Seaside - 5 days - november

maltabella

Hello everybody,
Finally I'm here again, trying to arrange my second trip to this wonderful country.
Since last year I have visited North India, this time I'd like to move towards South for a 20 days trip. I know most of you consider this a quite short time to visit India, but unfortnately my job is waiting for me to come back as soon as possible!!!!!
Herewith I would be pleased if anyboby could suggest any place to go to enjoy a wonderful sea and relax a little bit. Last year I've been to Palolem, ready to find a solely and relaxing place, but as you know... anyway... it's been great!!!!
This year I am thinking about Andamans, Nicobar or some "off the beaten track" place in Kerala (does it really exist?).
Considering I am wandering around Tamil Nadu what is, up to you, the best option to find a wild and uncontaminated place which can relatively easly reached from Tamil Nadu?
Thanx in advance
yours faitfully

maltabella

ehi guys any suggestion?

dimitri

Which time of the year are you coming to India?

Andamans and Lakshadweep are good options if you are looking for beautiful unspoilt beaches where you can just laze around. They also offer wonderful opportunities for diving, snorkelling acitivities if you wish for. But if it's peak season then you've to book well in advance.

Kovalam in Kerala has also such places where there are not much tourists and practically very little to do except get a suntan and watch the sound of the waves. A good resort of this type is Coconut Bay resort.

shashank.aggarwal

You might want to try Varkala in Kerela, as far as I know, it is not that much impacted by packaged tourists and you will hardly find any Indian tourists as well...

we were there in March this year and seemed to be only Indian tourists aorund...!!

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shashank.aggarwal

and we thought that Kovalam was the most Commercialised beach in south India...

dimitri

I understand why you have such an impression. I also agree that to a ceratain extent you are right. What you may not know is that when we say Kovalam it is not just one stretch of beach. There are many beaches in and around the Kovalam area. Kovalam area as such is infested with tourits and vendors and locals. But there are several private beaches within a range of 15 kms of Kovalam where there are very few tourists and definitely no locals.

shashank.aggarwal

Sounds interesting, but what exactly do we mean by private beach ? and if they are private will normal tourist would be allowed there ??

dimitri

Private beaches mean, they are privately owned by the resorts. As long as you are a guest of the corresponding resort, you can use the beach.

shashank.aggarwal

Oh..thats great...but I am sure that those resorts would be expensive places to saty...

CliveG

Lakshadweep would be good but you would effectively lose a day travelling there and the same on the return as it is a fight and a boat journey away from Kochi plus it isn't cheap.
Marari Beach Resort (I think it is owned by Casino Hotels) has a good beach, excellent accommodation and and food. It gets heavily booked during the peak season but you might be lucky in November. I have stayed there and loved it.

ananda2193

The above recommendations are not really feasible IMHO.

Lakshadweep Islands are for the rich only. About $200 u.s. a day.

Varkala and Kovalam are pretty touristic places. Though like was mentioned above, there are quiet beaches close to Kovalam and in Kerala.
Look here for some:
http://www.nivalink.com/kerala/homestay.html

And a little north of Goa in Maharashtra and a little south in Karnataka are some nice quiet beaches with a hotel or 2.

Also, in Goa, Agonda is a quiet place, a little off the beaten path.Also, Mandrem.

maltabella

thank you so much mates!!!!
So let me summarize:
Nicobar Islands: not possible for toursits
Lakshadweep: very expensive, deluxe target
Kovalam public: commercial
kovalam private: ok
Goa Agonda: ok

Does anybody know if there is any chance to get to Lakshadweep without a package tour or without tha assistance of a tourist agency? is there any little guest house at low fare? or you must go to a deluxe resort?
Ananda, i have never considered the idea of Karnataka or Maharashtra, have you got any detailed information about nice and "off the beaten" places?

thank you all for priceless siggestion!!!!

CliveG

Hi,

Apart from the resort on Bangaram in the Lakshadweeps there is no other form of accommodation on the island. The resort is managed by Casino Group Hotels so any agency would (I believe) have to go through them. You could deal with Casino in Kochi yourself but you probably would not save much if anything on the cost. I am not sure about Agatti as I have only stopped there on the way to Bangaram. However Agatti is a Muslim island and therefore no alcohol and no scanty clothing allowed.

ananda2193

Foreigners must stay at one of the expensive resorts on Lakshadweep. It's not possible to find a cheap alternative.

ananda2193

I really only know Gokarna in Karnataka. These day's though it pretty well known. When I was there in 1990 it was still a secret place. You still might give it a try. Probably not totally spoiled yet.
I know I've seen websites of hotels at beaches in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Do a search. Try here on Indiamike also.

Here's a few sites:

http://www.indiasite.com/karnataka/beaches.html


http://www.mtdcindia.com/Maharashtra_Beaches/index.htm