BEACH VACATION IN INDIA

The World of Fun, Frolic and Amusement

What is it about a beach that is hard to resist? Is it the sand, the sun, the smell of the ocean or the marine life? For a Multiple choice questionnaire one will say "All of the above"! And that's true; a beach is not just about water sports or the aqua fauna that's residing within the ocean. It's an all in all combination of fun, frolic and amusement.

For six months of the year between October to March, India's coastline, provides a perfect excuse for a beach holiday. These range from secluded, seldom visited beaches ideal for a quite interlude, to internationally renowned resorts, complete with several luxury options to choose from, and yet others where the accent is on water sports.

Beaches in Kerala

Varkala Beach
This is a holy beach, known as 'Papanashini' meaning, that which destroys sins. A narrow winding road leads away from Varkala town, flanked by thousands of palm trees and fertile paddy fields. High cliffs border the excellent beach. Mineral water springs gushing out from these cliffs are well known for their medicinal property.There is a nature cure centre adjacent to the beach. Ancient Janardhana Swamy (Vishnu) temple is near.
Visitors can pay homage to Kerala's saint and social reformer, Sree Narayana Guru.

Alleppey Beach
This is a long sandy spectacular beach with dense palm groves, that are so characteristic of Kerala's landscape, at one end. One can cut across the sea waves lashing the shore in passionate fury, or indulge in the luxury of sitting on a sand dune and paddling your feet in the waters. A towering lighthouse overlooks the beach as a symbol of the past.

Bekal Beach
Flanked on two sides by long, ravishingly beautiful palm fringed beaches, the Bekal Fort stands proud on a promontory. This is one of the largest forts in Kerala and has been under the control of various powers including Vijayanagar, Tipu Sultan and the British. The fort's commanding position, with views across the bays to the north and the south are breath-taking.

Goan Beaches - The Pearl of The East
This is a small Portuguese enclave with India's most dazzling tourist mosaics. It is also called "THE PEARL OF EAST". It is associated with old Portuguese architecture with distinct flavor of lifestyle. It is full of beaches pristine beauty of seascape, its mystical hills, the rhythmic pounding of sea, its swaying palms-all make it a fairy- tale land of travelers. It is the most preferred beach destination in India for many good reasons. Beautiful sandy beaches, a delightful laissez faire attitude, quaint homes and old churches in the Portuguese tradition.

Anjuna
Anjuna attracts a weird and wonderful collection of over Landers, monks, defiant ex-hippies, gentle lunatics, artists, artisans, seers, searchers, sybarites and itinerant expatriates who normally wouldn't be seen out of the organic confines of their health-food emporia in San Francisco or London. It's famous throughout Goa for its Wednesday flea market, and has retained an undeniable, if somewhat shabby, charm. This is a good place to stick around for a while, make some friends and engage in mellow contemplation while the sun goes down.

Miramar & Dona Paula
West of Panjim, the coast road passes through the swish suburb of Campal, with its grand colonial residences, before swinging south towards the beach at Miramar. Were this anywhere but Goa, you might be tempted to spend an afternoon here, enjoying the two-kilometer, sweep of dark sand and the views across Aguada Bay.

The same is true of nearby Dona Paula, 9km west of Panjim. Nestled on the south side of the rocky, hammer-shaped headland that divides the Zuari and Mandovi estuaries, this former fishing village is nowadays a commercialized resort.

Chapora & Vagator
This is one of the most interesting parts of Goa's coastline, and a good deal more attractive than Anjuna for either a short or a long stay. Much of the inhabited area nestles under a canopy of dense coconut palms, and Chapora village is more reminiscent of a charmingly unruly farmyard than a fishing community doubling as a beach resort. The village is dominated by a rocky hill topped by the remains of a fairly well-preserved Portuguese fort and the estuary of the Chapora River. There are sandy coves, pleasant beaches and rocky cliffs at nearby Vagator.

A Beachside Carnival
Unforgettable Goa, a heady blend of serenity and excitement down a 100 km coastline, studded with some of the world's most beautiful beaches - Calangute, Colva, Baga, Dona Paula, Bogmalo. Idyllic seaside stretches where you create your own kind of holiday. Sun bathing in quiet secluded spot or choosing the exhilarating thrills of parasailing, speed boating, water skiing, wind surfing and deep-sea diving. For the Goans, life is a celebration to the melody of guitars and mellow songs. A feast of its famous cuisine and a spirit of joyous fun.