Where the river meets the sea & the sea meets the bank- Poovar, Kerala

Barely are there a few places left around here which is actually explored and that gets me excited any more. But I realized these shockers still exist but unfortunately get shadowed by the bigger touristy names around. For example Poovar in Kerala. Heard of it? No..Yeah? Been there? No? No..? Well, I am not surprised because if someone asked me to go explore Kerala I would also first visit places like Alleppey, Munnar or Kochi maybe.

But let me tell you what you are missing and why you should plan a trip to Poovar ASAP!

Poovar is a small fishing town, untouched & unexplored. In Malayalam it literally translates into, Flower River (Poo-Var). Like any other beach town this hidden hamlet has its own share of swaying coconut trees, clear blue sea and sandy brown sand. But what sets this place apart from other beachy places is the fact that it is located at the mouth of an estuary. Pristine backwater on one side and the gentle sea on the other, it has all the Kerala elements one looks forward to.

I stayed at this place called Estuary Island. It is an island because it is surrounded by the backwater on three sides and by the ocean on the fourth. A relatively new property, the view from the deck is spectacular. It makes you want to kick your shoes, put up your feet and wriggle your toes while basking in all the serenity. The villas have the traditional Kerala roofs, sloped and tiled with an interior that is very classy yet traditional! (*PS- go during to the monsoon to get great off-season deals)

One must-do here is to take a short backwater cruise around the island.  It can transport you to a sort of mini Amazonian forest (minus the snakes and mosquitoes). The still green river water enveloped with a canopy of low lying green vegetation carries one beyond the present realm of reality. The vibrant birdlife with its water crows, woodpecker, cranes, the white headed kites etc. this place is definitely a birdwatcher’s paradise. Their occasional calls are the only things you can hear apart from the paddling of the oars.

 

In Poovar, an early morning visit to the Fishermen village is essential so you witness the everyday life of the fishermen and also chose what you want for lunch! You can easily spot a fishing cove by the number of crows in the area and the amount of jelly fishes on the beach. I spotted both and was excited to witness a fish auction, where the men would throw in their catch together and sell it the women who bid the highest.

The beach here is everything you can imagine, virgin, soft and private. As I sat on the beach looking at the ‘Elephant-in-the- Sea’ stone structure, I wondered whether I should keep this place a secret. But then beauty is one such thing that can never be hidden. And in Poovar you can not only see & hear beauty but feel it too. And on my part, it would have been such a shame to not share it.

If I were you, this is how I would include Poovar to my Kerala itinerary. Fly into Trivandrum, travel to Varkala, soak up some sun, surf a bit then travel 70 KMS down south to Poovar, and then head 70KMS south to the southernmost tip of the Indian sub- continent, Kanyakumari and then back to Trivandrum.

Facts:

1. Best time to visit is after the monsoon and during winters
2. The nearest airport is Trivandrum which is 25KMS away
3. It is best for couples who are looking for some privacy, but people like me also can be spotted
4. Not for all the party animals. Finish that in Varkala and come here for some solitude
5. Ensure you eat the fabulous sea food here

Walrus on a Surf board! - Surfing lessons and Life lessons in Srilanka

Ok who loves funny animal videos? Raise your hand.

I know everyone does. I mean how else do you kill time in office. * Thank God for Buzzfeed and funny animal vids*

Now imagine this, a big brown tanned wobbly walrus trying hard to get on a slab of slippery ice. Yeah? Funny? Now replace the walrus with the sight of me and the ice slab with a surf board.

That was my first time surfing!

Here I was in Srilanka, backpacking and beach-hopping along the south and south-west coast. How I did it? And which were the beaches I bummed on is another story, a pretty interesting one too but for another time. This story is about why I came to Srilanka. To surf.

Weligama beach

My Instagram feeds had been killing me with these amazing go pro surf pictures of these men with chiselled athletic bodies and all I could do was drool over them. In India, surfing options are very limited. You have some schools in Mangalore, Pondicherry and Varkala but I think that’s about it. It is still evolving but I learnt about these places after this trip. Ever since I had heard about the Srilankan surf scene and the beautiful beaches and the turquoise blue water and the CHEAP exchange rate, I had it on my bucket list! There was no reason for me to NOT go there and give it a shot.

Except, I never swim in the sea. I go the beach and dabble my feet in the water alongside the shy salwar suit clad aunties. Plus you may think I am exaggerating but not even a year back I was nearly about a 100 kgs. Eeeeyeaaahh. True story. I was definitely not my fittest when I thought of surfing. My mind and body, as you can see, do not relate or see each other. My body is still, what I call WIP (work in progress). And on top of all this, I wore spectacles.

Despite all this I went ahead. I researched all I could. I searched the internet for everything and anything related to surfing in Srilanka and surfing for beginners. Youtube, blogs, website, Instagram, you name it!

