Kerala is truly known to be God’s own country for its natural serenity. The capital city of Kerala, Trivandrum, also known as Thiruvananthapuram is popular for its beautiful lush green landscape, mesmerizing backwaters, stunning hilltops, and picturesque beaches. This city is the tourism center of Kerala. Every year several tourists visit this state as it has one of the best tourist spots in Kerala.
There are many amazing places to visit in Trivandrum making it the foremost choice of national and international tourists visiting south India. These include beautiful palaces, museums, temples, hills, beaches, and forests. There are plenty of amazing options to choose from.
# Kuthiramalika (Puthenmalika) Palace Kuthiramalika Palace is one of the most popular places to visit in Trivandrum. This palace was built by King Swathi Thirunal in the early nineteenth century. The idea behind building this palace was to preserve the local architectural and art form. This palace is a perfect representation of Kerala’s historic architectural style and artwork.
Kuthiramalika Palace is one of the most interesting places to visit in Trivandrum. This palace is named Kuthiramalika which means the “Mansion of horses”. Once you enter this palace you immediately realize the relevance of its name as you can see several wooden horses intricately carved into many pillars of this palace adding up to a total of 122 horses.
This palace is a paradise for lovers of historical monuments. This palace also has a museum where you can look at the traditional attire, jewelry, crowns, and armors worn by the kings and queens of the Travancore royal family. You can also take a look at the ancient traditional artwork including paintings and woodwork.
# Kovalam BeachThis beautiful beach is located at a distance of about 16 km from the city of Trivandrum. This is considered to be one of the most scenic beaches in the entire country. Surrounded by huge coconut trees the Panoramic view of the sunrise and sunset here can take you to another world. Kovalam beach is believed to be one of the most famous places to visit in Trivandrum.
There are a lot of fun activities you can choose to do on this beach such as sunbathing, swimming, & relishing the seafood at the beachside. Those looking for some adventure can also enjoy the water sports like Parasailing, Wind Surfing, and Diving. Most tourists planning to visit down south include this destination in their Kerala Packages.
If you are into Ayurveda then this beach is an ideal destination for you. Near this beach, you can find various Ayurveda centers offering plenty of Ayurvedic therapies to relax your body and mind. You can get an Ayurvedic massage here to refresh yourself.
# Vizhinjam - Rock Cut Cave TempleVizhinjam temple is an ancient Hindu Temple constructed back in the 8th century. This Temple is located about 20 km away from the main city of Trivandrum. This Temple is considered to be a popular tourist place in Trivandrum.
This temple has a very interesting architecture appreciated by many tourists. When you visit this small yet fascinating temple, you will see the precise stone-carved sculptures of Hindu Deities. Inside the temple is a sculpture of Vinandhara Dakshinamurthi and on the outer side of the temple unfinished sculptures of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati can be seen.
Vizhinjam Rock Cut Cave Temple is one of the most popular places to visit in Trivandrum. You can visit this temple on all weekdays except Mondays. Visiting hours are from 9 am in the morning to 6 pm in the evening.
# Veli Tourist VillageIf you are on a family vacation to Trivandrum then you must visit Veli Tourist Village. This village is considered to be one of the best tourist places in Trivandrum. This village is located near Veli Lake which is about 12 km away from Trivandrum. It is an ideal picnic spot to have a fun-filled day with your family and friends.
Here you can do paddle boating or speed boating in the Veli lake and picnic in the beautiful garden nearby lake. This garden near the lake has a huge eye-catching sculpture of a “Shankha” (Conch). There are also a few restaurants where you can enjoy some refreshments while you are enjoying your time here.
Veli Tourist Village is one of the best places to see in Trivandrum. You can visit this village every weekday from 8 am to 6 pm. You will have to purchase a ticket to enter this tourist village.
# Padmanabhaswamy TemplePadmanabhaswamy Temple is believed to be one of the most famous places to visit in Trivandrum. It is one of the oldest temples in Trivandrum dating back to the 8th century. This temple is about 6 km from the main city center of Trivandrum and can be reached very conveniently.
This temple is famous for its fascinating and intricate ancient Kerala-style architecture. The temple is constructed mainly from stone and bronze. Inside this temple beautiful sculptures, murals, and paintings of Hindu Lord Vishnu and other deities can be seen. This temple is a true haven for art lovers. Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the most visited tourist places in Trivandrum.
Inside the temple idol of Shri Padmanabhaswamy can be seen, this idol is about 18 feet tall. This temple was considered sacred by Travancore royal family and many renovations of this temple were done by them. Due to the tremendous popularity of this temple, it is included in most of the Kerala holiday packages.