Almost the entire length of the Keralan coast is lined by beautiful white-sand beaches and coconut groves. Most still support robust fishing communities, whose wooden boats provide a pretty backdrop for dips in the warm surf of the Arabian Sea.

For a relaxing sun holiday in India, our top recommendations are the string of coves to the south of Kovalam, near the capital, Trivandrum, with its wonderful temples and intriguing architecture; Varkala; or quieter Marari near Alappuzha in central Kerala, backed by a near unbroken curtain of coconut palms. The land adjacent to the resort is occupied by a fishing community whose activities on the beach, provide a constant source of fascination for visitors.

Alternatively, if you are after sparsely populated, pristine stretches of sand head to Neeleshwar, Bekal or Thottada on the little visited Malabar Coast in the far north of the state, which until recently was ‘terra incognita’ on tourist maps.