India /Kerala /Thiruvananthapuram /Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruananthapuram, the jewel in the emerald necklace that Kerala is for the Indian sub-continent, must surely have Parasuramanbeen a “must see” destination for ages, long before National Geographic Traveller classified it as one. Surely long before Sage Parasurama , according to local legend, threw his divine battle axe from Kanyakumari to Gokarnam to wrest Kerala, God’s own land, from the Varuna the sea god; before the times of Mahabali the democratic and just ruler of this wonderful land who was sent down to the netherworld through deceit. It doesnt take any flights of fancy to imagine that this land fired the imaginations of intrepid travellers and explorers like Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Marco Polo, Fa Hien, and quite possibly, countless others from the pages of history, recorded or not.

Quick Facts-Edit

Category : Beach
Time Zone: UTC + 5:30 Hours
Pincode: 695002
STD Code: 471
Info Website: trivandrum.gov.in
Best Time to Visit:  October – Febuary.

HistoryEdit

Thiruvananthapuram district is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west and Tamil Nadu on the east. With its 78 km coastline, internationally renowned beaches, historic monuments, backwater stretches and a rich cultural heritage, Thiruvananthapuram district is a much sought after tourist destination in Kerala. Shankmukham beach, Sree Padmanabha Swami Temple, Sri Chithra Art gallery – an exclusive art gallery for Raja Ravi Verma paintings, Planetarium, Zoo etc are the most important places of tourist interest with in Thiruvananthapuram City. Apart from these, there are several Palaces and Museums showcasing the culture and heritage of this beautiful city. The city, speading across seven hills, is the window to keralan culture. There aren’t many mounuments the city boasts of but it is blessed with natural beauty.

Places to VisitAdd

Thiruvanathapuram Sightseeing

How to ReachEdit

By Air : Being the capital of Kerala state, Thiruvananthapuram is well connected to other major cities of and the neighboring countries. There are direct flights to Bangalore , Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi. Cities in the neighboring countries such as Colombo, Malé and cities of Arabian Gulf are connected by the international airlines.

By Train : Thiruvananthapuram is connected to other important cities of and Kerala by trains. Regular trains are available for the states of Karnataka and Tamilnadu. For the tourists heading towards North India and Delhi , Himsagar Express is the perfect choice.

By BUS : Buses in Trivandrum cover almost all known parts of the city, and opting for buses is the cheapest option among the above given ones. You will need to shell out around Rs 4 to 10 in order to travel from one point in Trivandrum to another. Buses can be a very good option if you know your destination beforehand, and you can also ask the locals for help in order to find out where you should disembark.

By Taxi : Cabs can be taken up from the major cab agencies in the city and some of these have been given below. Fares may range anywhere between Rs 150 to 500 depending on the distance covered. Ramgiri Inter Cabs- Ph: 09895034508, Kerala Cars- Ph: 09447001010

By Other : Auto rickshaws in Trivandrum do not run on meter; however the charges are very minimal when compared to the other cities in Kerala. While travelling through an auto rickshaw, do not discuss the rate when you reach your destination. Negotiate a rate before getting into an auto rickshaw, as fares will rarely exceed Rs 70. There are no night fares and autos are a safe mode of travel.

Top HotelsAdd

Budget  – Up to Rs. 800

• Libra Hotel ; Pazhaya Road,TVM Medical College, Trivandrum-695011 ; Ph – 471-2552852, 2445581 ; Facilities – 24hours room service, laundry, parking facility, doctor-on-call, travel assistance, STD/ISD.

Economy – Up to Rs. 801 to Rs. 1200

• Ariya Nivaas Hotel ; Manorama Road, Thambanoor, Trivandrum-695011 ; Ph – 471-2323968 ; Facilities – 24 hours room service, 24 hours H/C running Water, TV, laundry, Doctor-on-call, Telephone.

Deluxe – Up to Rs. 801 to Rs. 1200

• Hotel Chaithram KTDC ; Thampanoor, Thiruvananthapuram, KL 695014 ‎ ; Ph – 0471 233 0977 ; Facilities – STD/ISD facillties, 24 hours room service, 24hores coffee shop, parking facility, TV, secretarial service, indoor games, Doctor-on-call, baby-sitting, swimming pool, all major accepted credit card accepted.