Finally I had my plan ready.

Step 1. Buy the tickets to Colombo

Step 2. NOT mention the surf plan to my parents

Step 3. Backpack my way to Weligama town

Step 4. Head to the beach and figure the rest out.

I know pathetic planning. But that’s how I did it.

Weligama is a small coastal Srilankan town. It is, so I had read, a surf learners’ paradise. As I went looking for a place to stay, I could see tuk tuks stacked with surfboards. Foreigners on their mopeds with surfboards attached to their side, and sign boards all ready to give you surf lessons. This was a surf town. I could smell the surf. I have no idea what that means but everywhere I looked, I knew I was closer to what I was here for.

The next morning I moped-ed my way to Weligama beach. As I parked the moped, I couldn’t stop smiling. Just like how Goa beaches are lined with shacks or how chowpatthy is lined with vad pav walas, this beach was lined with surf shops. All the shops either rented out boards or sold boards or wetsuits for surfing.

I walked around the beach with a silly smile stuck on my face. The water was blue and the horizon was teeming with people of all ages and their brightly coloured boards. *Perfect*

At the south end of the beach I came across this board which said Surf N Lanka. I knew I had seen this somewhere in one of the internet search pages.

Without a second thought I headed to the shack. While walking I tried to gather all the confidence. I had no clue about surfing, I didn't know what I was going to do, and I didn't even know if I could ever even manage to stand on that board. But as I approached the first guy I saw there, I flashed my most confident smile and asked, “Hi, do you teach how to surf here?”

I wondered if he would take one look at me and laugh out loud with a reply, “Really? You?”

But that’s the thing about Srilankans, they are really sweet, especially to women.

This guy gave me the biggest sparkling white toothy smile which shone against his dark brown skin.

“Yes!”

He reminded me of someone. “We rent and we teach. Will get you up on the board with one lesson only.” And he continued talking about how this was the best beach to learn surfing, how everyone around the world has come to learn surfing here, etc etc.

Apparently, he had just got out of the water after teaching some Russians how to surf and was still wearing his cap. Suddenly he removed the cap and out bounced curly brown and blonde hair. I knew it!

He reminded me of Malinga! The kinda- scary looking Srilankan bowler. Again I am not kiddin. And I have pictures to prove it too. His blonde tipped curls bounced as he talked with excitement and the more he talked, the bigger his nostrils flared. I kept nodding my head involuntarily as I zoned out at my own joke of similarity just to be woken up when he quoted the price of the 2 hour personal surf lesson including the board.

500 Srilanka rupees. Did he just say 500 Srilanka rupees!!!! That is nearly about 250 Indian rupees.

It was such a steal!! This was like getting a Vero Moda top in Sarojini Nagar for just 100 rupees!

Quickly I closed the deal. Before he changed his mind and quoted me a higher price. I signed up for the evening class.

The best time to surf here is usually in the morning from around 7AM to 9AM or around 4AM to 6PM.

By 3PM I was back on the beach. Anxious. Excited. Terrified too.

I didn’t have the guts to get into a swimsuit lest show my thunder thighs. So I got into a wet suit and shorts. I learnt that surf boards came in various sizes and material. Basically as you get better, the smaller the board becomes. I was handed over the 8 feet soft board, the largest, meant for beginners.

For an hour, Amma (that was the instructors name…apparently) gave me surf lessons on the beach.

Surf lesson on the beach with "Amma"

Amma lookalike :) Malingaaa!

From figuring out your strong leg to understanding how the center of gravity works to standing up on the board. It was basically a crash course on doing yoga on the board. First you lay flat with your belly button on the center of the board, then start paddling, get into the bhuj asana pose and jump on the board in squat position and try balancing on the board with your legs and hands. I must have done this exercise at least a hundred times before “Amma” agreed to let me try this in the open water.

Now unlike other water based activities, this one has no life jacket. Plus I was wearing my lenses. The only thing I had was my board which was attached to my ankle.

Covering the thunder with the board... 

As I walked with Amma and my board towards the water, the soundtrack of jaws kept playing in my head. Such a wrong time.

The instructions were simple.

Get on the board. As soon as you see a wave approaching, start paddling fast. Keep paddling until you gain momentum and once you are on the wave, jump up and try to balance it out.

As simple as it sounded, it wasn’t. Just getting on the wobbly board with me slipping in all directions was a sight. This was when I felt like a walrus. But I tried and tried until I had bruised myself and had gotten the hang of getting on the board.

Paddling in wasn't so difficult until you feel the piercing pain in your arms the next day.

After countless times of paddling in on every wave, I finally managed a half stand. On my knees. This was an achievement by itself.

Another hour later and after drinking gallons of sea water and hauling myself up repeatedly, there was this one wave.

