerala nowadays what are cab (Indica etc) charges for 24 hours?

Also, what is the frequency and comfort level of the bus service?

My initial reaction is to suggest a cab for you if you are planning to stop en route. For sure, the Padmanabhapuram palace is not one destination to be missed. There are other attractions like the Udayagiri fort, Vattakotai fort and Suchindram temple too, though I am not too sure on how worth are those.

Frequency of bus service to Kanyakumari is excellent, but I have reservations on the comfort level and the time taken. A year back, travel by own car was dreadful due to the pathetic road conditions and endless traffic blocks in peak times. Might be other BHPians can clarify on the current situation.

But then, a quick search in Team-BHP itself can reveal some excellent travelogues. I just did a search for 'trivandrum kanyakumari' and got some cool stuff.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ces-forts.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...rivandrum.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...nyakumari.html

Hope you will be able to find out what you want from those threads while I take my sweet time to read at least a couple.

EDIT: Reading your earlier post on Kovalam, I would like to ask fellow BHPians who have recently visited Kovalam if the speed boat ride in the sea still exists. It was a different experience to go out in the sea on a speed boat, though short. Yet another beautiful travelogue was returned by Team-BHP on searching for Kovalam - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...hotologue.html

[mallumowgli]

Originally Posted by skdking

My apologies for bumping this thread. Will do so only once.



During my trip to Kerala in end 2011 I am planning to stay at Kovalam for six days and make a quick 24 hours long trip to Kanyakumari from there.

We will leave Kovalam in the morning, stay in a hotel at KK overnight and come back to Kovalam the next morning.

Can someone guide me about the best way to go from Kovalam to KK and back. We are a party of 2 + 2.

In Kerala nowadays what are cab (Indica etc) charges for 24 hours?

Also, what is the frequency and comfort level of the bus service?

Trains or any other option?

Thanks.

If you are going to stay overnight, you can take bus from Trivandrum, since it will be a waste to retain a cab overnight. Trivandrum-Nagercoil (HQ of KK district) buses are quite frequent and from Nagercoil again quite frequent services available to KK.

But taxi will be comfortable and road condition is OK, though the roads have quite heavy traffic. Also you can visit the other places without any hassles

Suchindram and Padmanabhapuram can be considered must see places. Vattakottai is quite good and is close from KK. Udayagiri fort is off the TVM-KK route and not much to see

Am not sure about the current Taxi rates at TVM. Must be around Rs.8 per KM. Kanyakumari is 84 km from TVM

Train services are available between Trivandrum and Kanyakumari/Nagercoil and I feel this will be the best option

@Thoma : Am not aware of speed boat service at Kovalam. But there is one at Veli. Never felt like going in a speed boat though!!

[laluks]

You can also consider visiting Neyyar Dam and the Lion Safari park if you have more time to Kill

[skdking]

Originally Posted by mallumowgli

Am not sure about the current Taxi rates at TVM. Must be around Rs.8 per KM. Kanyakumari is 84 km from TVM

Train services are available between Trivandrum and Kanyakumari/Nagercoil and I feel this will be the best option

A zillion thanks. For taking the rail option we will have to take a bus / taxi to TVM from Kovalam first. I wanted to avoid that. But now I am veering to your recommendation considering that train rides, though less flexible, are more comfortable.

Originally Posted by thoma

EDIT: Reading your earlier post on Kovalam, I would like to ask fellow BHPians who have recently visited Kovalam if the speed boat ride in the sea still exists.

Thanks. Speedboat ride will also be good. Can someone throw some more light on it please.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by skdking

A zillion thanks. For taking the rail option we will have to take a bus / taxi to TVM from Kovalam first. I wanted to avoid that. But now I am veering to your recommendation considering that train rides, though less flexible, are more comfortable.

Thanks. Speedboat ride will also be good. Can someone throw some more light on it please.

In Trivandrum, the bus station and railway station are opposite to each other. From Kovalam, a taxi/auto ride would be < 1 hour. I heard that low floor a/c bus service has been started to KK. Will confirm next week.

Don't know about speed boat in Kovalam, I suggest you visit Veli Tourist village, another short drive from Kovalam (everything in Trivandrum is a short drive ). There you can have speed/regular/pedal boat ride in backwaters. You can spend an evening at Veli.

[thoma]

Two speed boats were present on the right side beach (not the eve's beach, eve's is towards left after reaching Kovalam, right?) when I last visited Kovalam. But then I doubt if it is still present, as, when we asked them if they are govt. authorized, they denied. They charged us 400/- for a 15 min ride into the sea. Though, against the sea waves, the boat won't go at maximum speed as we expect, it was a different experience with waves lashing hard on the boat every 5 sec. On returning back, we heard those people asking 800/- from a tourist from the north!

Yes, the speed boat at Veli tourist village (where the lake meets the sea) is govt. authorized. Though, Veli is more of a picnic spot with the family.

A good and quick guide on what is around Trivandrum can be found at DTPC Thiruvananthapuram