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By Root 2078 0

one that’s likely to be inundated with shrieking kids). Rooms, all with views of the Arabian Sea (not to mention puja being performed on the shore), are comfortable and bathrooms spick-and-span, but it’s all a bit sterile; on the other hand this is the closest you get to the beach, lined with casual restaurant-shacks and flaunting a wannbe-hippie vibe, so you could spend the day with your toes in the sand pretending to be a beach bum and then retreat to your middle-class box. Standard doubles go for Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000, depending on season, and rates include one meal; executive rooms cost Rs 500 more.

The two best places to eat in Varkala, with clean kitchens, good food, decent atmosphere, and great views, are Clafoutis (Clafouti Heritage Beach Resort, above Papasham Beach, North Cliff; 0470/260-1414) and Café Delmar (Hill View Beach Resort, North Cliff; 0470/645-1566). Both serve good fresh fish and seafood. Café Delmar offers a hodgepodge of Indian, Italian, and even Mexican cuisines—and they do real espresso (from an extensive coffee menu), jaffles (toasted sandwiches), and pizzas. The chicken tikka biriyani is considered a top choice, and we definitely recommend the lassi here—simply excellent. If you’re unsure about what’s what, the Indian menu items at least come with fairly meaningful descriptions. Clafoutis also has a bafflingly extensive menu with Indian, Thai, Italian, and Chinese options, and a huge list of mixed drinks. The real reason to come, though, is for the sunset view from the upstairs deck; it’s probably the most mesmeric scene in Varkala—with the waves crashing somewhere far below, you almost feel yourself adrift over the ocean. Sink back into your seat and, cocktail in hand, meditate on the sinking sun.

Villa Jacaranda By far the best option in Varkala—not so much for amenities (of which there are few) or luxury (it’s no-frills), but for a sense of intimacy. This is a genteel guesthouse on South Cliff, with tasteful rooms put together with an eye for detail—and lots of personal space. Rooms are simple and minimalist, but the whole look vibes perfectly in the context of such a moody, atmospheric beach resort. Located between the village and the southern end of the beach, it’s ideal for exploring both, and an entirely manageable walk to North Cliff and back. At night you’ll return to your candle-lit veranda; book room no. 2 or 4 and you’ll have the additional pleasure of sea views—the perfect accompaniment to breakfast served right outside your door (no. 4 is the large upstairs unit and a stand-out choice). The only drawback? No pool. And, for families, no kids.

Temple Rd. West, Varkala 695141, Varkala. 0470/261-0296. www.villa-jacaranda.biz. Nov–Feb Rs 3,300–Rs 5,000 double; Mar–Oct Rs 3,300–Rs 4,400. Rates include breakfast; 15% tax extra. No credit cards. No children under 8. Amenities: Airport transfers (Rs 1,500); Internet (broadband; free); yoga. In room: Fan.

5 Kovalam & Kerala’s Southernmost Coast

Kovalam is 1,216km (754 miles) S of Mumbai

A mere 16km (10 miles) south of Trivandrum, Kovalam has been a haunt for beach tourism since the 1930s, but its fame as a coastal idyll has wrought the inevitable. Discovered by hippies and then by charter tour groups, it is now home to a virtually unbroken string of holiday resorts, its once-virgin charm plundered by low-rise concrete hotels. Even so, Kovalam’s three crescent-shaped sandy beaches, flanked by rocky promontories and coconut palm groves, remain quite impressive. You can watch fishermen ply the waters in so-called catamarans (derived from the local word kattu-maram, these are simply a few timbers lashed together) as they have for centuries, at night assisted by the red-and-white lighthouse that beams from Kovalam’s southernmost beach.

Lighthouse Beach is, in fact, a guiding light to the charter types, and where you’ll find the bulk of cheap (mostly unashamedly ugly) hotels, restaurants, and bars, with fishing-net-strewn Hawa Beach and less-crowded Samudra Beach lying to the north. After the rigors of India’s crowded cities and comfort-free