Padmanabhapuram Palace
: Located at 54 kms from
Thiruvananthapuram across the border
in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district,
the palace nestles at the foot of
the Veli hills. Built during the
14th cenury it was called Darpakulangara,
but later in the 18th century it
was renovated and renamed as the
Padmanabhapuram palace. A place
of elaborate woodwork, it was the
ancient seat of the Travancore rulers
Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma
till the capital was shifted to
Thiruvananthapuram in 1780. It contains
relics of historical and artistic
value.
Kaudiar Palace:
This palace is the home of the late
Maharaja Sree Chitra Thirunal Bala
Rama Varma and his family. The view
of the grand old building from the
gate is excellent, but unforunately
it is off limits to the public.
If you are lucky, you could probably
walk a few steps inside to get a
better view provided the gate keeper
is friendly enough.
Anchuthengu Fort:
Located 36 kms from Thiruvananthapuram,
the historic remains of the fort
built by the British East India
Company in the 17th century and
an adjoining cemetery are the noteworthy
relics of this first major British
trading station on the Malabar Coast.
This colossal monument was once
the trading station of the mighty
British. The monument built in the
1800s stands as an excellent example
of sturdy and lasting forts constructed
in the English style.
Koyikkal Palace:
Classified as a double storeyed
‘nalukettu’, Koyikkal
Palace was the official residence
of the of the rulers of the erstwhile
State of Travancore. This ancient
palace, located 18 km from Thiruvananthapuram
on the way to Ponmudi hillstation
and the Kuttalam waterfalls, dates
back to the 15th century. In1979
this Palace was declared as a protected
monument and further in 1990 after
carrying out restoration work, it
was converted into a Folklore Museum
and Numismatic Museum.
Veli Tourist Village:
The seemingly placid sheet of water
that backed away from the visibility
reverberant sea offers a general
idea of the famous backwaters of
Kerala. Located near the airport
this popular picnic spot offers
landscaped gardens and water-sports
facilities.Pedal boats, rowboats,
and motored boats are available.Children
in particular have a lot of fun
and frolic climbing over the huge
sculptures, which dot the landscape,
and riding a ferry.
Sankhumugham Beach:
Located 8 kms from Thiruvananthapuram
city, the Shankhumugham Beach is
a favourite haunt of sunset watchers.
The beach is adjacent to the Thiruvananthapuram
Airport and Veli Tourist Village.the
'Matsya Kanyaka', a gigantic 35
m long sculpture of a mermaid and
a restaurant shaped like a starfish
are the major attractions here.