Luxury – Rs. 2501 and above

• Mascot Hotel ; Cantonment House Rd, PMG Thiruvananthapuram. ; Ph – 0471 231 8990 ; Facilities – STD/ISD facillties, 24 hours room service, 24hores coffee shop, parking facility, TV, secretarial service, indoor games, Doctor-on-call.

Top RestaurantsAdd

• SP Grand Days Hotel ;  Bakery-Railway Station Road Trivandrum Bakery Palayam Rd, Paund Colony, Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram. ; M –  0471 233 3344 ; Food Serve :  Indian
• Curry Chatty ;  PWD Rest House SH 2, Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram. ; M –  0471 305 5567 ; Food Serve :  Indian

Must Eat FoodAdd

Must Do ActivitiesAdd

Must ShopAdd

Nightlife (Pub / Disc / BAR)Add

• Oakwood Bar ; Fortune South Park Hotel, MG Road; Ph/M: 0471 233 3333 ; Cost:  N.A ; Food Serve : N.A
• Aqua Bar, East Fort ; C/o Hotel Saj Luciya East Fort, Thiruvananthapuram-695023 ; Ph/M: 91-471-2463443 ; Cost:  N.A ; Food Serve : Chinese, Continental
• Twist, Thycaud ; C/o Vivanta by Taj – Trivandrum C V Raman Pillai Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram ; Ph/M: 91-471-6612345 ; Cost:  N.A ; Food Serve : Snacks/Finger Food

SpaAdd

• Naturals Family Salon & Spa ;  Carmel Towers, Opposite To Cotton Hill School, Vazhuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram – 695014 ; Ph/M – 9645905330 (0471) 4068885, 4068886 ; Cost:  N.A ; Services –  Body Massage Centres, Beauty Parlours, Beauty Parlour Hair Treatment
• Kairali Ayurvedic Health Spa ;  Muscat Hotel,Muscat Square, Vikas Bhavan Po,PMP Junction, Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram – 695034 ; Ph/M – 9847633570 (0417) 3296933 ; Cost:  N.A ; Services –  Body Massage Centres, Ayurvedic Body Massage Centres

FestivalAdd

Nishagandhi Festival ; Venue:  Thiruvananthapuram. ; Period :  January ; Details:  The festival is celebrated during the month of January at Nishagandhi auditorium, at Kanakakunnu. Nishagandhi stages vivid classical music and dance forms during these days. Numerous well endowed artists participate in this gala. The classical dance forms from different states of India are perfromed in this grand fest.

Attukal Pongala ; Venue:  Thiruvananthapuram. ; Period :  February ; Details:  Attukal Pongala is celebrated between 18-26 of February, every year, at Attukal Bhagavati Temple. It is a ten-day festival. On the 9th day, thousands of women devotees from many parts of the state gather in the vicinities of the temple to prepare pongala, a favourite offering to the Goddess. They prepare pongala by cooking jaggery, coconut and banana in certain proportions and offer to the Goddess. The ritual starts early morning and ends by afternoon. The uniqueness of the festival is that only women are allowed to do the offerings on that day.

Safety / WarningEdit

N.A

HelplineEdit

• Police:100
• Fire:101
• Ambulance :102

ItineraryEdit

Day 1:
10:00 am – Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple ;Approx. time spent : 2 hrs
12:00 pm – Puthe Maliga Palace Museum ;Approx. time spent : 2 hrs
2:00 pm – Trivandrum Zoo ;Approx. time spent : 3 hrs
5:00 pm – India Experience ;Approx. time spent : 2 hrs
7:00 pm – Connemara Market;Approx. time spent : 2 hrs
Day 2:
9:00 am – Veli Tourist Park ;Approx. time spent : 3 hrs
12:00 am – Thiruvananthapuram City Day Tour ;Approx. time spent : 4 hrs
4:00 pm – Napier Museum ;Approx. time spent : 2 hrs
6:00 pm – Ariya Nivaas ;Approx. time spent : 2 hrs
Day 3:
10:00 am – Attukal Temple ;Approx. time spent : 2 hrs
12:00 pm – Indian Coffee House ;Approx. time spent : 2 hrs
2:00 pm – Kowdiar Palace ;Approx. time spent : 2 hrs
4:00 pm – Prime Square ;Approx. time spent : 3 hrs
7:00 pm – Vellayani Lake ;Approx. time spent : 2 hrs

Gallery