Best Places to Visit in Thiruvananthapuram Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram also known as Trivandrum, means, " the city of Lord Anantha." It is located on the south western side of India, on the Arabian sea coast. Being the capital the city of the district as well as the state, it houses the administration headquarters of both the state and the district. The city city is also known its anglicized name Trivandrum. The city is considered to be one of the 10 greenest cities in India and the best city in Kerala to live in.

Being the capital Kerala state, it houses many of the state and central government's offices and other important organizations. There are many educational and research institutions in the city namely, Sree Chitira Thirunal Institute for Medical Science and Technology, International Centre for Free and Open Source Software (ICFOSS), Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Technopark, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER), and many more.

Azhimala Beach is located in Thiruvananthapuram and is about 7 kilometers from Kovalam Beach. The beach is located in the part of the city which is unperturbed by the hustle and bustle of the city life. The beach by itself is in an idyllic setting, which is very simply natural, where you can find huge rocks and gentle waves.
There is a steep road, which leads to Azhimala Siva temple and there is a shady route by the side of the temple which leadsone to the sea shore. The beach is verymuch unknown to many of the tourists and so a peaceful getaway.

Shanghumugham Beach is located at about 8 kilometers from the city. This is the Arattukadavu for the deity of the city, Lord Padmanabha swamy. The serene atmosphere and the vast stretches of sand makes it the place for relaxation.

You can spend an ideal evening relaxing on the sands and eating at the Star fish eateries. You can also watch a movie at the drive in theatre. The only hitch is that the beach does not get cleaned regularly and so is littered with garbage. This might be the main reason for the beach not getting enough recognition from the tourists and local visitors.

Kovalam Beach is one of the most sought after tourist destination in Kerala. The Beach is located at about 16 kilometers from the city. After the beach was discovered In the seventies, it has become the most favourite of all beaches in Kerala.

Kovalam Beach on the whole has three beaches divided by the rock outcroppings, namely, the Light House Beach, Hawa / Eve's Beach and the Samudra Beach.

Light House Beach and the Hawa Beach are dotted with budget and luxury resorts, cafes and restaurants and cater to all types of visitors. There are Ayurvedic resorts and Ashrams to which many come in for the detoxification and Pancha Karma treatments. Since the beach is a shallow one it is good for swimming, sun bathing and water sports.

Thiruvananthapuram / Trivandrum Golf Club is one of the oldest Golf clubs in India, like Royal Calcutta circa 1829 and the Jorhat Club & BGC circa 1876. This is a nine hole, 2645 yard Golf course and the layout had been built by Sri Moolam Thirunaal as a private Golf course. Earlier this has been the hunting lodge of the Maharajah of Travancore.

The golf club was built in the 1850's and is considered to be an archaeological treasure in the city. So the building has been declared as an heritage building the Department of Archaeology. The Course is open to the public and the visitors when there are no tournaments held at the course.

Entry timings from 8.30 am to 3.00 pm through out the week. Golf Clubs can be had for hire at the Clubhouse but you will have tobuy balls and gloves etc from a shop nearby.

For more details contact The Club

Lord Padmanabhaswamy Temple is located in the city and run by a trust which is headed by the Royal Family of Travancore. The Temple is one of the 108 divya desams of Lord Vishnu in India and considered one of the most important shrines among them. These divya desams are the important shrines which are dedicated to Lord Vishnu and are the principal centres of Vaishnavism in India

Attukkal Bhaghavathy Temple is located in the city and is dedicated to the Goddess Parvathy. It is believed that Kannaki, Kovalan's wife in the epic Silappadikaram came to AttuKkal as a small girl on her way to Kodungallur. There she was looked after by an old man, who built the temple.

Attukal Bhagavathy Temple is one of the ancient temples of south India and is popularly known as the Sabarimala For Women. Attukkal Pongala is the main festival in this temple. Men are not allowed to enter the during that time. Millions of women gather around the temple and prepare pongal for the deity in the open and in small pots. The area around 5 kilometer radius from the temple will be full of women preparing Pongala for the God and it is a sight to bee seen.

Agasthyakoodam is a tall peak and a pilgrimage centre for the Hindus. The peak is located in the Western Ghats within the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary. This hills is a part of the Agastya Mala Biosphere Reserve and lies on the border of the two south Indian states Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Among the rivers which originate in the Agasthya Mala, Tamiraparani runs to the east through Tamil Nadu, Karamana and Neyyar rivers run through Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.

The mountain peak Agasthyakoodam can only be reached by trekking. For this one might have to get passes issued by the Kerala Forest Department in Thiruvananthapuram. Trekking is permitted and is open only from January to Mid March every year. Trekking route starts from Bonacaud, while the Neyyar route is not open to the public.

Veli Tourist Village is a backwater destination. It is a beautiful, calm and serene picnic spot developed on the banks of the Akkulam Lake, an extension of the Veli Lake. There are boating facilities which operate speed, pedal, safari as well as row boats from Akkulam to Veli Tourist Village. There is also a houseboat available for cruises and night stay.

In the tourist village, children love to play in the fully and well equipped park, with amusement rides and a paddle pool. The place is open from 10.00 am to 7.00 pm

Thiruvananthapuram located on the west coast of India is the capital city of the state of Kerala.

Thiruvananthapuram has an international airport which connects many important cities from all over the world. Almost all the major cities in India are also connected to Thiruvananthapuram airport.

Thiruvananthapuram railway station is well connected through out the country by Indian railway network.

Since Thiruvananthapuram also known as Trivandrum is the capital city of Kerala State, it is connected with all the major cities through out India. The city has all types of accommodation available for the tourists, from 5 star hotels to home stays to small lodgings. You can choose the one you like.

Some of the accommodation facilities in and around Thiruvananthapuram are

At Hotel Samudra there are 64 rooms including 2 premium rooms. The hotel have facilities,like, a restaurant, Beer parlour, Swimming pool, Laundry services, Car rentals and travel assistance, a convention centre, currency exchange and many more.

Contact Details

Hotel Samudra (KTDC)
Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala - 695527
Tel : +91-471-2480089, 2481412
Fax : +91-471-2480242
E-mail: samudra@ktdc.com
Website : www.samudrakovalam.com

At The Coconut Bay Beach Resort, there are 22 luxurious independent villas and 5 beach rooms with all the amenities one might need like a refrigerator, television, hot and cold running water, Laundry services, library, safety lockers etc. The rooms offer stunning views of the sea and you will love the beautiful surroundings of the resort.

Some of the facilities available at the beach resort are swimming pool with Jacuzzi, Ayurveda treatment centre as well as a Yoga centre.

Contact Details

Coconut Bay Beach Resort
Mulloor P.O, Vizhinjam
Trivandrum
Kerala - 695 521
Central Reservation Tel: +91 471 2343524
Resort Tel: +91 471 2480566 / 2480668 / 2484566
Fax: +91 471 2343349
Email: cocobay@vsnl.com