Kovalam which translates as; a grove of coconut trees, was first made popular with foreigners by the hippies, who made their way to Sri Lanka on the Hippie Trail. This exodus led to the transformation of a casual Keralan fishing village into one of the most important tourist destinations in India. All this has developed in to streets of hotels, resorts, restaurants, shops, massage establishments, yoga centres, tailors’ workshops and countless “hey man, want to have something?” hawkers. What a tragedy. Walking miles away from all of that madness might however be a provide a different experience, one of tranquility and solitude.
