Sight-seeing tours

Around the Guest house : the Poovar backwaters and the Golden beach ; Vizhinjam fishing port and fish auction; market gardening around Lake Vellayani; the Aswathy Handlooms spinning workshop in Kuzhivila (Kottukal); the Botanical Garden of Kuzipallam; Kovalam, its lighthouse, shops and restaurants ; and of course swimming and sunbathing at Manaltheeram beach.

Kânyâkumârî or Cape Comorin (Tamil Nadu), the southern tip of India, is two hours away. This is where the Arabian Sea meets the Bengal Sea and both joigning the Laccadive Sea or Indian Ocean to the south. A highly symbolic place for Mahatma Gandhi, it was here that his ashes were scattered. A magnificent mausoleum now pays tribute to his memory. On the rock in front of the cape, another mausoleum pays tribute to Swami Vivekananda, a disciple of Ramakrishna, famous for his commitment to teaching Hindu philosophy at an international level.

Also nearby, on the way to south cape, Padmanabhapuram Palace in Thuckalay (Tamil Nadu) and Thanumalayan Temple in Suchindran (Tamil Nadu) are must-see tours.

The capital Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram) also offers some interesting sights like the Sree Padmabhaswamy Temple and Chalai Market. It is the opportunity to discover the atmosphere of a large Indian city without suffering too much the trials of excessive pollution.

A 5-hour train ride to the North (also possible to fly), the city of Kochi (Cochin for Francophones) is a historical marvel that can be visited easily as a two or three-day getaway.