I am a complete water baby. The only form of physical exercise I really enjoy is swimming and a vacation for me means being near water. Anything else is well… travel. And believe me when I say, there is loads of difference between travelling and vacationing! For starters, a vacation means most things are taken care of in advance. It also means, you don’t do a whole lot. The best time spent would be at the edge of a water body in a comfortable lounging chair, a book in hand and a cool drink to sip (endless refills please!) Does that not sound like bliss? A vacation also has to mean no phone and internet. If I were in my dream vacation paradise, does it matter that my facebook and instagram are not updated? I would rather count the sea shells or fishes than likes on my posts…!
Now that you have a fair idea, let me tell you about a beach destination I would love to spend a week lazying in – Poovar. Located just 40 km from Trivandrum, it is a stunning gloden that can only be called a beach lover’s paradise!
My Dream Vacation at Poovar
Location and Connectivity
Trivandrum International airport is connected to major cities in India and abroad which means you can find plenty of Domestic Airlines or International Airlines options making it easy to travel there. The road between Trivandrum and Poovar are fairly good and a ride of upto an hour and a half should easily get you to the island. While the resorts are accessible by road, you can also get into a boat and navigate the backwater canals to get to the place.
Lodging
I have always dreamt of living on the water and Poovar gives you just that. A floating resort has cottages connected by land from one side and surrounded by water on all the three sides. Imagine being lulled to sleep by the gentle splashing of sea waves and waking up to quaint little boats and azure sea water… delightful! When I go to my week long trip, this is where I am staying…
Things to Do
While doing nothing sounds like a great option for a vacation, doing it at a great spot is what vacations are all about. So, in Poovar, you can do nothing at the golden beach. When you get bored of doing nothing, there are a few leisure activities you can indulge in. On my dream vacation, this would be my itinerary.
Day 1, 3 and 5 – Be a beach bum
Since the aim of my vacation would be to do nothing, I would spend every alternate day on the beach! If you had a beach at gorgeous as this withing walking… err floating distance, you would do that too. The best part about the South beach is that it is accessible by boat only. You have a few vendors selling coconut and snacks but nothing intrusive. For photo enthusiasts, this beach offers some stunning sand and water shots. Just pitch a beach umbrella, a few beach chairs and carry a picnic hamper for a whole day of beachy fun!
Day 2 – Explore the Backwaters
A boat ride through the Kerala backwaters not only offers a glimpse of a unique way of local life, it is a great place to observe birds in their natural habitat. A slow ride in those peaceful backwaters rids one of stress like no massage ever can! While you are at it, you can also stop at a floating restaurant for the freshest sea food lunch possible…
Day 4 – Head to Kovalam Hawa Beach
Now if 3 whole days of doing nothing make you crave for some action, hop in to a taxi and take the less than hour long trip to Kovalam. Hawa beach is a gorgeous beach that boasts of a lighthouse, speedboat rides and water sports. Bang in the middle of the vacation, this would be a good break from bumming around!
Day 6 – Explore the Resort
Staying in a floating resort would be useless if one did not spend enough time exploring the resort or simply chilling out in the sea cottage!
That is how my dream vacation of living and being near water would be like. Having spent just a few hours at Poovar the last time round, I am very keen to spend a long week there 🙂
Read more parts of my Kerala Vacation Diaries.
The backwaters look absolutely magical!! I would so love to spend a vacation there. It must be absolutely blissful to have experience 😀
Oh it was indeed!!! Had a whale of a time 🙂