Kovalam Travel Forum

I visited Kovalam in 2004 and stayed at the Uday Samudra Hotel. Then it was a small hotel with the rooms surrounding one outside pool. I have just booked a holiday at the same hotel for November this year and see that it now is much larger with 3 pools and a lot more rooms. My question is : - Has the increase in the tourist capacity of this hotel spoilt the small beach by bringing in too many tourists. Are the outside bars and shacks ( for eating ) now full of tourists. Anyone got any advice they can give to me.

We will be staying at the Samudra Hotel in February, which is next door to the Uday Samudra and we have been told that there are a few beach shacks on Samudra beach which are really good. I can't think that it would be too busy, we were in Kovalam on Lighthouse beach last year and was just as nice as it was when we first visited in 2005.

I'll check it out and post an anwser to your question on my return.

Hiya
We too are booked into this hotel in Feb and have just received information from our tour operator stating that there is building work being done at the moment includung platering and plumbing work so it looks like they are expanding some more.

That's worrying - Are the building works going on at the Uday Samudra Hotel or the Samudra Hotel? We're staying at the Samudra Hotel and have not heard anything about any works.

We are staying at the Uday Samudra in Feb and were worried about reports of building work going on. I contacted First Choice who we are booked with and they have said that "they were only advising passengers travelling up to April 2007 that they might be affected by the building work. Therefore by the time we travel the building work will have been completed for nearly 1 year"
If anything was to change they would advise us. We haven't heard anything since. Have read reports from people returning from their holiday at the Uday Samudra and there doesn't seem to be any major works going on just a little decoration wwhich we wouldn't be bothered about. Hope this is of some help.

I have done a lot of searching around and it looks like the notice I got from the tour operators is wrong and that the building work was last year, I have also emailed the hotel and that bounced back so I have emailed the hotel owners in Mumbai but so far (3 days later) have not had a reply.
Everything points towards the letter I got being wrong.

Nick

Hello

I've stayed in Kovalam near the Uday Samudra 4 times, the last time being 2006 and yes it has changed a lot ! Unfortunately the Hotel takes up almost the whole beach front now although when I was there there were still a few independent reasturants still open. A lot of the people staying at the Uday Samudra seemed to stay within the hotel at night for their meals and ' entertainment' so the resturants and shacks were not full. I think some of the local people have been squeezed out by the hotel as they seem to have taken over the area somewhat. Every time I go back things have altered some good and some not so good although having said all that what a beautiful place for a holiday - and I would go back tomorrow!! Have a great time.