Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Trivandrum

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the important pilgrim centers in Trivandrum city.

It is one of the famous pilgrim centers in Kerala where only Hindus are allowed to enter the temple. So it is one of the must-see spots for Hindus who visit Trivandrum.

Location of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple TVM

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is located at the heart of Thiruvananthapuram city. The exact location of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is at East Fort TVM.

Richest Temple in the world

Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is the richest temple in the world right after the discovery of ancient treasure stored in this temple.

100k Crore Indian Rupees is the estimated value for the ancient treasure found in the temple. This sum is accumulated over time by the donation of Travancore kings and devotees of Lord Vishnu.

How to Reach Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple

This temple is situated less than one kilometer from Trivandrum central railway station. East Fort bus terminal is very near to the temple.

The nearest airport is Trivandrum International Airport (7km).

Shanghumugham Beach Trivandrum

Shanghumugham Beach is one of the important tourist destinations near Trivandrum, Kerala state. If you go further from Shanghumugham, you can reach the famous Veli tourist village.

One of the major attractions of Shanghumugham beach is the presence of rare clean white sand. Shangumugham beach is a perfect place to watch the sunset and sunrise.

Mermaid sculpture Shanghumugham Beach

The first thing you will notice at Shanghumugham Beach is the sculpture of a mermaid.

This sculpture of Jalakanyaka (Malayalam word for Mermaid) is created by the famous Kanayi Kunjuraman.

How to reach Shanghumugham Beach

Shanghumugham Beach is accessible from Trivandrum city by an 8-kilometer journey.

Trivandrum International Airport is situated very near to Shanghumugham Beach.

Exploring Trivandrum Museum (Napier Museum TVM)

Napier Museum TVM is one of the important hangout places in Trivandrum. It is named as Napier Museum after Lord Napier.

It consists of a Zoo, Botanical Garden, and Sri Chitra Art Gallery. However, the Trivandrum museum is famous for the morning walk of health-conscious people in Thiruvananthapuram.

If you go to the Trivandrum museum in the early morning, you will be surprised to see the large crowd, including children and old men, gathered for the same reason, Jogging.

Napier Museum Thiruvananthapuram is one of the good hangout places.

Ratheesh, Siju at Trivandrum Museum

One of the major attractions is the big trees in the museum compound.

Siju George

If you are interested in archaeology, you cannot miss the Napier Museum. There you can find a good collection of artifacts and other valuable details.

Thiruvananthapuram museum compound

Trivandrum Museum was built in 1855 and rebuilt in 1874.

Trivandrum Museum compound

If you are in Trivandrum, Napier Museum is one of the best places to spend your evening.

Evening at Kanakakkunnu palace by Siju George

The Garden near Kanakakkunnu palace is a good spot to spent time with friends.

How to reach Trivandrum Museum

Napier Museum is situated in Trivandrum city, and you can reach there from Trivandrum central by 10 minutes journey.

Other Trips

Kumarakom Backwater Tourism

Kumarakom is one of the important backwater tourist spots in Kerala. It is situated in the Kottayam district on the shore of Vembanad lake, and you can reach there by a 16-kilometer journey from Kottayam town.

This place is also famous for Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, where you can find many rare species of birds.

If you are interested in bird watching, you can see a lot of native birds as well as migratory birds.

The former name of Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary was Baker’s Estate.

kumarakom backwater tourism

Local Birds present in Kumarakom

The local birds available in Kumarakom are:

waterfowl,

cuckoo,

owl,

egret,

heron,

cormorant,

moorhen,

darter,

Brahminy kite

duck

siju and lenish at Kumarakom

Migratory birds in Kumarakom

The famous migratory birds in Kumarakom are:

Siberian crane

Teal,

Lark,

Flycatcher

Siju George at Kumarakom- houseboat

Houseboat in Kumarakom

Houseboats are available in Kumarakom, and it is advised to book in advance if you are planning to visit Kumarakom in peak season.

How to Reach Kumarakom

There is a 16 km journey from Kottayam to Kumarakom.

The nearest airport at Cochin (80 km)

One Day at Pathiramanal Island

As part of my Kumarakom boat trip, we landed on one of the most celebrated inland islands in Kerala.

I am sure you can guess that name easily. Can you guess the name from the photo provided below?

It is Pathiramanal Island, a beautiful small island situated in Vembanad Lake and a home for different types of birds.

