A boat ride through the estuary and backwaters of Poovar, south of Trivandrum in Kerala, India.
This place is a haven for aquatic birds - kingfishers, fishing eagles, brahminy kites, darters, cormorants, plovers, sandpipers, and the like. A definite visit for all nature lovers
If you're in Trivandrum, and are planning to visit the Kovalam beach, Poovar is just a further 30 minutes down south on the Kanyakumari highway.
This little fishing village, is located at the estuary of the Neyyar river, and hence is a great amalgamation of backwaters and a pristine beach..
Boats can be rented from any of the resorts, if you happen to stay there. Alternately you could go to the fishing village and hire a boat for a couple of hours to take you past the estuary, into the backwaters of the river.
The boatman stops over at the Golden Sands beach. This beach is way lesser crowded than Kovalam and not the least rocky. The best time for the boat ride is early morning, when the birds just start feeding, and you can witness a flurry of activity on the backwaters and the sand banks.
Post the boat ride, it is not a bad idea to stop over at any of the floating restaurants for a quick breakfast.
Infact a trip to Poovar and back, is a half day trip, from Trivandrum. If you plan to stay there, resort options are several. I had stayed at the Club Mahindra resort.
Getting there :
From Trivandrum airport you can book a cab, to drop you to Poovar. Its an hour, hour and a half away, depending on the traffic.
What to do? :
Other than spending a quiet day in the resort, or a walk on the beach, clubbed with the estuary bird watching boat ride, there isnt anything to do in Poovar. So, plan accordingly.
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