A very neat beach. A good driveway and designated parking lot. A play area for children, and reclining seats. Kiosks selling everything from small toys to icecreams and chocobars. Hotels, bars, and ayurvedic massage centres. Lots of people -- children, teenagers, youth, middleaged and elders -- but far fewer from what you can call a crowd. And some of them in colourful beach wear: not what you expect to see in a conservative state like Kerala. Nearby there are very elegant tourist cottages; and you can see beautiful Chinese fishing nets in the backwaters.

Why the surprise, you may think. Because, Cherai beach wasn't like this before. Nothing of what you see there now, was there earlier, except a few houses. I am told that all these changes came about after the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation took over the place. Hope it is developed further, but not by destroying the ecology or the natural scenic beauty that the beach offers.