This island is open for tourists and bird watchers and a must-see tourist spot in Kerala. It is a plastic-free area, and tourists are not allowed to carry plastic.

Pathiramanal Island is under Kerala Tourism Department, and they preserve the island with all its natural beauty.

If you like a long backwater journey, Pathiramanal is a good picnic spot.
Siju and Lenish at Pathiramanal Alleppey

Pathiramanal is a very small island, and you can cover it by walking.

Siju

How to Reach Pathiramanal Island

To reach Pathiramanal Island, you need to hire a motorboat and travel through Vembanad lake.

Either you can start your journey from Alleppey or from Kumarakom.

We started our journey from Kumarakom, and it was a wonderful trip.

Sreekanth S and Siju George at Pathiramanal

The estimated area of the Pathiramanal island is 19.6 ha.

Tourist Information

Nearest Railway Station: Alleppey (Alappuzha)

Airport: Cochin International Airport

Other Trips

Trip to Thirparappu waterfalls

Thirparappu waterfalls is a famous tourist spot situated in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.

Water comes to Thirparappu waterfalls from the Kodayar River, and there are so many beautiful spots near it.

We (me, Pradeep, Jineesh, and, Tibin) planned a trip to Thirparappu waterfalls one week ago and had our trip in Jan-09-2011.

There is about a 55-kilometer journey to Thirparappu waterfalls from Trivandrum city, and We took about one and a half hour to reach there.

We first went to one of the resting places near the waterfalls and took our lunch. After lunch, we covered a little bit of area by walk and then went to the waterfalls.

Some of the photos we took:

Thirparappu waterfalls- best picnic spot by Pradeep K

Images of Thirparappu waterfalls Kanyakumari by Tibin

swimming pool

Another attraction is a well-maintained swimming pool near the waterfall. The water is fresh as it flows from the waterfalls, so there is no need to worry about hygiene.

The only problem we faced was the presence of a huge crowd here. If you are looking for a family picnic place, Thirparappu is the right spot.

Photos of Thirparappu waterfalls by Jineesh

Places near Thirparappu waterfalls by Siju George

Thirparappu Mahadevar Temple

If you are a religious person, you can visit Thirparappu Mahadevar Temple. Lord Shiva is the deity, and it is one of the important Shiva temples in the Kanyakumari district.

Photos by Siju George -Thirparappu waterfalls

Boating facility at Thirparappu waterfalls

There is a boating facility available for tourists. Pedal boats are available for rent, and tourists can travel through the river.

It is a pleasant experience due to the spectacular scenery(thick vegetation) on both sides of the river. After spending our half-day, we returned to Trivandrum with a clean and pleasant mind.

Trip to Bekal Fort, Kasargod, Kerala - Pictures and Route

On our last trip to Kasargod, I and friends decided to visit one of the popular tourist attractions in northern Kerala. It was none other than the famous Bekal Fort and Bekal beach.

We spend the entire afternoon there.

Bekal Fort is situated in Kasargod district, Kerala state, and a recognized tourist destination. It is a big fort that occupies forty acres of land and situates near a beautiful beach.

By analyzing the structure of Bekal Fort, we can say it was built for military requirements rather than any administration requirements.

It is the largest fort in Kerala. Another attraction of Bekal Fort is the presence of a Mosque and Hanuman temple situated very near each other, which shows the religious harmony of Ancient Kerala.

Right now, Bekal Fort is controlled by the Archaeological Survey of India. We entered the fort with their permission and took some photos. You can see those pictures below.

View of Bekal Fort Kerala by Siju and Rakesh T

Me and Rakesh T at Bekal Fort.

View of Bekal Fort

History of Bekal Fort

It is believed that Bekal Fort was built by Sivappa Naik in the 1650s, and in 1763 Mysore army occupied the fort under the command of Hyder Ali and later Tipu Sultan. The British army took control of Bekal Fort after the defeat of Tipu Sultan.

Bekal Beach

Bekal beach is another attraction besides the fort.

Tourists have no special restriction here so far.

Way to Bekal Fort and beach

If the sea is in normal condition tourists can go to the beach. One guard is always there, and tourists should follow the instructions of the guard.

How to Reach Bekal Fort

It is just a 15 km journey to Bekal Fort from Kasargod town. The nearest Airports are at Mangalore (about 50 km from Kasargod), Karipur International Airport (200 km from Kasargod), and Kannur International Airport.