In the local dialect, "Apani Dhani" means "Our Hamlet", an affectionate name given to the place by Ramesh C. Jangid, founder of the ecolodge and a pioneer of a form of militant tourism in India, especially in Rajasthan and his own native region of Nawalgarh.  

Get off the beaten track in India with a stay at Apani Dhani Ecolodge

For a lot of travelers in India, New Delhi is the capital of everything that they need to get away from as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, the town has some wonderful secrets that I would like to share with you.

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The beach, the beach, the beach. Where did India go?

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Beaches in India

Which I did when on <a href="/india/">vacation in India.</a> The few days I spent in Kovalam were during Monsoon season and it rained cats and dogs. So I didn't get to enjoy the beach that I had heard so much about. The sea was rough, the resort sadly empty and the beach dirty. Even so, I'm told that when it's the dry season, this area has everything you need to spend a great vacation under the coconut trees. Everything here is focused on tourism and I remember feeling a bit suffocated by the sellers who work the streets and beach. So I didn't have the best time in Kovalam, but I'm sure it's a great place to be when the sun is out!

A beach town situated in Kerala, on the south west coast of India.

Kovalam is an <a href="/india/">Indian beach vacation resort</a>, which, although touristy, still has a certain charm. Activities on offer are the same as the ones you see in postcards - swimming, tanning, shopping, eating at the water's edge. The sunsets are spectacular and it's worth relaxing with a cocktail to admire them. At night, hundreds of fishing boat lights glitter across the horizon. Kovalam plays its beach resort role to perfection, with numerous curbside sellers offering you anything and everything, from sarongs to local crafts. Depending on the time of day, these unrelenting vendors can get on your nerves, but, at this stage of your journey, you'll probably have got used to it. What I loved most was the long beach, with huge waves that crash onto the rocks beneath a red and white lighthouse, straight out of a Tintin comic book.

A beach resort that resembles a comic strip!

The little coastal resort of Kovalam, in Kerala, is not short on charm. It has two lovely beaches, plenty of things to see, and luxuriant jungle. On the downside, the city also has many restaurants aimed at tourists, lots of souvenir stores, and an infinite number of hotels offering ayurvedic vacations and relaxation therapies – all hand painted on wooden signboards in English, Russian and Hebrew. My first impressions of the city were not good: we are far from the traditional India that I love. The beaches are full of western tourists and behind them, locals trying to sell them fruit and pareos. Later on, just by chance, I got to know some locals who very kindly invited me to explore their region. I found that special kind of encounter that, for me, makes a truly great journey. Lastly, I would only recommend a trip to Kovalam to travelers tired of the exhausting experience of travel in India, or to those with enough time to discover its hidden heart. Above all it's the perfect place to relax with your fellow man (and woman) and you need to have the patience to find its good side. Travelers in a hurry - give it a miss!

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