Tessa Says: We hopped off the plane to be greeted by a wave of heat, but it definitely wasn’t 40 degrees which was a relief. Passport control and customs was a breeze to go through and was our first taste of being the only westerners in a crowd of thousands. Our taxi driver was waiting with our name on a sign and we rolled away in style with dark tinted windows and air con.
Peering out the window my first sights were of dirt roads, Indian men with sarong bottoms, women wearing beautiful colourful saris and livestock on the side of the road. Not too sure what to expect we arrived at the 
resort, and were taken up to our room which was clean and modern (we have a flat screen TV!). The best bit by far being a stunning view of the hill side covered in palm trees and a view of a light house and the sea.
We have spent the last two days catching up on sleep, eating well and checking out the beachside shops and stalls. Where I have located myself a new pair of bottoms, that were a little more “fisherman” style than what I wanted but are breezy to wear.
We have decided after much advice from other travelers to India the best way to ease our way into Indian eating will be to stay vegetarian for the first two or so weeks (I might just stay vegetarian the whole time!), though Jared is confident his iron belly will be ready for some meat s
oon. To eat vegetarian here does not seem in anyway to limit the choices, with a larger proportion of the southern population being vegetarian, the options are just as extensive, if not more so than for meat eaters. And it is delicious!
Jared says: The heat is far from oppressive and maybe not even as intense as KL, which was always the most worrying aspect. Although, I am sure the sea breeze definitely helps, and the fact we have had air con to come back to after walking up the 100 or so steps to our hotel from the beach has been a definite relief. Beach-wise Kovalam is pretty but not quite the tropical paradise that some of the Thai beaches I have been to are. Also due to the time of year the water is rather rough and quite uninviting to venture into for a dip. The travel guides all warn of Kovalam being over-developed and a bit of a tourist trap, but we haven’t found it so. There are definitely numerous resorts, especially on the beach front, but where we are located everything is hidden below the swathes of coconut palms so it still maintains a rural seaside feel. 
People-wise, because we are here out of ‘season’ the place is rather empty, with us being one of only two couples in our resort that probably has about 30-40 rooms. On the beach there are always a handful of westerners and a few local Indian tourists, but most of the beachside restaurants and bars only have a couple of tables full at peak dinner time. After speaking to one of local restaurant workers, an older guy who has been here 30 years, we were advised it had been one of the worst ‘seasons’ in years, as they have cancelled the flight from Europe that usually brings a good majority of the wealthier level of tourist to the area. Now that it is out of ‘season’ it is quieter than ever. Worrying times for the locals I imagine, probably brought about by the touted over-development that is meaning people are searching out new, more natural and isolated destinations.
The food so far has been delicious, with all Indian meals we have had beating pretty much anything you get in the West. The Kingfisher beers 
have been going down a treat, though they aren’t the cheapest, at about $3 for a longneck on the beach front. They aren’t the premium version of Kingfisher that is imported, but a more hoppsy tasting version that properly chilled is plenty refreshing enough for me.
Kovalam is the relaxing resort type town that you could easily spend weeks laxing by the beach and sampling the local delights, but we got plenty more places to see in this country so we’re gonna head to Trivandrum now. Again it is a little daunting as it is the capital of Kerala and sounds like a bit of an urban jungle, but the LP (Lonely Planet guidebook), recommends a few sights to see and we have a few things we want to buy that we hope will be a bit cheaper than the over inflated beach prices we imagine we are paying here. First impressions of
Accommo: Hill and Sea View Resort $50nz Double Room (left) ****
Eats: Hill and Sea View Resort (Toast, Omelet, Dosa Masala, Vegetable Briyani) ***
Lonely Planet Pure Vegetarian Restaurant (Pakora, Samosa, Garlic Naan, Aloo Gobi – Potato Cauliflower Curry, Mushroom and Cottage Cheese Butter Curry) ***1/2
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