Trivandrum is the peaceful capital city of Kerala that is resplendent with culture and tradition. It’s rated as the best city to live in among 21 other cities in India and is indeed a testimony to great living with an infrastructure and governing system that actually works, great roads, excellent potable water and electricity facilities, specialized protective facilities for women as well as a great healthcare and educational system that keeps the city’s indigenes smiling.
The best part is that Trivandrum is not a concrete jungle, and along with the verdant greenery found here, you will also find gleaming blue waters that keep you close to nature’s bosom. When you are fed-up of your daily routine and need to get away from it all, you don’t really have to go far as the city offers numerous types of destinations and activities that can rejuvenate and revive your inner soul.
For those who are interested in nature, Trivandrum has beautiful beaches, dams, lakes and parks to refresh your mind and body. The Shanghumugham beach is located 8km form the city center and is a great spot to unwind and watch the sunset or if you are the active kind, you can always play a game of beach ball or mess around in the water. The Veli Lake located very close by also offers numerous activities including paddle boating, ferry rides as well as speed boat rides. Children’s parks, beautiful flower gardens, sculpture gardens, fish pond as well as a floating bridge and floating restaurant are some of the things to keep you entertained here. Or you could just take a peaceful stroll along the neatly paved pathways around the lakeside.
The beaches in Kovalam and Poovar are also famous as getaway spots where you can have fun and frolic in the waves and dine in the numerous seafood restaurants abounding here. The Valiyathura pier located at a height of 214 meters affords beautiful views of the Arabian Sea as well as the coastline and you shouldn’t miss it. A morning or evening stroll here can become a memorable experience.
Aruvikkara dam and Neyyar dam are two other water-themed hotspots to enjoy a day out with the family. Neyyar wildlife sanctuary also located here offers a little more activity watching wild animals in their scenic natural habitats.
Located in the heart of the city is the Kanakakkunnu palace set atop a green hillock, with its beautiful acres of rolling gardens and two open-air auditoriums namely, Sooryakanthi and Nishagandhi, where cultural events are regularly being hosted. Next to this is the museum complex where the Napier museum, Sri Chitra Art gallery, Museum of Natural History and a humongous zoo dating back to 1857 are located. The museum complex also houses a large well-lit park where people come for evening walks and quality family time on the sprawling lawns of the complex.
Trivandrum is the only city in India where you will witness a mosque, a temple as well as a church all co-existing peacefully side by side. Other famous places of worship here are the Shri Padmanabhaswamy temple, the Attukkal Bhagavathy temple and the Santhigiri Ashram shaped like a lotus.
With so many things to keep you entertained in Trivandrum, why think of going anywhere else!
