Taj Green Cove Resort & Spa Kovalam

English is spoken by the hotel team, so you can deal with the practical stuff without resorting to underwater hand signals. Taj Green Cove Resort & Spa Kovalam is a resort in a one-storey setting, with 59 rooms and the sort of facilities that let you shape the day around your own energy levels.

You can keep things simple with a drink, a meal and a book, or make more of the stay with the spa, fitness facilities, garden, mini-golf and excursions. There is also a 24-hour reception, free Wi-Fi and room service around the clock. Useful when the last thing you want is a timetable.

The resort is at G.V. Raja Vattapara Road in Kovalam, within Thiruvananthapuram, India. The centre of Thiruvananthapuram is 7 miles away, while Kovalam Beach and Hawah Beach are among the nearby coastal landmarks.

The airport is around 20 minutes away by road. You are close enough to reach the coast easily, while the resort’s setting gives you access to the wider Kovalam area rather than placing you in the middle of the city. Airport transfers can be arranged through the hotel, and car hire is also available.

For a couple who wants the sea in the picture, the sea-view suites and cottages are the natural choice. The premium suite adds a plunge pool, while the presidential villa has its own pool. If the view matters less than keeping the room straightforward, the garden-facing cottages give you a quieter-looking brief without needing to pay for scenery you may only notice between dives.

Twin beds are available in a garden-facing cottage, which is handy when you are travelling with a dive partner rather than a life partner. Double-bed options suit couples, and several categories include a balcony or outdoor view. The room list also includes a private bathroom, air conditioning, a ceiling fan, a fridge, a minibar, tea and coffee facilities, blackout blinds and soundproofing.

There is enough practical kit to make the room useful rather than merely photogenic: Wi-Fi, a safe, television, hairdryer, iron, bathrobe, slippers and toiletries. The blackout blinds are welcome for a daytime recovery nap, while the fridge gives you somewhere to keep water cool when you return hot, salty and operating on the last remaining percentage of battery.

Three restaurants give you different ways to approach the day. Jasmine Bay is the all-day dining restaurant, with global cuisine whenever your schedule decides to ignore normal meal times. Curries focuses on Kerala flavours for lunch and dinner, with sea views to go with the regional cooking.

Bait is the seafood specialist, serving the day’s catch and coastal dishes at lunchtime from 12.30pm to 2.30pm. It is the obvious address when the sea has put you in the mood for seafood rather than another polite plate of something familiar. Room service runs for 24 hours, useful when a late return wins the argument.

There is one bar, Neera Bar, built around cocktails and a relaxed evening with a book. The hotel also has a snack bar, café and breakfast service, with breakfast in the room available; the meal plan depends on the booking selected.

The J Wellness Circle spa is the main answer when your shoulders have had enough of carrying kit. Treatments include massage, facials, a hammam, sauna, jacuzzi, mud bath and body wraps. Spa treatments and massages need arranging before arrival, so this is one piece of planning worth doing before the journey rather than while you are already horizontal.

You can also use the gym and fitness equipment, take part in yoga, play mini-golf, billiards or tennis, or borrow a bicycle. The garden, library and barbecue area cover the lower-energy end of the scale, which is often the correct end after a run of dives.

When you want to leave the resort, the hotel can arrange excursions involving an island, a waterfall, a market or snorkelling, as well as cultural outings. Boat excursions are available too. Families have a games room, children’s play area, kids’ club and children’s pool, while babysitting is also available.

Check-in is from 2pm and check-out is by midday. The reception is open 24 hours, with express and private check-in and check-out available. Early arrival and late departure can be requested, which may help if flights and sleep schedules refuse to cooperate.

The hotel offers airport transfers, vehicle hire, free on-site parking and luggage storage. Concierge assistance can help with excursions and other arrangements, while laundry, dry cleaning and ironing services deal with the less glamorous evidence of a long trip. There is also an on-site infirmary and a doctor on request.

English and German are spoken by the hotel team. The resort is accessible to wheelchair users, with an accessible restaurant, and an electric-vehicle charging station is available. Pets are accepted in selected rooms, and registered guests are the only people permitted to access the rooms.