Your Tour 
Thiruvananthapuram (old popular name - Trivandrum)
Location
Thiruvananthapuram is the capital of Kerala. Lying on the southwest coast of India, Thiruvananthapuram is an ancient city dating back to 1000 BC. Its name is a combination of three words - ‘Tiru Ananta Puram’ - that means the abode of the sacred serpent Ananta, upon whose coils Vishnu lies in the main temple. Although no records of the antiquity of the temple exist, the temple nevertheless is believed to be several thousands years old. Thiruvananthapuram shot into prominence in the 18th century when the capital of the then Travancore State was shifted here from Padmanabhapuram, a little down south. The erstwhile Travancore kings, taking on the title of Padmanabhadas (servant of the Lord), had dedicated themselves completely to the service of the Lord residing in the temple here. Their belief was that the deity owned the kingdom and the king is the mere executor of the Lord’s trust. After the Independence, the city was designated as the capital of Kerala.How to Reach 
By air: The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is
about 6 km from the city. By rail: Thiruvananthapuram has direct trains to all the main towns in Kerala as well as the major cities in India.
By road: Thiruvananthapuram is well connected to all towns and cities.
Tourist Attractions
Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple: The imposing seven-storey
tower of this temple makes it the most impressive landmark in the city.
The temple is an excellent example of the Dravidian style of architecture.
There are innumerable pillars, intricate carvings, and mural paintings.
Veli Lagoon (Tourist Village): It is a beautiful waterfront park that serves as an ideal picnic spot where the lake merges with the sea. The tourist village also has a wading pool, gardens, exquisite sculptures, a floating bridge and a wide range of aqua sports facilities
Government Art Museum: This museum was formerly known as the Napier Museum named after a 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.
Sree Chithra Art Gallery: This gallery has a rich 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, Tibet and Bali.
Zoo: The zoo here is one of the best maintained in the whole of Asia. It has beautiful sprawling lawns.
Observatory: The Observatory is situated 60 m above the sea level on a hill near the Art Museum. One of the oldest in India, it has a well laid out garden in front of the hill, with a beautiful rose collection.
Shanghumugham Beach: This popular beach is adjacent to the airport. Among its notable facilities are an indoor recreation club, children's traffic training park and a star-shaped restaurant.
Science and Technology Museum: Located near the Mascot Hotel, the museum is of high educative value for the students of science and technology.
Kowdiar Palace: This home of the late Maharaja Sree Chithira Thirunal Bala Rama Varma and his family is off limits to visitors but you can have a glimpse of it from the main gate. If a friendly guard is on duty, he will let you walk a bit inside the grounds where you can get a view of the grand old building at the end of its long drive.
Peppara Wild Life Sanctuary: One can reach the Peppara sanctuary, 50km from Thiruvananthapuram, from Vithurai on the Thiruvananthapuram-Ponmudi road. Spread over an area of 53 sq km on the Western Ghats, this sanctuary with its rich fauna and birds is emerging as a big attraction for wildlife enthusiasts. It is dotted with large hills and numerous hillocks with forests and eucalyptus plantations. Elephants, sambars, leopards and lion-tailed macaques are commonly seen here.
Ponmudi: An ideal hill resort situated just 54 km from Thiruvananthapuram, Ponmudi offers best accommodation and restaurant facilities.
Padmanabhapuram Palace: Once the capital of the State of Travancore, this palace is 51 km from the city on the way to Nagarcoil (Tamil Nadu). The palace contains 17th and 18th century murals.
Neyyar Dam: This dam, 29km from Thiruvananthapuram, serves as a picnic spot. It has facilities for boating at its reservoir. There is a lion safari park and crocodile farm nearby.
Aruvikkara: Located 16 km north of Thiruvananthapuram, this place is gifted with lavish scenic beauty. It has an ancient temple dedicated to Goddess Durga on the banks of the river.
Akkulam Boat Club: It is a popular retreat for the city dwellers. Located 9 km away from Thiruvanathapuram, the lake has boating facilities and has the largest children's park in Kerala.
Thiruvallam: The place has Lord Parasuraman's temple and Chithranjali, the State Film Development Corporation's studio. Thiruvallam lies on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kovalam route,10 km from Thiruvananthapuram.
Vizhinjam: Lying just 15 km from Thiruvananthapuram, this historic spot remained unnoticed for a long time. It was the capital of Ay-Vel kings of the 8th-9th century. The only thing here that withstood the time is a rock temple assigned to the period of the Cheras because of a strong influence of the Pallava Pandya architecture. The rock temple is a protected monument under the care of the Archeological Survey of India. It is located just a little off the main junction.
