Located on the coast between Trivandrum and Varkala, this fishing village hosted a fortified port used by the British East India Company during their reign. Before that it was controlled by the Dutch.

The park was inaugurated by then Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balkrishnan in early 2008. It is Asia’s first Butterfly Safari Park, and is located in the hilly region of Kollam district. Visitors to the Thenmala Eco-tourism Park can spend half a day at the Butterfly Safari Park. It is situated behind the musical fountain in the cultural zone.

The Entomology Department of Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has made a half-kilometre-long nature trail, where people can watch butterflies (about 125 species) at close quarters. There are a variety of trees, ponds and mud puddles that help the butterflies to breed and survive.

‘Bom Jesus’ means ‘Infant Jesus’ or ‘Good Jesus’. Thousands of visitors come to this church every year. It is India’s first Minor Basilica. The Basililca of Bom Jesus houses the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier. He, along with St Ignatius Loyola, was instrumental in founding the order of Jesuits, also called the Society of Jesus.

The patron saint of Goa died in 1552. Abiding by his wishes, his remains were transferred to Goa a year after his death. Cosimo de Medici III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, gifted the mortal remains to the basilica. A silver casket holds the airtight glass coffin which contains the saint’s embalmed body. The casket was built by Giovanni Batista Foggini, a 17th century Florentine sculptor.

The saint inspires healing in devotees across the world. According to sources, the saint’s body has remained fresh during its transportation and housing in India. Christians and others come and visit the church as well as the saint’s casket. The casket is lowered for public viewing once in a decade, the last one being in 2004.

The Bom Jesus Basilica Art Gallery is housed on the floor above the tomb, overlooking it. The gallery has paintings from the life of the saint as well as those by Goan surrealist painter, Dom Martin.

Many surfing agencies and schools are coming up throughout the country’s coastline – especially on the western coast. Surfing Swamis is an ashram/surfing school in Mulki, in Karnataka. Though surfing in India is just sparking off, there are people who are willing to give it a try, especially with many Indians having a taste of it abroad. H2O, a water sports centre in Mumbai, is another venture. Besides surfing, other water sports such as SCUBA diving, snorkelling, parasailing and jet-skiing are taught here.

When people are on the lookout for symbols of lifestyle and personality, here’s one activity that will definitely stand out. It is an exclusive club of Indians who have taken this sport to a different level in the country. With more than 7,000kms of coastline, India promises a great deal of adventure for the followers of this sport. Goa, Mumbai, Cochin, and the islands of Lakshadweep and Andamans are the most common sites for surfing now.

Yachting events and regattas bring a lot of international surfers to India. The number of cruise ships visiting the country, too, has gone up.

Already 13 lighthouses that have been closed to the public have been narrowed down for the project. Another plan is to erect a Rs 50-crore national heritage maritime museum at Mahabalipuram, near Chennai as well as a lighthouse museum on the Marina.

The city of Chennai has a long coastline and a set of serene beaches that extend into the suburbs. Turtle walking is a popular activity here. Scientists, tourists and enthusiast youngsters all join to protect the ecosystem of the turtles that come here to lay eggs. There are agencies that sponsor and fund such eco activities in Chennai and Mahabalipuram.

It’s best for its age-old ship building industry which still survives. The ‘Uru’, a traditional Arabian trading vessel, is designed and manufacture here even today. In olden days, the ships were built using teak from the Nilambur forests; nowadays the teak comes from Malaysia. Beypore was an important stop over for Arabs, Dutch and Portuguese sailors and merchants.

The town itself stands where Kerala’s fourth longest river, the Chaliyar, meets the Arabian Sea. You can go boating along the backwaters. The Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary is located nearby, just a short seven-kilometre ride away. There are several temples, mosques and boat houses to visit.

Beypore beach is ideal for swimming and surfing. Water skiing, angling, kayaking and parasailing are some of the water sports activities you can engage in. Beypore light house is situated at the south bank of the Chaliyar. Tourists can visit it, too.

Beypore is only 11km from Calicut, and is well-connected by road, rail and air. Karipur airport is about 30km away. Calicut railway station is only 10km away.

The Marina Bay area was dredged from the surrounding sea around the 70s. In the next 30 years, it just stood there, quite unoccupied. After 2004, and once the real estate boomed, there were many changes added to the area. A walking tour or a bus ride into the area will tell you about it all. There are various guides and agencies ready to take tourists into Marina Bay.

The skybridge connecting Marina Bay Sands’ three towers, the boutique Fullerton Bay Hotel, the City Gallery museum, several gambling resorts and casinos and restaurants are all landmarks of Marina Bay. Not to mention the glittering beaches, studded with established brand names in the tourism industry. There are shopping districts where you can splurge at world famous shops and boutiques.

In this commercial and residential area you’ll find Singaporeans scrambling to meet their city’s newest posh location. You’ll also see tourists and visitors teeming up in all corners of it. The cost doesn’t look like a factor to curb them.

Tourists can choose two- and four-night cruises and the one-night Mumbai-high seas one. The MV OceanLife can easily accommodate 574 passengers and offers 230 cabins. Tourists can enjoy a swim in the spacious pool, or lounge in the bath tubs and the spa. Also on the list are a wellness centre, pool bar, restaurant, casino and several gaming areas. Children can have their own entertainment in a specially-designed zone for them. There’s a conference hall that can seat 250.

The cruises have many flexible packages where the travellers are charged for the part of the cruise they undertake, and only for that. Many travel agencies and promoters are lined to take this brand to new heights in India. Weddings, receptions, parties and other bookings are made available on the ship through them.

Hotels, Resort and Homestay in Kovalam Beach, Kerala

Most of the accommodations consists of beach shacks and tents, along with a few cottages.  For the adventurous, there are beach beach beds and hammocks.

Walk a little to the northern part of the beach and you’ll reach a rocky area, where a human face is carved on a rock. It’s quite large. It was apparently sculpted by a foreigner, in the early 90s. Another major attraction is the Chapora Fort nearby. It is walkable distance from the beach. Trekking up the hill and the fort are common pastimes here.

Anjuna Beach is close by as well. It’s a great place for shopping and sight-seeing.