Thiruvananthapuram

Understand

thumbnail|Kuthira Mallika Palace File:LL-Q36236 (mal)-Vis M-തിരുവനന്തപുരം.wav

Thiruvananthapuram (thih-roo-vuh-nuhn-thuh-poo-ruhm), with a tradition dating back to 1000 BC, lies on a small strip of land covered with coconut and palm trees. Thiruvananthapuram means "City of Lord Ananta" (the serpent on which Lord Padmanabha/Vishnu reclines) in Sanskrit and Malayalam. Historically, it was a trading post for spices, sandalwood and ivory. Thiruvananthapuram is the largest city in Kerala. The city is the state capital and houses many central and state government offices, organisations and companies. Besides being the political nerve centre of Kerala, it is also a major academic hub and home to several educational institutions, including the University of Kerala, and many science and technology institutions. Some prominent institutions being the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Technopark, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER).

Get in

thumb|Thiruvananthapuram International Airport thumb|Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station

See

thumb|Neyyar Dam Thiruvananthapuram is a historical city, dotted with many historical structures, parks, museums, tourist centers and palaces. It's also famous for its distinctive greenery, present all over, a rare site in any bustling Indian city. Most ticketed museums are closed on Mondays, so do check online/by phone before visiting. Visit the official website of Kerala Tourism for more details.

Buy

Haggling is quite acceptable and very much needed if you buy anything from the vendors.

Eat

There are plenty of restaurants in Thiruvananthapuram serving South Indian food. There are also quite a few eating places serving other cuisines, such as North Indian, Chinese and American food. Please note that the word 'hotel' is used for restaurants.

Drink

Traditional drinks include Karikku(tender coconut water) and Sambharam (buttermilk with salt, ginger and green chilly). Karikku can be bought mostly from the streetside vendors while Sambharam can be bought from the ubiquitous Milma outlets. The Bakery Junction area has several fresh juice vendors, serving inspired mocktails like Sharjah and Tsunami. "Sharjah" is very popular and available in various juice shops all over trivandrum.

Sleep

Unless you are in Thiruvananthapuram on a business trip, it may be better to base yourself in Kovalam and go to the city as a day trip. The accommodation in Kovalam tends to be more expensive, but many of the budget options can be found off Tivandrum-Bakery-Palayam Rd, near the station.

Stay safe

Female tourists should be wary of hooligans, especially in New Year parties.

Only eat hot food and drink only boiled or good bottled water. Take water purification tablets with you. Water from corporation supplied lines are generally safe, but to be on the safer side go for purified forms.

If you are visiting during the summers (April–May) temperatures might be higher and you might want to take some preparations against it. Evenings are best time to stroll. City sleeps early so you can roam about until maximum 10PM inside the city (really the limit). Most shops close by that time. If you are staying somewhere outside the centre transport options get harder to find and more expensive later at night.

If you need injections or blood tests, try to provide your own needle, bringing a few with your first aid kit. Private hospitals generally provide good service.

Go next

Braemore Estate, Trekkers' paradise 50 km away from Thiruvananthapuram. Kanyakumari - 87 km away in Tamil Nadu state. Visit early evening to see the glorious sunsets where the 3 seas meet; the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, Kochi - a metropolitan city in Kerala and a major tourist attraction. 5 hours away by train, or 6 by bus. Kovalam - famous for its beaches, among the finest in India. 17 km from the city. Ponmudi - A pleasant hill resort 61 km away from city, elevation 912m above sea level. Swamithoppe - The religious headquarters of Ayyavazhi and the most important pilgrim center of Ayyavazhis. Thiruvananthapuram (district) has many more attractions which are a day trip away. Varkala - a pilgrimage centre for the devotees of Janardhana Swamy and Sree Narayana Guru. 51 km away from Thiruvananthapuram city. Colombo - daily flights, 45 minutes away Maldives - multiple flights a day, 1 hour

Other places in Tamil Nadu state like Kutralam or Courtallam for its Water Falls, Madurai, Palani and Thanjavur

If booking train tickets out from Thiruvananthapuram, the reservation office is upstairs in the main railway station, and follows an odd ticketing system. Tickets are available from a small machine with a red button just near the first counter on your right after you walk in. Although it is usually covered by people. There is unfortunately no tourist window at this station, however tourist class can always still be booked!

There i…