Thiruvananthapuram Reviews

Overview of the destination
East Fort, the old quarter of Trivandrum was the seat of the kings. Chalai is the busy market thoroughfare, once the commercial centre of the city and still one of its main marketplaces. Place retains the old, 'oriental bazaar' atmosphere.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping
Wander around this area just after sundown and absorb a bewildering array of activities - from a group of blind singers belting out malayalam movie numbers over a pa system to a bunch of pentecostal preachers rousing the flock with 'fire & brimstone' sermons. Also, if you are a hard-core non-vegetarian with the ability to subsume hygiene considerations for the best chicken in the world, make a beeline for 'Hotel Rehmainya', a 100 sq feet wonder. Established over 60 years ago, Rehmainya purveys its special brand of melt-in-the-mouth chicken in a unique style.

Activities & things to do
wander about & gaze. Good non-veg food.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc.
Get into an Auto from anywhere in Trivandrum and say 'Gandhi Park, East Fort'. Sit for a while in the Park and absorb the atmosphere. Wander about. Head for food. Wander a bit more. Head home.

Overview of the destination
The capital city of Kerala was the seat of the Kings of Travancore and is now the seat of the ministry that runs the state. No surprise then that politics seems to dominate the place. We got caught in a 'Bandh' when we were there. There is a lovely museum and beaches nearby. A famous old temple (Padmanabha) is worth a vist. Nice, quaint, sleepy & clean.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping
Look out for handicrafts at government run handicraft shops. Sight-seeing can be wrapped up in a couple of days. Kanyakumari, the southern tip of India is a couple of hours drive from here.

Activities & things to do
Not much to do other than do the rounds of the sights. "Sok" in the amazing sight of thousands of coconut trees form a canopy over the whole town.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc.
I understand there are frequent polical 'bandhs', which might affect transport. Plan to get in & go out on Sundays when nobody calls for a 'bandh'!