My wave.

I paddled furiously, and it took me on its shoulders. I squatted on it and it held on strong. I kept standing on it until it died on the shores of the beach. As I stood on the board riding my first wave, I could hear Amma shouting victoriously. His child had just taken the first step.

My first surf lesson was over. As I sat across my board exhausted, looking at the sun go down, I felt jubilation running through my body along with a hell lot of sea water.

Never in my life had I thought I could surf. I was scared. Scared of the deep water, scared if I could do something new, scared about a shark attack and scared about what people around might think. But nobody laughed at me.

While bobbling up and down on the soft golden waves, I learnt it is only your doubts that shrouds what you want in life.  *Original line btw *

Philosophy aside, for the rest of the days I spent in Weligama, I rented out a surfboard every morning and evening until I could. It was physically exhausting but one of the most exciting things ever.

Though I must tell you, I did bruise myself pretty badly.

Today the bruises have healed and the scars have faded away but the memory of feeling the wind running through my hair, the salty feeling on my lips and zipping over the water has been etched in my memory forever.

After many days, I was still pathetic at surfing but I don't mind going back to Srilanka and try surfing again. This time to the Srilankan East coast, Arugam Bay!!!

Sun..Sand..& Turtles- 'Harihareshwar Turtle Hatching Festival'

I have been to the quite temple town of Harihareshwar twice. Even though I love this quaint little village for its clean deserted beach, three times would have been too much! But the last time I was there, it was for the love of beaches sprawled with tiny turtles!

About 4 hours away from the hustle of Mumbai city is Harihareshwar. It is known for two things, its temple and its pristine beach. This time I was there to witness the Turtle festival.

I had heard about the turtle festival and had been waiting for the chance to get out and witness it myself. Last year I did manage to do so and therefore, this year before the hatching season starts, I wanted to share a post on it so you can start planning for the same too.

Every year between February to March, thousands of newly hatched endangered Olive Ridley turtles make their maiden walk into the sea. Part of the Konkan Turtle Festival, this spectacular event is organized by the Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra (SNM) on the serene beach of Velas.

Tip: The Velas village is located on the picturesque Ratnagiri coast and is pretty close to Harihareshwar if you go by sea. By road it is about a 100kms.


The Konkan Turtle Festival is part of the conservation program aimed at protecting the endangered Olive Ridley turtles. During the festival, activists of the organization as well as tourists and locals release thousands of freshly hatched Olive Ridley Turtles into the sea.

From Harihareshwar we drove down to Bagmandale jetty, barely 4 kms away. Boats leave from this pretty jetty taking vehicles & passengers alike every half an hour.

Once we reached the other side, we drove through the village upto Bankot fort. This fort is situated atop the hill and stands at the mouth of Bankot creek. The fort history is debatable but according to the locals and the various tit-bits I heard, the fort was known to be under the control of Adilshahi and by 1548, the Portuguese took over it. Later, the brave Marathas, under the able leadership of the great Kanhoji Angre took control over Bankot and rechristened it as Himmatgad. Though this fort is beautiful with a fantastic view of the sea, not many tourists come this way.

From the fort, we headed down towards the Velas beach. The drive along the sea is spectacular. Completely isolated beaches fringed with beautiful trees, the view can revive you of all the city stress instantly!

Once on Velas beach, we waited until the activists were ready to release the baby turtles. Until then we walked around and explored the beach. Even though, the beach has black sand, it is absolutely soft and clean. Though it may not be very safe to swim here but it is perfect for a long walk along the shore to witness the romantic sunset.

Shortly the volunteers called the people to gather around as they expose the little turtles to the world. Looking at their size it is hard to believe that they would grow up to be at least 12 feet long! For now they slowly and shakily sweep their little fins towards the open sea.

As the sun sets in a lazy orange splash, we make our way back to Harihareshwar.

Soon it was pitch dark and the only light you can see are the stars scattered loosely on the sky! As we sat around the bonfire and sunk our tired feet in the cold sand, we could hear only one sound, the soft splashes of the waves!  

The next day we visit the Harihareshwar beach which is clean and deserted.

Nearby is the Kalbhairav temple. This shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva is widely revered and is also known as Dakshin Kashi.

A short walk from behind the temple up the hill, the path goes via a huge rock. According to legends, when the Pandava brothes visited Harihareshwar, this rock was blocking their path. So Bheema, the strongest of the Five brothers hit the rock with his gadda(a club) and split the rock in two. As you go down, you can see the fabulous natural design of the rocks. Sunsets here are fant-ablous and definitely not to be missed!

The Turtle hatching season starts next month, and Harihareshwar is a perfect weekend getaway with beaches, temples, wildlife, and forts all at the same place. So plan your trip now and don’t miss this beautiful event.