Leisure Options

The southern most tip of India, Kanyakumari is a place blessed by nature. It is a palce where the land, three seas and the sky meet. From here one can get a view of both the sunrise and sunset. The famous temple of virgin Goddess Kanyakumari, Vivekananda Rock and a memorial for Mahatma Gandhi are major tourist attractions.

Padmanabhapuram was once the capital of the State of Travancore and is 51 kms from the city on the way to Nagarcoil in Tamil Nadu. The palace contains 17th and 18th century murals.

This is a wonderful park, an ideal picnic spot where the lake meets the sea, with a beautiful pool, gardens, exquisite sculptures, a floating bridge and a wide range of aqua sports facilities.

Kuthira Malika was built during the time of H. H. Maharaja Swathi Thirunal, the ruler of Travancore who was also a great poet and musician. This palace has wood carvings in the traditional Travancore style. The museum displays various painting collections of the royal family.

Formally known as Napier Museum, named after the former Madras Governor General – John Napier, it is a gem of architectural exuberance, combining traditional Kerala styles and good doses of Chinese and Mughal Influences. One of the very well maintained zoos in the whole of Asia, is located adjacent to the Art Museum.

The gallery has a valuable collection of paintings of Raja Ravi Varma and Roerich. It also has copies of paintings of the Ajanta, Rajput, Mughal and Tanjore Schools besides some works from China, Japan, and Tibet. The Observatory situated 60 m above sea level is located on a hill near the Museum. There is a well laid out garden in front of the hill, with a beautiful rose collection. It is one of the oldest edifices in India.

A popular city beach adjacent to the airport. An indoor recreation club, children’s traffic training park and a star shaped restaurant are some of the facilities at the beach.

The Museum is of high educative value for students of science and Technology.

It is a popular retreat for the city dwellers. The lake has boating facilities and has the largest children’s Park in Kerala.

16 kms north of Thiruvananthapuram and gifted with lavish scenic beauty is Aruvikkara. An ancient Durga temple is there on the banks of the river.

Neyyar Dam is a picnic spot and dam site located 29 kms from Trivandrum. There are facilities for boating at the reservoir. It has a lion safari park and crocodile farm.

An ideal hill resort situated 54 kms from Trivandrum is an enchanting one for tourists. Best accommodation and restaurant facilities are available here.

Located 50 kms from Trivandrum, Peppara is accessible from Vithurai on Trivandrum – Ponmudi Road. This sanctuary with its rich fauna and birds is emerging as a big attraction to wild life enthusiasts. It is spread over an area of 53 sq. km on the Western Ghats. This is doted with large hills and numerous hillocks with forests and eucalyptus plantations. Elephants, Sambar, Leopard and Lion tailed macaque are commonly seen.

A prominent peak in the Sahyadri ranges and can be approached on foot from Bonacadu which is 61 kms away from Trivandrum.

Just 60km from Thiruvananthapuram and 7kms from the Bonacadu estate in the Peppara forest range. This 4 ft cascade is one of the most verdant and unspoiled spots in Kerala. Road accessibility is only up to Bonecaud, thereon the Kanni tribesmen accompany trekkers along the mountain path. Prior permission from the Forest Department is required before approaching the area.

Backwater cruise at Thrivallom near to Kovalam beach is a special bonanza for the tourists.